LFS fish acclimation

[sassyfrassy]

My LFS floats fish to adjust temp., but then just dumps them in - no water acclimation. He also gives no guarantee at all on SWF. Is this customary for LFS? Of course I have no way of knowing how Liveaquaria or anyone else acclimates, however, they do give guarantees. There is also red & black slime algae growing in some of their tanks. So where's the best place to get my fish???

 

[Doobze]

No. Mine drips all SW fish and inverts.

 

[shackscs]

Depends on the store.

Best procedure: Drip acclimate 1 to 2 hours for fish; much longer for shrimp, clams and starfish.

Down and dirty: Simply float for 7-10 minutes and the cut open.

Losses are probably higher with the down and dirty method.

I drip everything but I also don't purchase a fish from LFS that has not been swimming in their tanks for at least 3-4 days and eating.

 

[thile123]

I wouldn't buy from that LFS. With that kind of acclimation and no guarantee. I see problem waiting to happen.

 

[Brando457]

I have been doing the half cup method for all my fish/corals.

Basically I put half of the LFS water in a container then I pour about a 1/4 of solo cup of my tank water in and do that for 1 hour every 15 minutes.

Fish and corals seem to be doing well. When I finish my 135 gallon I will drip EVERY fish I get in QT then after 3-4 weeks put them in the 135. NO F-ING what I am risking having anything wrong in my 135.

 

[sassyfrassy]

He told me tonight he wouldn't be getting any more shipments in until after Christmas and the last shipment came in 3-4 days ago. So by the middle of next week if he has anything I want they should be OK to buy? Should I ask him to feed to see if it's eating? Are the mail order livestock stores here on RC good to get fish from? Is the shipping $$?

 

[Chris27]

Some LFS do things differently, and ideally, it's best to drip acclimate them. This can be avoided when the temp and salinity of the water they are going into is the same that is in the bag. Personally, I would want to get the fish out of that nasty water in the bag as soon as I could, especially if it was just shipped in fresh from the islands.

Do note, that that only advantage that drip acclimating has is that it makes the fish transition with a little less stress. Acclimating properly won't keep a fish from getting Crypt or any other ailment, it just makes the move to the new home a little less stressful.

When I get a new fish, I check the water parameters of the LFS water, and then match them in my QT. I then bring a nice clean bucket to the store and bring the fish home with a healthy amount of water in it. When I get home, I don't acclimate it if the temp of the water in the bucket is the same as the tank. Most cases it is, because I only live 8 min. from my LFS.

 

[bertoni]

If the fish have been shipped a long distance, adjust the temperature and dumping them into the tank might be better than a lot of other methods of acclimation. The problem is that ammonia accumulates in the water over time, and most acclimation methods will raise the pH in the bag, by aerating it. Raising the pH makes the ammonia more toxic. So then the question would be how the fish were packed.

Fish are osmoregulators, and I'm not sure that acclimation is all that useful. The SG difference should be taken into account, too.

 

[Chris27]

He told me tonight he wouldn't be getting any more shipments in until after Christmas and the last shipment came in 3-4 days ago. So by the middle of next week if he has anything I want they should be OK to buy? Should I ask him to feed to see if it's eating? Are the mail order livestock stores here on RC good to get fish from? Is the shipping $$?

Def. ask to see the fish eat, and also check to see what it's eating, this will help if you have eating problems when you get it home. If you have done the research, and are prepared for a new fish, you should have your QT ready to go....right....

I try to get the nicest, fattest fish I can, but I don't worry too much anymore because I have been able to treat almost any ailment in a QT very easily - not so lucky in the DT.

Here's a good story, one of the last fish I got was a very poor looking Royal Gamma that was skinny, had Crypt, and all it's fins were frayed. It was basically a rescue from a neglected tank that my LFS took down. After a few weeks in QT, it was fat, Crypt free, had nice clean fins and was eating very well - it has added a nice bit of color to the tank.

 

[iamwrasseman]

i would not purchase delicate fish from the LFS .however i have had the experience of watching a store do exactly what you are talking about and i have many fish from there and they all survived .they have a different approach ,they figure that the water that the fish is in is much worse than the trama that will be imposed by temp acclimation only and they really do have good results doing it that way . it doesnt soung good but they dont lose to many fish . cold winter and hot summer days during shipping take out many more fish than the quick method . i do drip all of my fish but i usually purchase rare expensive fish so i do all that i can to ensure the wellbeing of all of my fish .

 

[lordofthereef]

There are differing opinions/theories on acclimation versus no acclimation at all. There are published and knowledgeable fish keepers that swear by no acclimation at all based on the fact that it will also cause added stress to the fish. I am sure the argument is valid for either side, largely depending on the state of the animal in its shipping container. Personally I do not find it alarming that they don't do much in erms of acclimation.

 

[sassyfrassy]

another question: I think I want some small gobies - green & yellow. Can I have them together in a 65g, and should they be introduced before watchmen & blenny & midas blenny?

 

[bertoni]

I think you could have one of each of the smaller goby fish.