Received my juvenile Emperor Angel form saltwaterfish.com today. Did a very slow acclimation process. I set up a 30 gallon QT and put considerable LR from the sump of my main system. As from the email I received he is laying on his side on the bottom of the tank. I know that this is common with shipped fish. How long should I expect him to stay this way? The email is probably accurate, but not very comforting. Furthermore, how long before he/she will probably start eating? All of my previous fish have come from LFSs and did not experience as much trauma as this guy. thanks tommy
Acclimation time for angels?
- Thread starter tb27272
- Start date
AquaKnight
Active member
The thing from online vendors is that you usually have to follow their acclimation guidelines if you don't want to void their guarantee.
SWF recommends the drip method which is fine for local fish IMO, but for fish, esp. larger fish in less water shipped a good distance I really don't like dripping fish in that case.
Here is Lee Birch's instructions...
a. Add QT water to open bag (measure the amount) according to either:
- - - i. no more than 5% of the estimated volume of the original bag water volume, OR
- - - ii. adjust addition volume down to 3% for more sensitive fishes
b. Wait 5 minutes (use a timer) for sensitive fishes; OR 4 minutes (use a timer) for less sensitive fishes
c. Repeat a. and b.
d. Continue additions c.) until bag is nearly full
e. If QT water parameters were not adjusted, go on to g.
f. If QT water parameters were adjusted to bag parameters (1.b.), go on to DIP
g. Empty bag to just about 2/3 of the original water volume that was in the bag
h. Continue making additions of QT water to the bag as in c. until bag pH and salinity match that of the QT. If needed, repeat g. & h. doubling the volume of the additions
i. When the bag is nearly full for the second time, proceed to DIP
j. After dip, turn off lighting of the QT until the next morning, only allowing natural room light.
Up to you on the dip. I only dip from QT to DT as an extra precaution.
I guess the best thing you can do is quickly measure pH, ammonia, and salinity and see where they're at. Anything too out of whack I would definitely skip the drip method and get the fish out of that water as posted above.
SWF recommends the drip method which is fine for local fish IMO, but for fish, esp. larger fish in less water shipped a good distance I really don't like dripping fish in that case.
Here is Lee Birch's instructions...
a. Add QT water to open bag (measure the amount) according to either:
- - - i. no more than 5% of the estimated volume of the original bag water volume, OR
- - - ii. adjust addition volume down to 3% for more sensitive fishes
b. Wait 5 minutes (use a timer) for sensitive fishes; OR 4 minutes (use a timer) for less sensitive fishes
c. Repeat a. and b.
d. Continue additions c.) until bag is nearly full
e. If QT water parameters were not adjusted, go on to g.
f. If QT water parameters were adjusted to bag parameters (1.b.), go on to DIP
g. Empty bag to just about 2/3 of the original water volume that was in the bag
h. Continue making additions of QT water to the bag as in c. until bag pH and salinity match that of the QT. If needed, repeat g. & h. doubling the volume of the additions
i. When the bag is nearly full for the second time, proceed to DIP
j. After dip, turn off lighting of the QT until the next morning, only allowing natural room light.
Up to you on the dip. I only dip from QT to DT as an extra precaution.
I guess the best thing you can do is quickly measure pH, ammonia, and salinity and see where they're at. Anything too out of whack I would definitely skip the drip method and get the fish out of that water as posted above.
ccampbell57
Premium Member
I have bought many fish online and had great success with them. I have bought 3 angels from SWF.com all are still here.
My suggestion is to do the cup in cup out x3 method. Basically, each 15 minutes I remove 3 cups and replace the water with 3 cups of the tank water. After an hour and a half of this I place the fish in a bucket and proceed with airline hose on full for 20 minutes.
Once this is done I net the fish and place it in the QT. Never lost a fish yet.
My suggestion is to do the cup in cup out x3 method. Basically, each 15 minutes I remove 3 cups and replace the water with 3 cups of the tank water. After an hour and a half of this I place the fish in a bucket and proceed with airline hose on full for 20 minutes.
Once this is done I net the fish and place it in the QT. Never lost a fish yet.
o am. I don't understand, Ph, Alk, Salinity NO3 etc are all in check.
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