Do Acclimation Boxes Work After Aggression?

[blface]

Hmm, a tang and an angel, maybe there is a pattern here.

Was the aggression in the form of the tang trying to get at the angel while the latter was in the acclimation box? Did you have to catch the angle multiple times?

Yes the tang would still try & attack the angel even though it's still in the box. I leave the new fish in the box until the aggressor totally leaves it alone.
Like I stated before thas has been as long as 4 weeks. I had to remove my PBT along time ago due to it was always the boss. It was replaced with the kole tang which is usually a more mellow tang.

 

[blface]

How big are your acclimation boxes and where did you get them?

I just use a critter keeper. Not sure on the size I'm at work & can't measure it.

 

[blface]

Here's a pic of what I use. It comes in a few sizes. I just rest it on my sand bed with a small piece of live rock inside to keep it weighed down.

 

[JSeymour]

I have several isolation boxes, some more elabrate than others, but I have to say my favorite is the plastic diffuser box. It's a five sided box that I've used for several fish. Here's a pic.

The open side is either pushed into the sand or pushed against a flat surface, either works. Use a couple small rocks to hold it in place. Place a couple pieces of rubble from a refugium in the box with the angel for something to pick on. The biggest benefit is food flows right through, so you don't have open a box several times a day to add food.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

[QUOTEblface;19856001]Here's a pic of what I use. It comes in a few sizes. I just rest it on my sand bed with a small piece of live rock inside to keep it weighed down.[/QUOTE]

I have seen these. Do they have holes in the sides or do you drill them?

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

I have several isolation boxes, some more elabrate than others, but I have to say my favorite is the plastic diffuser box. It's a five sided box that I've used for several fish. Here's a pic.

The open side is either pushed into the sand or pushed against a flat surface, either works. Use a couple small rocks to hold it in place. Place a couple pieces of rubble from a refugium in the box with the angel for something to pick on. The biggest benefit is food flows right through, so you don't have open a box several times a day to add food.

This is a good idea as you can adapt the size to the available space in the aquarium plus it presents less surface area to the water as I have a lot of flow in the tank.

 

[HASBRO]

Made my eggcrate box the same but used zip ties instead, works much better than any kind of glue.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. As I work near a HD, I picked up some eggcrate and made a box this evening with some zip ties. The regal is now in it. I did a box with 6 sides and it doesn't quite set on the sand bed due to some rock, so I have to feed the regal slowly and let it get the food before it drops out of the box or drifts out with the water movement.

The pbt didn't give the regal a second glance while it was in the mesh breeder box and hasn't paid any attention to the regal while it has been in the eggcrate acclimation box so far. Perhaps it will be like with the Moorish Idol where the pbt ignores the new fish after the first evening.

The pbt spends lots of time in front of the mirror. I guess I need to take that away to see if the pbt has any interest in the regal when it no longer sees its image in the mirror.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

my 5"+ PBT didnt even take a look at my 4" Blue tang when I added it. I had the Blue tang in an acclimation box for about 5 days.

Last week I added a 5" false personifer and the same size emp juvie(changing) went after it hard non-stop. I had the FP in an acclimation box for a week prior to releasing her too. When I added a 5" True Personifer months prior, the emp did not give it any problems and still havent. My FP and TP looks almost identical with the TP a shade lighter and a slight marking on the tail.

After a day I separated the tank in half with an egg crate. Which is very easy to do with my minimalist rockwork.

I'll be another couple of weeks probably before I remove the egg crate b/c I'm about to add another tang. Then I'll see how the emp reacts.

The PBT seems like they are really hit and miss with aggression issues. Thank goodness mine is peaceful.

Did the emp pay any attention to the FP while it was in the acclimation box?

I wonder whether fish sense when a newcomer isn't strong and can be bullied and will be a victim. My Moorish Idol clearly wasn't bothered by the chasing and nipping of the pbt and just kept swimming where it wanted, whereas the regal let itself be driven to a side or corner of the tank and then attacked. I have had other fish that just shrugged off attacks, but the regal sort of cowered in the corners.

I guess I will find out when I get around to releasing the regal.

 

[geaux xman]

this guy made a couple of custom boxes for some posters here.

large one is 12x6x6".
http://www.elite-aquatics.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=43&product_id=25

 

[rssjsb]

I don't think this is a highjack, but I would like to know whether people think that these things actually reduce hazing of newcomers. I still use them because I think it's helpful to the new fish to chill a little and get visually used to their new surroundings. However, when released, the new guys still get harassed by my kole tang and majestic angel.

Mine is hung on the top front of the tank, and maybe that's the problem. Do they work better if down on the sandbed where they're more visible to the other fish?

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

I have wondered the same thing. I suspect it helps in some cases as the fish can get used to the presence of the newcomer but in other cases the aggression only manifests itself when the fish actually can interact and compete for food.

It turns out that the pbt has completely ignored the regal while it was in acclimation boxes. Thus, I am faced with determining when to release the angel. Today, on the assumption that the aggression was only a one-day thing, or next weekend to give the regal more acclimation time and to let it recover more from its earlier beating. I am tempted to wait a week even though it appears the pbt will show no interest in the regal during that time.

 

[SDguy]

It's not just about reducing the aggression from the established fish. It's also about getting the newcomer accustomed to the tank (water, lighting, other fish), eating well, etc, in the DT, so he can deal better with the other fish once released, IMO.

 

[rssjsb]

Yeah, that's why I still do it. I know that a lot of circumstances play into this, but I really haven't noticed my kole or any of my other fish really noticing the fish in the box.

 

[flameangel88]

You might be able to hold the front egg crate in place with a rock or whatever object you can find that has some weight to it.

My acclimation box is 12x6x6. The place that was making them went bankrupt. Those acclimation box that Dr.F&S and marinedepot sell is pretty small.

I've seen some DIY acclimation boxes that people made out of small acrylic box for gerbils or whatever pet from the petstore, then drilling holes for suction cups. That can be done for pretty cheap if you want to go that route.

There is a guy that a couple of posters had gotten some custom made acrylic acclimation boxes from. His looks very well constructed, but it might cost a good bit and will wake a while.

The 12x6x6 was a great product for the price of $35 shipped and it was really a shame the guy is no longer in business because I was going to buy the 20x10x10 afterward. I think it's better than the ones you can buy online $0 or $60 and I sure got my money's worth out of it.

Here's a pic of it

before I got the one above I use the $2 container (10x8x7.5) I bought from Walmart tied with egg crate and weighted down with a piece of rock. works fine but not as well for taking pictures.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

So some of you are running all of your fish through an acclimation box before releasing them into the dt?

 

[humaguy]

So some of you are running all of your fish through an acclimation box before releasing them into the dt?

I will often do just that...after 6 or weeks in qt tank, I will put them in an acclimation box to hopefully reduce the amount of friction they get when introduced...also, will leaves lights off in tanks for a few days and rearrange the aquascaping...it all helps....

 

[humaguy]

6 or so weeks in qt tank....

 

[JSeymour]

I don't use one for every single fish, but many. It all depends on what tankmates and their size, the type of fish being added and it's size, tank size, etc. Certain fish like anthias, flasher/fairy wrasses, butterflies, and tangs are not usually placed in acclimation boxes because of activity level, feeding requirements, and/or the possiblility of damaging themselves.

 

[flameangel88]

The 12x6x6 was a great product for the price of $35 shipped and it was really a shame the guy is no longer in business because I was going to buy the 20x10x10 afterward. I think it's better than the ones you can buy online $0 or $60 and I sure got my money's worth out of it.

I meant to say $40 or $60.