| Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? | |
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+10Dr. Who Ben CajunGator jake wildbeanerz cwhip alkomist James0816 Elrollo Demonkegman 14 posters |
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Demonkegman Chief Wrnt. Off. 4
Posts : 471 Location : Chino, Ca. Favorite Fish: :
Salt water - Lion fish.
Fresh water - Arowana.
Food - Any type of Salmon sushi.
SALT WATER LOVER!!!! Fresh...... not so much...
| Subject: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/2/2011, 12:20 am | |
| I've always wondered what everyone's own way to acclimate a new fish is. I have my own way but i doubt it's the best way, so maybe for me and others what is the best way that YOU'VE found out? | |
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Elrollo Major
Posts : 870 Location : Virginia Beach Favorite Fish: : Blue Acaras...first fish I ever breed still have a soft spot for them
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/2/2011, 12:53 am | |
| I still like the drip method. Takes a while but no real shock to the new fish. Put new fish in a clean (no soap) bucket. Run a drip line (peice of airline tubing with a knot to control flow of water) from the tank to the bucket. I will usually do this for a while (have gone to work for 6 hours and come back to stop the dripping) depending on how sensitive the fish is. If there are other fish in the tank I make sure to feed everyone and I usually move a few decorations around then I turn out the light and add the new fish. | |
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James0816 Captain
Posts : 1194 Location : Spotsylvania, VA Favorite Fish: : Stingrays
Otocinclus Catfish
Kuhli Loaches
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/2/2011, 9:25 am | |
| ^ x2
I only use the drip method ... on everything to include inverts.
The only difference is that I use a plastic valve instead of the knot. Makes it much easier to dial in the drip rate. (I also use these for my water changes as well). | |
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alkomist Lieutenant General
Posts : 2966 Location : Fontana CA Favorite Fish: :
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| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/2/2011, 10:15 am | |
| +1 on drip method especially on the moving things around with the tank light off! that will make the fish non territorial and what not | |
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cwhip Moderator
Posts : 1453 Location : Md Favorite Fish: : Maroon clownfish,Tangs,bluespot jaw fish,Bangaii,Mandarins etc.......I love all fish really.
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/2/2011, 10:29 am | |
| 1st turn off the lights, then float the bag with the fish in my tank, then baste the fish with a little tank water ever 4-5 minutes depending on the sensitivity of the fish this takes anywhere from 20 min to an hour, then I get a beer:) then I take the fish out of the bag with my hand and release him "this also depends on what fish I'm acclimating". I do use the drip and bucket method when acclimating Anemone that are attached to good sized rock.
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wildbeanerz Captain
Posts : 1151 Location : Roaring Spring, PA Favorite Fish: : Love my black ocellaris!
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/2/2011, 11:17 am | |
| Float fish bag for @10 min to match temp. Open bag and add small amounts of tank water. If bag gets too full, remove some bag water before adding next batch of tank water. Do this every 10-15 min for about an hour. Release fish by netting. But now that I see someone actually picks up their fish in their hand, I may try that because netting can be difficult. | |
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cwhip Moderator
Posts : 1453 Location : Md Favorite Fish: : Maroon clownfish,Tangs,bluespot jaw fish,Bangaii,Mandarins etc.......I love all fish really.
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/2/2011, 11:34 am | |
| I do it with my hand because I had fish get their barbs tangled in the net, this is also the way it's recommended you put Seahorses in the tank as well. | |
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wildbeanerz Captain
Posts : 1151 Location : Roaring Spring, PA Favorite Fish: : Love my black ocellaris!
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/2/2011, 2:19 pm | |
| When I was a FW person, I had a very large shark get stuck in a net one time. It really sucked trying to cut the net off his pectoral fins. I think I will go with the hand method from now on. I knew you had mentioned it for the horses but didn't know people did it with fish as well.
