How long to your acclimate your fish?-3reef Site Polls-3reef Forums

Matt Rogers · 02-26-2006, 01:33 PM

How long to your acclimate your fish? What method of acclimation do you follow?

I float bag in tank for 10 - 15 minutes. Then start adding a couple handfuls aquarium water to the bag every 10-15 minutes up to 45 minutes. Then I dump out the water through a net to catch the fish and add it to the tank. Doing the net thing can stress the fish out a bit, but I'd rather do that than add the LFS water to my tank. Sometimes their tanks are copper-treated and that's not something you want to add to your reef.

Rustynuts · 02-26-2006, 01:51 PM

Float the bag for 10 minutes or so, then decant the fish and transport water into a dedicated plastic container. Siphon tube drips water in at 1 drip per second for 1/2 hour, then a slow trickle for 1/2 hour. Then net the fish and into the tank with 'em.

acenia · 02-26-2006, 02:38 PM

also drip them for 45 min. then i put them in the tank without the lfs's water....

RAVEN · 02-26-2006, 02:47 PM

I do what you do Matt, but I gently cradle the fish in my hand and remove them from the bag to place them in the tank. But I always do a FW dip and then place in a QT tank. One battle with Ich makes me a big believer in this method.

NUGIO · 02-26-2006, 02:56 PM

i float for a 1/2 hr then add water,... 15-mins later i remove that same amount of water and replace it w/new tank water i do this 3xs the same way, takes a little over an hour.pour off the water then let them slide down the bag into the tank,theyer always ready to feed every time ive done it this way

Covey · 02-27-2006, 05:06 PM

Gresham where are you at...? Anyway I drip for a half hour and net the fish and put it in the tank. Will probably start FW dripping and QT'ing now that I have some value in the tank.

giopimentel · 02-27-2006, 09:06 PM

I float bag for about 10 min, then drip method for about 30 minutes, net and put into tank. What about Stress Coat? Do you guys use it?

jonathan · 02-28-2006, 12:50 AM

add fish/coral/invertebrate to small container (set-up with heater) including lfs water. drip acclimate and after every 10 minutes, dump half the water out. continue this method for 40-50 minutes until it's safe to say the majority of the water in the container is from your tank. add animal into the established tank including the water. easy-peasy!

Frizza · 02-28-2006, 05:13 AM

I leave the bag floating for 15-20mins, I add 1/2 cup of water to the bag every 10 minutes until the water doubles. Remove half the water and repeat again. Then I net the fish and put into the tank.

I have used stress coat with no ill side effects....touch wood!

Blade_Runner · 03-01-2006, 01:33 PM

I place them in a 6 gal salt bucket and start a drip. I don't rush. Typically they are there for over 1 hour and closer to 2. I'll wait till there is around 5 gallons in the bucket then net them so I don't use any LFS water. I dump the old water. Same for corals and inverts.