Acclamation

Hello all,

Im going to drop my first fish in the tank tonight. Im very excited!!! I was curious though on the acclamation process. Is there anything specific I need to do?

 

Compare the salinity of your tank vs the bag water. If it's close, and not a super sensitive fish, I temperature acclimate and let them go.

 

Discard the water the fish came in, try to get as little of that water in your tank as possible.

If it's a more sensitive fish/expensive or if your salinity is way off then-

Float bag in tank water to temperature acclimate. (about 15minutes)
Add 1 cup or so of tank water to bag then wait (again about 15 min)
Repeat 1 cup of tank water/wait 15 min till bag is full
Drain bag back to half full and it again in the same way. (if you are really worried/patient)
Discard as much bag water as possible
Release the fish!

 

This gives you 2 options that are both considered the "right" way to do things.

Acclimation Procedure for Aquatic Life: Welcoming Home New Arrivals

 

drip method works well,i always do this.
1-put your fish into a small container"with the water he came with"
2-use a small hose,with a valve on the end,or a kink,so you can control how much water drips out.
3-set it so it drips about 1-2 drops every few seconds.
4-when your container is double in water volume,discard half and repeat the proceedure.
5-when your container is full again,net your fisg and add him to the tank,discard the water.
this way your fish is acclimated to temp. and salinity.

 

thanks for the replies...im going to start with 2 clowns.

do i compare the salinity in the bag water vs the tank water with my refractometer?

 

yep! there are a few on here that are very experienced that say if the salinity's similar to only float the bag to temp! That way you keep the stress level down! I'd read up on it and decide for your self!

 

some good reading to do before getting your fish!
http://www.3reef.com/forums/new-hobby/simple-rules-avoid-ich-126326.html