acclimating fish... help pls

[Laz A]

Alright so Im using the drip method on a pair of clowns and made sure to equalize the temp of the water by sitting the bag in my tank first. now the fish are in a bucket which is tilted and an air line is dripping water from my tank into the bucket. (i tied a knot to slow the water to a drip)
How long should I acclimate for? should i speed up the drip at any point?

Thanks,
Laz

 

[Chef Reef]

hmm theres a really good website that has a video on drip acclimation. i dont think i saved it but maybe someone else has it? ya at some point you speed it up. let me look around see f i can find it

 

[EllieSuz]

You should drip until the bag is nearly full, empty half of that and drip until full again. If you have a refractometer, gauge the specific gravity of the water in the bag and the water in your tank. If they are very close, you're ready to introduce your new fish to the Quarantine Tank.

 

[coralfragger101]

Good point Ellie on the QT but for some reason I think the fish are going directly into the main tank.

I have not heard of speeding up the drip personally and can't think of a reason off hand for doing so. (not to say there isn't)
The main idea is to get the water parameters from the bag identical to the parameters of the tank water (in theory) and to do this slowly so that you don't shock the livestock. It can / "should" take hours. Once they are identical (or close), you are ready for the transfer.

I generally only test for SG, PH and temp prior to transferring.

 

[Chef Reef]

on the website i was given (cant find) it shows driping slow for like the first hours or so and then incresing the rate stedaly to a slow stream.

 

[gasman059]

For real how many of u guys do that!( if u do I commend u for it)

The real answer is drop them in a bucket- drip some tank water to double the amount u started with. then 30 mins to an hrs later if you are not doing qt drop them in your tank.

Is not what everybody suggests and the way that it should be done but practically that's the way pretty much the average john does it.

I just simply aclimate and drop- darwin takes care of the rest I know I'm getting burn for this post but since I don't have a QT and I'm not planning to have one, the answer is very simple IMHO drip drop and pray! HTH


Here's the "real" answer.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=19

 

[Chef Reef]

bump on gasman cuase thats all i do . my above post is what i heard your supposed to do.

 

[loyalrogue]

The only reason I ever speed up the drip in that way is to equalize the temperature between the drip container and the tank after aclimation.

I've found that the drip container outside my tank is always several degrees lower than the tank due to the air conditioning affecting the smaller volume of water differently.
A faster drip/stream compensates and brings the temp up quicker than the a/c can drop it.

Otherwise, after a normal slow drip I'll rebag and float for 15 minutes.

 

[coralfragger101]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12390450#post12390450 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gasman059
For real how many of u guys do that!( if u do I commend u for it)

The real answer is drop them in a bucket- drip some tank water to double the amount u started with. then 30 mins to an hrs later if you are not doing qt drop them in your tank.

Is not what everybody suggests and the way that it should be done but practically that's the way pretty much the average john does it.

I just simply aclimate and drop- darwin takes care of the rest I know I'm getting burn for this post but since I don't have a QT and I'm not planning to have one, the answer is very simple IMHO drip drop and pray! HTH


Here's the "real" answer.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=19

The "REAL" answer?

Drip, Drop and Pray - Simply making the statement admits that you could do better.

The bottom line is to get parameters equal and doing this slowly so there isn't a sudden change of any parameter during transfer. I don't think anyone can argue with that.

Do I take it slow and actually measure parameters?

YES - I most certainly do. This hobby is expensive enough without taking unecessary risks that could cost me money and cost the life of any livestock. Whether it be a specimen that cost me $1 or $100.

 

[coralfragger101]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12390506#post12390506 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by loyalrogue
The only reason I ever speed up the drip in that way is to equalize the temperature between the drip container and the tank after aclimation.

I've found that the drip container outside my tank is always several degrees lower than the tank due to the air conditioning affecting the smaller volume of water differently.
A faster drip/stream compensates and brings the temp up quicker than the a/c can drop it.

Otherwise, after a normal slow drip I'll rebag and float for 15 minutes.

