Acclimating new fish

[larocqjs193]

Hey Everyone!

I already have my own opinions on acclimating new fish, but I would like more facts on the subject. I am looking for more information...like pros, cons, the science behind it... on both sides - to drip or not to drip. I'm not looking to start a debate, just looking for info on each. Thanks!

 

[ThRoewer]

As far as I can tell I never lost a fish due to drip acclimatization, but possibly a few to not doing it that way. So drip it is for me.

 

[Dmorty217]

I never drip any fish and haven't lost any from not dripping. Dripping in fish that were shipped to you can cause ammonia to rise thus killing your new fish. At the very least they will have burnt gills from the ammonia

 

[ca1ore]

Depends on whether you quarantine new fish or not. If you do, whether drip acclimation is harmful or not is irrelevant, because it is not necessary. If you do not quarantine you should, but if you don't then using something to tame ammonia in long-shipped fish is sensible. Not necessary for short-shipped.

 

[ca1ore]

I never drip any fish and haven't lost any from not dripping.

Excellent point. If you had failed to not drip you may well have not lost any to not dripping either. At least, I don't think you would not have.

 

[larocqjs193]

The main argument I have seen towards dripping the fish is that it is safer. Because of how saltwater fish do osmosis, it is better for them to become slowly introduced to the new water. No tank water is going to be exactly the same.

 

[BlackTip]

If I receive the fishes via mail, I match salinity, float the bag for 15, and add a cup of water to the bag every 5 min two or three times, and they go to QT. Moving them from QT to DT, due to the large difference in salinity, I drip acclimate for approximately 90 min.

 

[A sea K]

I use for lack of a better term what I call an acclimation tank as I do not fully QT. I match the tank water to the salinity of the bagged fish, do a 20min temp acclimation if needed and then the fish goes directly to my acclimation tank. I'll keep them there for a week or two (provided I see no sign of issues that would require further treatment) and make slow adjustments to salinity and temp till it matches my my main DT salinity and then transfer directly to my DT.

 

[scooter31707]

My acclimation is matching the salinity with bag water and let float for 15-20 minutes to match temp. My fish does not go straight into a QT, as they go through a Formalin bath straight out the bag and then straight into TTM, then to my QT.