Temperature Acclimation for Urchin

[afm32607]

Is temperature acclimation important? If so, how do you do it properly?

Everything I have read says that urchins require very long acclimation time, several hours, especially when purchased online. That is acceptable, but during that time I would need to keep it warm, no?

I would propose putting him in the container for acclimation and then putting that container in my sump and dripping into there. That would seem to lead to bag ammonia easily spilling into my tank? And if I wait until the acclimation is done the temperature in his jar will be a balmy 73...at which point acclimating the whole container in the tank would lead to a drop in pH while the urchin pollutes himself.....

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Calappidae]

Urchins are easier to acclimate a longer period of time because they don't release that much ammonia compared to other livestock.

You can float him for 30-45 minutes, and do a drip acclimation. (I don't recommend drip for anything but urchins, anemones, starfish, clams, scallops, and coral.)

The three parameters you want to match near perfect are salinity, temperature, and nitrates. Urchins are oversensitive to those three.

Although in reality, it sounds more overcomplicated in words then just doing it.

 

[afm32607]

Any other suggestions on acclimating?

 

[firemountain]

I built a drip acclimation container that takes care of the temp problem.

Take a 10g brute container from HD and a 5 gallons bucket. Stick one inside the other and glue it down. Don't be stingy with the glue. I used strong industrial stuff like liquid nails, since the 5 gallon bucket will naturally want to float.

Fill the outer portion with plain old water. Get a small heater and stick it in there, and have it set to your tank temp. Now you can add your urchin in the 5 gallon bucket with the bag water and drip acclimate, after you float the bag in your tank.

FYI....you may have to take a piece of wood and prop up one end of the bucket, since the amount of bag water may not be enough to cover urchin in the beginning .


I built this for my clam when I acclimated him in the winter in my basement....which was cold. Being on a cement floor...I felt the long drip would have dropped the temp too much, and I'd didn't want to shock him when I placed him in the tank.

I now call that container the "Clam Acclimator" and is only used when I feel the temp may be an issue. It works like a charm.

 

[afm32607]

Great idea. Thanks.