latest and greatest acclimation procedure?

[mayjong]

Hey all-
So, when getting fish sh ipped overnight, what is the latest-best acclimation?

I will usually float for 15-20 min then open and dump out all but about 2 cups of water in the bag. and then ill add about half a cup of tank water every 2 or 3 min untl volume has double twice -no more than half an hour. Then into the tank. Is that too long of a procedure?
Thanks

 

[snorvich]

Find out the SG of the shipping water beforehand. Premix your QT water to that SG using a calibrated refractometer. Temperature acclimate by floating the bag for 15 minutes, then add to the QT

 

[ca1ore]

What Steve says!

Of course, if you aren't using a QT then this ideal approach doesn't work (unless you keep or can lower the SG in your display to something around 1.018; which is unlikely). On the very rare occasion that I don't QT a fish that comes in with low salinity shipping water, I do the following:

1. Prepare a bucket of salt water adjusted to the shipping bag
2. Float for 15 mins to equalize temperature, and put fish into bucket (but not the shipping water)
3. Gradually adjust bucket salinity to match display using traditional drip method.

Strongly recommend QT, however. The only time recently I have put fish directly into my main system was a calculated risk with Diver's Den sourced leopard wrasses - and they ship at full salinity.

 

[snorvich]

What Steve says!

Of course, if you aren't using a QT then this ideal approach doesn't work (unless you keep or can lower the SG in your display to something around 1.018; which is unlikely). On the very rare occasion that I don't QT a fish that comes in with low salinity shipping water, I do the following:

1. Prepare a bucket of salt water adjusted to the shipping bag
2. Float for 15 mins to equalize temperature, and put fish into bucket (but not the shipping water)
3. Gradually adjust bucket salinity to match display using traditional drip method.

Strongly recommend QT, however. The only time recently I have put fish directly into my main system was a calculated risk with Diver's Den sourced leopard wrasses - and they ship at full salinity.

I agree. But quarantine is always a good idea.

 

[Neptune 555]

always QT... I learned the hard way...

Neptune