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jake Staff Sergeant
Posts : 164 Location : north fort myers Favorite Fish: : cichlids
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/2/2011, 4:43 pm | |
| put fish in bucket-slowly add tank water(or drip-at least 15min or as long as you feel)-take fish out of bucket,drop in tank-discard water in bucket-rinse bucket out good-Confusious says-"dont put store water in tank" | |
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Demonkegman Chief Wrnt. Off. 4
Posts : 471 Location : Chino, Ca. Favorite Fish: :
Salt water - Lion fish.
Fresh water - Arowana.
Food - Any type of Salmon sushi.
SALT WATER LOVER!!!! Fresh...... not so much...
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/2/2011, 5:46 pm | |
| humm i do the bag and slowly add water method myself.. This drip method, i'm having a hard time visualizing the system, can someone post a picture or a link for me? i would like to try out this method..
And thanks everyone for your input.. | |
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CajunGator Moderator
Posts : 5845 Location : New Iberia, Louisiana Favorite Fish: : Cichlids, WC Syn Petricola, Shellies, Festae, Mbu Puffers, Koi Angels, ABN, Piranha, Mermaids
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/2/2011, 6:03 pm | |
| nice.. | |
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Ben Moderator
Posts : 1878 Location : Sandston, Virginia Favorite Fish: : Venustus and Catfish
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/2/2011, 9:00 pm | |
| I basically do it the same way jake explained it. | |
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Dr. Who First Lieutenant
Posts : 635 Location : Cancun Mexico
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/2/2011, 9:51 pm | |
| I cut the bag open and dump. Then I'm recieving fish that have been in transit for a few hours. Better to get the fish out of the shipping water and into fresh water. Do it both with salt and fresh. | |
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cwhip Moderator
Posts : 1453 Location : Md Favorite Fish: : Maroon clownfish,Tangs,bluespot jaw fish,Bangaii,Mandarins etc.......I love all fish really.
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/3/2011, 5:45 am | |
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it all boils down to what works best for you.
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wildbeanerz Captain
Posts : 1151 Location : Roaring Spring, PA Favorite Fish: : Love my black ocellaris!
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/3/2011, 8:56 am | |
| So Dr Who....you put their water in with yours? Isn't it high in ammonia? Just asking because the hard rule I was always given whether FW or SW was don't put store water in your tank. | |
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natikah Sergeant Major
Posts : 283 Location : Oak Grove, MO Favorite Fish: : fish, fish, fish
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/3/2011, 9:36 am | |
| very good topic. i usually let the bag sit in the tank water to get the temp right then add tank water to the bag for about an hour then i dump all into my tank. I didn't know you shouldn't put the store water in your tank. I have always read and been told to dump it all. | |
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Dr. Who First Lieutenant
Posts : 635 Location : Cancun Mexico
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/3/2011, 9:50 am | |
| Wild I pour the fish into a net and then dump. Store water shouldn't be that bad but you still should put that water in your aquarium. | |
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strikingthematch Captain
Posts : 1118 Location : Virginia Beach, VA Favorite Fish: : Discus, Stingrays, Arowana, Rams, and Angels
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/3/2011, 10:05 am | |
| I do the same thing. I let the bag sit to stabilize the temp then pour the water out and catch the fish in net then place them in the tank.
Now keep in mind these are fish that I have bought from the area so in theory since everyone is on city water it should all be somewhat close. If I got a fish from another state or another area then I would place the fish in a 2 gallon bucket and slowly change the water out over the course of a few hours then put it in. | |
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wildbeanerz Captain
Posts : 1151 Location : Roaring Spring, PA Favorite Fish: : Love my black ocellaris!
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/3/2011, 10:30 am | |
| - Dr. Who wrote:
- Wild I pour the fish into a net and then dump. Store water shouldn't be that bad but you still should put that water in your aquarium.
Gotcha | |
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cwhip Moderator
Posts : 1453 Location : Md Favorite Fish: : Maroon clownfish,Tangs,bluespot jaw fish,Bangaii,Mandarins etc.......I love all fish really.