I'll have to admit that it sound reasoning for speeding up the drip "once parameters are equal or close to equal".

What I have actually done is to make an oversized specimen container from scrap acrylic that hangs on the side of the sump. The specimen goes into this container with a drip from the display tank. The drip gets the water parameters equal while the water from the sump around the specimen container makes the temp equal.

Works great.

OH NO !!!! - That means I'm not QT'ing. And you are correct. And I even have a QT tank set up. Hey - I'm human too.
My "mid years" resolution will be to start QT'ing everything after I rid my tanks of asterinas and flat worms (I could have worse problems).

The same DIY oversized specimen container could be used to hang on the side of the QT just the same as it hangs on the side of the sump now.

 

[REDDAWG43]

Drip, Drop and Pray ......have not lost a fish yet for it.
I have seen this done by some of the big baller reefers and they have not lost a fish due to this either...

 

[coralfragger101]

I don't play Russian Roulette either.

 

[gasman059]

I tell u what- never have I lost a fish to aclimatation w/o all that jibijajaba.

If and this is big, "U pick the right fish" there should never be a problem introducing him to your tank!

 

[loyalrogue]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12392104#post12392104 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gasman059
If and this is big, "U pick the right prostitute" there should never be a problem getting an STD even if you don't use a condom!

:lol:

I also know smokers who don't have cancer yet, but I wouldn't go advocating that every child start smoking just because they might end up being one of the lucky ones.

 

[gasman059]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12393395#post12393395 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by loyalrogue
:lol:

I also know smokers who don't have cancer yet, but I wouldn't go advocating that every child start smoking just because they might end up being one of the lucky ones.

LMAO great quote!!!!!!!!!

 

[lpsluver]

Temp equalize, verify the pH is comparable and then drop. Drip acclimating is generally used to slowly equalibrate differences in salinity. This is a big issue with inverts but not fish. I do drip acclimate inverts though.

A waste of time IMO/E. Like Gasman, I have not lost a fish to the acclimation process.

 

[TorryRx]

Quite a few of the experts recommend little to no acclimation as well. Here's the rationale...As the fish excretes ammonia in the bag, it is also increasing the CO2 dissolved in the water. This in turn lowers the pH, which actually makes the ammonia less toxic. But once oxygen is introduced into the bag by opening it, or by dripping water into it the pH raises again making the ammonia toxic. It is better to drop the fish into a different pH than to expose it to the increasingly toxic ammonia.

Sounds good in theory...

Kelly Jedlicki has also done controlled experiments and has found that little/no acclimation has actually slightly improved the survival rate of the fish (I wish I still had that link).

I acclimate to temperature leaving the bag closed (it only takes about as long as it takes me to smoke a cigarette), then in they go. I have had no problems to date.

 

[gasman059]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12397548#post12397548 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TorryRx
Quite a few of the experts recommend little to no acclimation as well. Here's the rationale...As the fish excretes ammonia in the bag, it is also increasing the CO2 dissolved in the water. This in turn lowers the pH, which actually makes the ammonia less toxic. But once oxygen is introduced into the bag by opening it, or by dripping water into it the pH raises again making the ammonia toxic. It is better to drop the fish into a different pH than to expose it to the increasingly toxic ammonia.

Sounds good in theory...

Kelly Jedlicki has also done controlled experiments and has found that little/no acclimation has actually slightly improved the survival rate of the fish (I wish I still had that link).

I acclimate to temperature leaving the bag closed (it only takes about as long as it takes me to smoke a cigarette), then in they go. I have had no problems to date.

thx Torry!

 

[gasman059]

Drip, Drop and Pray - Simply making the statement admits that you could do better

It could also mean that I know better right lol

 

[coralfragger101]

Several quotable quotes come to mind.

There are 101 ways to skin a cat.
Opinions are like rearends, everybody has one.

This is exactly why my signature line reads the way it does.

And one more quote. Whatever floats your boat.

I have not lost a fish due to acclimation either.