drip acclimation good or bad when getting fish shipped too you

[Cancun]

Hi everyone.....I have asked this question before...but I wanted to get more replies from all of you experts....how do you all accimate fish you order online such from Live Aquaria or Divers Den...or any other online vendors? How do you adjust for salinity in the bag at 1.020 and yours is 1.024 or 1.025? Also low PH in bag wjen your is 8.2....? And what about the ammonia "death click" the second you open the bag? I am looking forward to all of the responses!*

 

[Sk8r]

Ask the shipper what salinity the shipment is. Pre-set your quarantine tank for that salinity. When the fish arrives, do not open the bag. Float the bag in the quarantine 15 minutes to equalize temperature. Then check the bag salinity. If within .002, just put the fish into the quarantine tank.

If not, do the acclimation procedure. A .002 jump upward is generally safe.

The reason not to open the bag at once: once the bag is open, co2 escapes, and drops the ph. The ammonium in fish excrement and respiration starts converting to ammonia and within 30 minutes ammonia is enough to harm the fish. At worst, it will die within 3 days of organ damage.

This is why if you can set the quarantine to match the fish's salinity as it arrives, no need for acclimation beyond the temperature. Put him right into the quarantine.

 

[A.Astore]

Assuming you are QTing your fish, what Sk8r said makes getting the fish into a tank MUCH less stressful! It was a saving point for me finding this approach on this sit because drip acclimation isn't only stressful on the fish, I stress the whole time too! It is using the same philosophy as the TTM for QT. Make sure temp and salinity match and let the fish swim. The you can slowly adjust the salinity over days with water changes to get the fish ready for the display water. My fish have been much happier since using this approach. I think a few shippers may even list their salinity on their sites. (obviously double check it because you just never know)

 

[billbunton]

Do what Sk8r says. The only thing I do in addition is as soon as I open the bag I check the salinity of the shipped water, just to be sure. If it's off a bit, it only takes a minute to add some fresh water to match the salinity.

 

[Cancun]

Thank you everyone sounds like a plan...I am new at ordering online so I was wondering the best way to go. My LFS keeps their salinity at 1.025...which matches mine so acclimation was never a issue....plus I am only 15 min round trip to the fish store...so I never had to worry to much about ammonia build up in the bag etc. One more question...if I have a order placed from Divers Den...I checked and their salinity is 1.025 when they ship the fish...should I still use the QT and leave the salinity at 1.025? Aldo I hear so much about PH...and adjusting PH down to match the shippong bag... What do you guys think? One more thing...sorry...not nee to the hobby just getting fish shipped to me...has anyone on here ordered from Live Aquaria/Divers Den? If so what have been your experiences?

 

[Sk8r]

I have generally found that Live Aquaria ships at 1.019, but that may vary by species. They are one of several very major shippers and have a good reputation. They have a phone number, and you can call and ask, but ALWAYS check the bag water the minute you do open the bag just in case somebody didn't know what was going on.

They also include an acclimation guide which outlines what has been the standard acclimation procedure in the hobby for decades. The procedure I outlined above takes into account what their procedure doesn't---that a quarantine tank can be adjusted in ways a display tank can't. It is far, far safer and more comfortable for your fish to slip directly into a matching salinity and then to have the salinity raised over the next number of days --- evaporation is a nice, gentle way to have it done. (Salt doesn't evaporate: it concentrates). A qt tank should be unlighted, but heated, and well oxygenated, filter changed daily if not a cycled qt, and the water should be tested for nitrate, for ammonia, and for alkalinity daily. Nitrate should be low, not above 20; ammonia should be zero; and alkalinity should be between 7.9 and 9. I kee p mine preferentially at 8.3. Hope that helps. DO PUT A fine-mesh JUMP SCREEN on the qt: small tanks and scared fish often mean fish leaps. To lower nitrate, 10% water change. To stop ammonia, should you see any at all, Prime or Amquel brand water conditioner, and to adjust alkalinity, probably a water change, but you are unlikely to see that go weird. SHould you have an alkalinity issue in your tank, DKH Alkalinity Buffer is the fix.

 

[bruindave]

i would ALWAYS check the salinity in the bag.

i even had two salinity mixes ready for a shipment from liveaquaria and divers den. i thought LA would be 1.019 like sk8r said, but it turned out that all my inverts from them came in 1.025. i was so happy I checked before throwing them into the 1.019 water.

 

[Indymann99]

Fish can go DOWN in SG no problem... inverts... I dont know.

in the last 10 yrs I have decided that getting fish out of the bag and into good water is more critical than any "drip" acclimation.

 

[Cancun]

That's all good to know...I just wish there were info like this posted everywhere for people new to ordering fish online....because the way you acclimate fish from your LFS are way different then when your fish was bagged and flown across the country....

