How to acclimate fish if it's in a bucket?

[ibrat82]

Just picked up a large fish from a friend but I brought it home in a bucket. What's the best way to acclimate it to a quarantine tank. Salinity is the same but temp is off.

[scuzy]

put a heater in the bucket and warm it up. if temp is not that much off i would just put him in. Fishes can with adjust to slight temperature differences.

[reefbroao]

I used to acclimate everything and i've noticed if the fish is healthy they have no problem being dumped in without anything. I normally just float now

[davocean]

Drip line, and if you have a small heater would be nice to bring to temp.

[Sk8r]

HEat up the water in his bucket gently, then just put him in. If salinity is within .002 of his, there will be no damage from that.

[JohnnyHildo]

Drip line, and if you have a small heater would be nice to bring to temp.

+1. drip allows acclimation to salinity AND slowly allows temp to average between bags. once temp and salinity are right, transfer water off to an empty container and add only fish to tank. it may not be ideal but it'll be close.

[A.Astore]

I have had no luck with drip acclimation getting the temp to a close temp; unless of course it was a much faster drip because salinity is already the same. The first few times that I actually followed provider's acclimation process I ended up with a fish in very low temp water compared to the QT.

I agree with utilizing a small heater to slowly raise the temp. This way you are not wasting water to bring the temp up when you don't really need to.

[jgraz]

Bring up temp in the bucket as other have said. But please DON'T put a heater in there. If you happen to forget, or get tied up and something is off on the heater that fish could be toast in no time.

Just add a few cups of water every few min until temp is closer.

[sde1500]

If it isn't off by more than a couple degrees the fish will probably be fine. I spaced out once or twice doing a water change on my old nano, and didn't heat the water up much. Dropped the tank temp by 3-5 degrees. My clown was less than pleased, but came through it fine.

[davocean]

Bring up temp in the bucket as other have said. But please DON'T put a heater in there. If you happen to forget, or get tied up and something is off on the heater that fish could be toast in no time.

Just add a few cups of water every few min until temp is closer.

Well a heater w/ a thermostat would keep this from happening but yeah, it does help to remember you are acclimating your fish:uhoh3:

[Sk8r]

You can heat small cups of tank water in microwave, but you mustn't hit him when pouring in. That would hurt.

[Sk8r]

Had a thought. Fill sink with warm water, place bucket in sink, allow to equalize. But watch aeration: warm water loses oxygen.