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/3/2011, 10:41 am | |
| while the bucket is sitting on the floor drip acclimating how cool do you think the water in the bucket will get? also when acclimating more then one fish in a bucket you could run the risk of them fighting while in the bucket causing possibly injury. if you are acclimating an animal that can sting or release poison when stressed then thats another problem. what stresses fish out more? being put in a bag at the LFS brought home float acclimated in the tank while basting then taking the fish out of the bag and placing it in the tank. OR putting the fish in the bag at the LFS then bring it home dumping it into a bucket drip acclimate for x amount of time then net the fish and put him in the tank. in the case of dumping LFS water in your tank with the fish its never a good idea you can introduce all kinds of diseases, thats why people have a QT but then again if we are talking saltwater doing that is also great way to spike your salinty.
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Elrollo Major
Posts : 870 Location : Virginia Beach Favorite Fish: : Blue Acaras...first fish I ever breed still have a soft spot for them
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/3/2011, 11:29 am | |
| 1st thing when you buy fish it is one fish per bag...for anything over $1 2nd room is heated by space heater all tanks and room are same temp 3rd fish will release toxins into a bag or a bucket which has a higher volume of water to dilute toxins in? Most cases it is the bucket. 4th with a bucket you do not have to worry about it "tipping" over and releasing store water into your tank.
Striking the match...you might want to be careful many of the petstores in our area use r/o water when doing water changes...aka animal jungle..pet paradise. And most of the chain stores buffer the pH to 7.0 petsmart and petco. My tap water comes out between 7.8 and 7.6 so that can shock the heck out of fish.
As far as fish in transit I do this with fish that have been in the mail for 2 or 3 days no loses. Fish I have bought at auction in NY (auction 12 hours drive 8 more hours) no losses.
On the flip side if it is a bunch of neons I got for a $1 a peice going into my 20gal QT tank for a month I will dip and dunk them.
Either method will work. The important thing is that you are aclimating your fish before tossing them in the tank.
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cwhip Moderator
Posts : 1453 Location : Md Favorite Fish: : Maroon clownfish,Tangs,bluespot jaw fish,Bangaii,Mandarins etc.......I love all fish really.
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/3/2011, 11:45 am | |
| 1st thing when you buy fish it is one fish per bag...exactly the point toxins released into the bag not in a bucket where there maybe be other fish.. 2nd room is heated by space heater all tanks and room are same temp.....must be hot at your house, I don't keep my fish in the garage, nor do I use space heaters to heat, lol 3rd fish will release toxins into a bag or a bucket which has a higher volume of water to dilute toxins in? Most cases it is the bucket....see above^^^^^^^^^ 4th with a bucket you do not have to worry about it "tipping" over and releasing store water into your tank.......... never worry about tipping the bag thats another great use for mag floats and acclimation stations. thats a great invention right there..... | |
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strikingthematch Captain
Posts : 1118 Location : Virginia Beach, VA Favorite Fish: : Discus, Stingrays, Arowana, Rams, and Angels
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/3/2011, 11:53 am | |
| There is no "right" answer here. It is whatever works for you.
This has been debated a million times and the outcome is always the same. I doubt if anyone has ever bothered to test most of the theories as to stress/toxins/ survivability on a decent size test bed. In other words the few dozen even hundreds that most of us have brought home is not sufficient for data collection. It has worked either way and with repeatable results in both cases. That being said without a large test bed and controlled test there is no true way to make a call for the best method. Which takes this all back to the first statement there is no right answer and it is whatever works for you. | |
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cwhip Moderator
Posts : 1453 Location : Md Favorite Fish: : Maroon clownfish,Tangs,bluespot jaw fish,Bangaii,Mandarins etc.......I love all fish really.
| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? 6/3/2011, 12:22 pm | |
| Touch'e! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | |
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Ben Moderator
Posts : 1878 Location : Sandston, Virginia Favorite Fish: : Venustus and Catfish
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| Subject: Re: Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? | |
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| Best way to acclimate a new fish..???? | |
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