 

[albano]

...because the way you acclimate fish from your LFS are way different then when your fish was bagged and flown across the country....

IMO/E, there is no difference ... Temp acclimate, 15 minute drip, into tank... Over 40 yrs experience, and thousands of fish (have helped at LFSs)

 

[Cancun]

Albano...wow 40 years....! Thanks for your info! I see so many people doing very long acclimation rituals.....and when I have tried that I don't seem to have success...so thats why I am asking on here....thanks for all the great info!!!

 

[T Haynes]

Ask the shipper what salinity the shipment is. Pre-set your quarantine tank for that salinity. When the fish arrives, do not open the bag. Float the bag in the quarantine 15 minutes to equalize temperature. Then check the bag salinity. If within .002, just put the fish into the quarantine tank.

If not, do the acclimation procedure. A .002 jump upward is generally safe.

The reason not to open the bag at once: once the bag is open, co2 escapes, and drops the ph. The ammonium in fish excrement and respiration starts converting to ammonia and within 30 minutes ammonia is enough to harm the fish. At worst, it will die within 3 days of organ damage.

This is why if you can set the quarantine to match the fish's salinity as it arrives, no need for acclimation beyond the temperature. Put him right into the quarantine.

Do you do regular drip acclimation for local buys? Where the build up shouldn't be an issue?

 

[reefiness]

If you're having fish shipped, check what the shipped says to do. Many say to drop acclimate. Especially if they have a warrenty, stick with their directions.

 

[Rufnek100]

One of the reefing books I have suggests to put an ammonia binding agent in the transport water with the fish to combat this issue upon opening; it even goes so far as to mention Seachem Prime.

In theory it makes sense, but in practice I've never done it and adding chemicals to the water with an animal that's already stressed seems counterintuitive.

Does anyone else have experience with this practice?

 

[Cancun]

I have generally found that Live Aquaria ships at 1.019, but that may vary by species. They are one of several very major shippers and have a good reputation. They have a phone number, and you can call and ask, but ALWAYS check the bag water the minute you do open the bag just in case somebody didn't know what was going on.

They also include an acclimation guide which outlines what has been the standard acclimation procedure in the hobby for decades. The procedure I outlined above takes into account what their procedure doesn't---that a quarantine tank can be adjusted in ways a display tank can't. It is far, far safer and more comfortable for your fish to slip directly into a matching salinity and then to have the salinity raised over the next number of days --- evaporation is a nice, gentle way to have it done. (Salt doesn't evaporate: it concentrates). A qt tank should be unlighted, but heated, and well oxygenated, filter changed daily if not a cycled qt, and the water should be tested for nitrate, for ammonia, and for alkalinity daily. Nitrate should be low, not above 20; ammonia should be zero; and alkalinity should be between 7.9 and 9. I kee p mine preferentially at 8.3. Hope that helps. DO PUT A fine-mesh JUMP SCREEN on the qt: small tanks and scared fish often mean fish leaps. To lower nitrate, 10% water change. To stop ammonia, should you see any at all, Prime or Amquel brand water conditioner, and to adjust alkalinity, probably a water change, but you are unlikely to see that go weird. SHould you have an alkalinity issue in your tank, DKH Alkalinity Buffer is the fix.

Thanks so much sk8r....I listened to your advice and set up a QT tank...I dropped the salinity to 1.019....I just got a shipment from LA california....the salinity was 1.020....I floated for 15 min for temp then put them into my QT....okay now my DT is at 1.024....so my goal is to raise the salinity a point per day...is that correct? Also please give me info on the best way to do this...also the QT is bare bottom tank...a bew pieces of PVC for hiding...hang on back filter...and heater....any more info would be great! By the way if you ask LA customer service about bringing up salinity they tell you to drip them double the time for 2 hours instead of 60 min.....I guess that confused me because a company with such a good money back guarantee. ...would be giving out that kind of advice. Anyone else eant to comment please feel free!

 

[albano]

..okay now my DT is at 1.024....so my goal is to raise the salinity a point per day...is that correct?

So you only are planning 4 days in QT?

 

[Cancun]

So you only are planning 4 days in QT?

No....I was planning on 2 weeks in QT min....but didn't want to raise the salinity more than 1 pt per day....

 

[albano]

No....I was planning on 2 weeks in QT min....but didn't want to raise the salinity more than 1 pt per day....

You could raise it a little every few days when you do a water change...

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I always follow the online companies acclimation procedures with one exception, I add a cap full of Amquel or Prime to combat the ammonia.

 

[homer1475]

I do jut as Sk8r said.

I let my QT come up in salinity by evaporation which usually takes a few days. When the salinity is where I want it, I'll do a WC, and keep the salinity stable.