tell me how you...

[lucidvtec]

Mainly curious ....I've had some losses ..prob my error


When u buy a fish how do u acclimate them???

Please be descriptive



I usually put the bag in the main tank for 10-15 min...then use a bucket and air hose and sloe drip them for bout half hour..then pop them in


Should I retemp them before dropping them in??? Throw a airstone in the bucket??


What are ir proven methods????

Thx blake



Ps PLEASE some body come get this sand sifter outta my tank

[littletruong]

im sure everybody does it differently, but similar to an extent. When i buy fishes, i set the bag straight in my tank for about 15-20 minutes to adjust the temperature. After that, i get a plastic container and pour the fish in with the water from the bag. I add about half a cup of water from my main tank, and let sit for another 15 minutes, repeat the process 3 times, and i release after about an hour. I've done this process for a while now and never had a problem. Remember corals and inverts are a different process...

[dublo8]

im sure everybody does it differently, but similar to an extent. When i buy fishes, i set the bag straight in my tank for about 15-20 minutes to adjust the temperature. After that, i get a plastic container and pour the fish in with the water from the bag. I add about half a cup of water from my main tank, and let sit for another 15 minutes, repeat the process 3 times, and i release after about an hour. I've done this process for a while now and never had a problem. Remember corals and inverts are a different process...

Pretty much how I do it as well. Never had a problem doing it this way. Just got to let your girl know your using her salad bowl beforehand...Also, a screen or magazine to cover the top a little in case of jumpers helps too. Also, don't re use the water from the bag, you never know what was in it including copper.

[littletruong]

Pretty much how I do it as well. Never had a problem doing it this way. Just got to let your girl know your using her salad bowl beforehand...Also, a screen or magazine to cover the top a little in case of jumpers helps too. Also, don't re use the water from the bag, you never know what was in it including copper.

yea, i never add water from anywhere else in my tank. I usually just use my hand and set the fish in my tank.

[tcamos]

I always drip acclimate. I test the water in the store's container for salinity then I decide based on what it is how long to acclimate. For example PetCo is 1.018 so I take longer to acclimate a fish from there. I test the water during the process every 15 mintues or so to see where I am at. Once the store container matches my tank I am done. I go slower for inverts than for fish.

[headchef]

The longer the better I say when it comes to aclimation. I dump fish into a small styro ice chest and start my drip. About a 3 drops per minute. After about 3 hours I use a net and put them in. Have had good luck so far. Corals I try to go overnight. No airdrome required if your water is aerated enough already.

[Rippinfrags]

I always drip acclimate. I test the water in the store's container for salinity then I decide based on what it is how long to acclimate. For example PetCo is 1.018 so I take longer to acclimate a fish from there. I test the water during the process every 15 mintues or so to see where I am at. Once the store container matches my tank I am done. I go slower for inverts than for fish.

+1, I only acclimate as long as I need too. Once the salinity matches, they are good to go. Oh and make sure the lights are off when adding a new fish and I always like to feed a small amount, to distract my other fish.

[Rippinfrags]

I forgot to mention, that IMO the best acclimation for any new fish/coral is a comfortable quartine tank. I picked up an anthias not too long ago, that was extremely traumatized after being caught. He looked like death was knocking on his door. When I first put him in the tank he couldn't swim right, wouldn't eat and was very pale. After a week in quarantine he was swimming actively and eating like a pig 3x a day. I know it's more work to quarantine, but for me it is well worth it.

[lucidvtec]

Thx everyone....I knew I was missing a key part....just added 3 fish last week...all made it no problems


I was pretty much doing what u guys were..but not checking the salinity....I would drip em fir like 45a min..I thought that was to long to be in a bucket....last time it took bout 3 hours to match up


And I never new inverts were more sensitive ..explains why I lost my shrimp and a couple snails....so im thinking dripping them over night


Just more proof its good to ask questions...and even better we have a AWESOME community here

Thx guys

[rafajara1985]

I do one drop per second until the salinity matches. Usually 2-3 hours.

[mndfreeze]

If you do long term dripping you NEED to make sure you are dripping fast enough to keep up with temp loss since the bucket has no heater, or the container is somehow heated by either being in your tank, sump, something to keep it exact. I use to do hour to two hour drips for my inverts and fish and lost so many inverts because the bucket/container I was dripping into was losing heat faster then the drip could keep it up, then they would get temp shocked when dumped in.

the QT tank idea is the best IMO. Do a nice drip (overnight is a bit extreme IMO) then temp acclimate to your QT tank, which should match your display most of the time unless you are specifically treating something with hypo/hyper salinity.

[lucidvtec]

Won't have a qt system til I setup my big dt im planning


Thx for all the advice
...I have a mini heater I will throw in there

[ReefinMadness89]

A sand sifter star? If you come look at the 240, bring him by. I have a 40 that could use him.

(Havent left work yet, pictures asap)