To minimize stress and outbreaks of any type of fish disease what's your best method to acclimate fish? Last order I placed from Blue Zoo I followed their acclimation guide and it didn't go so well. Their care package is awesome but their acclimation process seems too long. They ask you to float the bag then drip acclimate for 30-60 minutes to let the water double. Once doubled remove have of the water and repeat the process 2-3 more times. To me this seems too long, I'd like suggestions from you guys. Snorvich and Spar, I'd really like to hear your ideas.
How do you acclimate?
- Thread starter izzyish
- Start date
Deinonych
New member
Match the QT salinity to that of the transport bag. Then float the bag to temperature acclimate for 20 minutes or so and transfer the fish to the QT. You can add small amounts of tank water to the bag to further acclimate, but it's really not necessary. I've never lost a fish to acclimation using this method.
Drip acclimation for shipped fish can cause a lot of harm due to ammonia build-up in the bag. Once you expose the bag water to air (pH rises as CO2 is released from the bag), non-toxic ammonium becomes toxic ammonia very quickly. Also, drip acclimation results in a temperature difference between the tank at the acclimation container. A small container will reach room temperature quickly, even with tank water being dripped into it.
Drip acclimation for shipped fish can cause a lot of harm due to ammonia build-up in the bag. Once you expose the bag water to air (pH rises as CO2 is released from the bag), non-toxic ammonium becomes toxic ammonia very quickly. Also, drip acclimation results in a temperature difference between the tank at the acclimation container. A small container will reach room temperature quickly, even with tank water being dripped into it.
Thank you, this sounds like a way better process.
I ran into an issue where I went to buy some fish at a NFS, not the store closest to me, but one further away where the department manager had some knowledge. They don't let you buy and hold fish, but I asked what they ran their SG at. They told me 1.022, so this is how I set up my 1st TTM. Turns out there wasn't anything I was interested in, but since the NFS chain was running a sale, against my better judgment because the saltwater tanks are poorly run, I decided to stop at the one closest to me. They had some fish that looked healthy and I confirmed they were eating, so I purchased three. I assumed they had probably received them recently in support of the sale, and my understanding is that the NFS gets their livestock from the same distributors as LFSs. When I got them home and tested the salinity, it was 1.031! This location doesn't even sell corals!
I know you can lower SG pretty fast, but it seemed this was a pretty large difference (1.031->1.022) to do in one shot. I decided to add an airstone plus Amquel to handle ammonia and drip acclimated over four hours. Just curious if this was the right course of action, or if you would recommend another procedure? The fish did seem to handle OK, although a coral beauty angel that ate well and seemed fine, suddenly died after 24 hours. Not sure if the death was related to the acclimation procedure.
On another note, I have never ordered fish on-line but am considering it once the weather gets warmer here in the Boston area. Do the vendors tell you what SG the fish will be packaged in so you can match it upon receipt and immediately transfer once temperatures are matched?
Deinonych
New member
Fish can handle a rapid downward shift in SG much better than an upward shift, but that is a pretty big difference. I would have tried to match the QT SG by adding some salt, although that has its own set of challenges. Why they were running their tanks at 1.031 is beyond me.
I don't know about most vendors, but I can tell you that LiveAquaria ships their fish at around 1.018 (+/- 0.001), inverts at 1.025, and their Diver's Den stock at 1.025.
Not to flame the NFS, but this was the first time I purchased from this location. They only have about six tanks for marine fish, and nobody there seemed very knowledgeable. I think as they add water to account for evaporation, they probably used saltwater, and it has just built up over time. I had also bought some snails, dripped them overnight, but I think this was still too rapid, as they were all dead within 3 weeks. Lesson learned.
Matching QT tank to incoming bag salinity is absolutely best practice; but it only works if you use a QT tank (which you should). If you are putting fish directly into your display, then it doesn't work (unless you are maintaining it at 1.018). In the rare event I'm putting an incoming fish into a normal salinity environmnt, I do an intermediary bucket which is matched to the incoming bag, and then drip from there. Eliminates any possibility of ammonia toxicity.
Excellent advice. The highlighting on the text is mine.
I definitely QT my fish. I need to get in the habit of doing the same for corals.
MidwesternTexan
Average Joe
Whether QT or DT directly, dump some water in the bag from the tank, float the bag,
get impatient, pour fish and bag into a net,
place netted fish in intended tank- works great everytime!
get impatient, pour fish and bag into a net,
place netted fish in intended tank- works great everytime!
in this hobby, that will bite you in the butt sooner rather than later.
I don't QT inverts, actually. I dip them, but that's about it.
I'm asking this for this given situation...... For instance, if u set ur QT at 1.018 because that's the industry standard, and ur fish comes in at 1.026, u try to raise the QT to 1.026. But, how sure are u of that salinity reading since freshly mixed salt water isn't accurately measured.... Am I overthinking this?
Deinonych
New member
I don't keep a QT running at all times - only when I have a new fish acquisition. So, I can set the SG of the QT to whatever the known SG of the transport bag is. I buy all of my livestock from LiveAquaria/Divers Den, so I know what the salinity of the transport bag is going to be well in advance.
Yes, Divers Den and LA have well known SG so it is easy to prepare. LFS, once you have determined where they keep their SG are also easy.
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