Can you please explain how to properly execute this? Considering that nobody understands it, it would be nice of you to explain.
Thanks.
tang disaster
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Can you please explain how to properly execute this? Considering that nobody understands it, it would be nice of you to explain.
Thanks.
michealprater:
"Coming Soon to a TFH Magazine near you!" - I'm not joking, literally while I was typing this, I got an email from TFH saying they are going to run my article on acclimation techniques
I create this problem for myself - I tend to respond mostly to posts that relate to some project I've recently been working on...that usually means an article I'm sending in to a magazine. The problem is that the mags take a dim view of me posting their yet unpublished articles online, so I can't do that here.
Basically, in order for the change in parameters to remain constant during a drip acclimation, the flow rate needs to increase proportionally during the time allocated. If you choose a rate of " one drip per second it would take 50 hours to equalize a liter of water to within 90% of the parameters of the tank. The initial change is fast, but as you get closer to the tank's parameters, you have to greatly increase the water flow rate in order to keep the rate of change constant. As I mentioned people also tend to not use aeration during drips, and use bare buckets in bright room light. In the article, I don't strongly recommend drip acclimation at all, and never for more than 2 1/2 hours.
In the article, I make a pretty strong case for not acclimating for pH or temperature, and specific gravity, only if the fish is going from low to high.
Jay
"Coming Soon to a TFH Magazine near you!" - I'm not joking, literally while I was typing this, I got an email from TFH saying they are going to run my article on acclimation techniques
I create this problem for myself - I tend to respond mostly to posts that relate to some project I've recently been working on...that usually means an article I'm sending in to a magazine. The problem is that the mags take a dim view of me posting their yet unpublished articles online, so I can't do that here.
Basically, in order for the change in parameters to remain constant during a drip acclimation, the flow rate needs to increase proportionally during the time allocated. If you choose a rate of " one drip per second it would take 50 hours to equalize a liter of water to within 90% of the parameters of the tank. The initial change is fast, but as you get closer to the tank's parameters, you have to greatly increase the water flow rate in order to keep the rate of change constant. As I mentioned people also tend to not use aeration during drips, and use bare buckets in bright room light. In the article, I don't strongly recommend drip acclimation at all, and never for more than 2 1/2 hours.
In the article, I make a pretty strong case for not acclimating for pH or temperature, and specific gravity, only if the fish is going from low to high.
Jay
preef
New member
The other issue with drip application not mentioned above is temperature. If acclimating in a bucket the water temp will quickly drop to room temperature due to the slow drip rate and low water volume. I always acclimate while the bag is floating in the tank and simply add tank water into the bag.
preef,
Good point, I went back to the article to check, and I did mention that, but possibly didn't state the issue firmly enough:
"Flow acclimation systems may require adjunct aeration and heating to maintain better water quality in the acclimation container during the longer acclimation time."
I probably should have changed "may require" to "will require".
Jay
Good point, I went back to the article to check, and I did mention that, but possibly didn't state the issue firmly enough:
"Flow acclimation systems may require adjunct aeration and heating to maintain better water quality in the acclimation container during the longer acclimation time."
I probably should have changed "may require" to "will require".
Jay
MichaelPraeter: it's pretty simple. As the salinity of the water in the fish's bag gets closer to the salinity of the water in the tank, it requires a faster rate of drip to effect the same rate of change.
So in order to keep a constant rate of change in the fish's acclimation environment (his little baggy), every time the volume of water in the bag doubles the rate of drip must also double.
Personally I don't think it's really that big a deal. I start with a slow drip for 10 minutes, then I do a rapid drip for 10 more minutes. It's worked really well for me. I have lost a fish or two during acclimation, but I don't think it was from osmotic shock.
So in order to keep a constant rate of change in the fish's acclimation environment (his little baggy), every time the volume of water in the bag doubles the rate of drip must also double.
Personally I don't think it's really that big a deal. I start with a slow drip for 10 minutes, then I do a rapid drip for 10 more minutes. It's worked really well for me. I have lost a fish or two during acclimation, but I don't think it was from osmotic shock.
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