How do you acclimate your purchases?

[Bent]

After learning a long time ago that a lengthy acclimation period can actually kill your animals, I really switched up my process. So what I would like to do, is have a good discussion here on why lengthy drip acclimations are actually detrimental and I would like to hear what others do before adding their animals.

So, the exact reason, as I have read, that long acclimations are detrimental is due to the sudden rise in ammonia. Trapped Co2 within the sealed bag keeps the pH of the bag water low and the ammonia (nh3) which the animal gives off naturally combines with the excess hydrogen in the water turning nh3->nh4. Nh4 (ammonium) is not toxic. When the bag is opened, and the co2 is allowed to out gas, then the pH within the bag starts to raise. As the pH raises, the nh4 starts loosing the extra hydrogen molecule and converting back into toxic nh3. The entire process of converting all the nh4 into nh3 apparently takes around 30 minutes to rise to toxic levels in the bag.

Now all this information is research based only and I have not done my own experiments to test its validity, so the exact information given here may need tweaked by someone who has actually done the experiment.

So, having read this, i adjusted my acclimation process.

Now what I do is:
1: float the bag for 30min.
2: open the bag and take a SG reading.
3: If adding to QT, I adjust the QT SG to match the bag.
4: if coral or invert and adding directly to DT I will not sweat the SG.
5: I will drip the animal for 20 minutes. Doubling the bag volume about every 5 minutes or so. It's a pretty fast drip.
6: after the volume in the bag is completely replaced with source water, I'll release the animal.

Now some people say just matching the temp and SG is enough. But I don't figure the extra 20 minutes hurts anything and makes the transition at least a little more gradual.

Discuss.

 

[deleau]

I follow whatever acclimation process is recommended by the online vendor so as to not void their warranty. On a local fish, I follow your list except that if I am added to QT and can easily match SG of the bag and QT, then I skip the drip.

 

[jason2459]

Prime. Ammonia can spike as soon as you open the bag.

 

[KingTriton1]

15-20 min float
Already have my QT salinity in check. I know where all my purchases keep their salinity levels.
Test water anyways
Drop em in
I don't like drip acclimation with animals. If you do drip then do like Jason said use some prime to make the ammonia non toxic.

 

[Clink51]

I match the temp by floating it in my sump and drip acclimate for 1-2 hours with a slow drip. i empty 1/3 of the bag out when it gets close to the top. i don't match SG honestly. i never go past 2 hours

 

[Sk8r]

I think the first thing is to identify any critical parameter that is left to acclimate a critter TO. And with salinity and temperature accounted for, there's not much left, granted it has come from a marine environment of adequate alkalinity and is going into another of acceptable alkalinity. Low alk would be the worst situation to drop a critter into, but granted the shipper keeps theirs decent, and that you do, that should be pretty close. Acceptable alk ranges from about 7.9-8.3, as far as 9, and that's about it. Differences in magnesium and calcium? I'd doubt most fish notice.

 

[CStrickland]

Online orders are much worse for ammonia build up, obvi. So you'll see diff methods from people who are used to just driving the stock home from a store.
But with shipped stock you are usually using a styrofoam box so you don't have the temp drops that can happen in some drip setups. I've seen people float the bags for temp and then drip in a 5g bucket for an hour. It ain't gonna stay at 78* that way for long.

I add prime and drip for a little while, slow at first and then faster. Mostly cause that's pretty close to the recommended method for the vendor I use and I don't want to have to lie to get a refund.

 

[Xxero]

I'll probably get blasted for this, but.....

I've had a saltwater tank on and off for the last 15 years, and I have always acclimated my new arrivals the exact same way. So far (knocks on wood), I have never lost a single creature from acclimation:

1. I float the sealed bag for 15 minutes.
2. I open the bag and pour out about half of the water.
3. I add about a 1/4 cup of tank water every few minutes over the course of 15 minutes.
4. I pour the bag's contents through a net and toss the critter in.


That's it.

 

[cloak]

Unless the temperature of the water is WAY off from my tank, I just throw things in. It's definitely not the best practice, but the environment I'm providing is probably much better than that of the LFS. Just as an example, have you ever been to a rock concert before? Great music, great friends, great times, but that breath of fresh air is always nice. GL.

 

[Stevenahammer]

I buy $500+ pieces of coral. I open the bag and place the coral in my tank, then I dispose of the water and bag.

 

[Xxero]

I buy $500+ pieces of coral. I open the bag and place the coral in my tank, then I dispose of the water and bag.

Virtual high-five! :lmao: