Aclimation Temp?

So this is a quick question. When I have gotten snails I have tried the drip acclimation method. With a bucket outside my tank dripping water into the bucket slowly.

So that gets the salinity nice and adjusted. But by the time I am ready to put them in the tank, the water in the bucket is much colder than the water in the tank. But every guide or description of how to acclimate fish or inverts never mentions this?

So is temperature not that big a deal? Or does everyone imagine that after 2 hours of water dripping into a bucket the temperature in the tank and out of the tank will just happen to be the same?

Tomorrow is the big move. I am scared as I was last year.

I think the big change this year is I am not going to try to get all the sand out. I just hope my fiance has some big muscles, because I expect the tank to be heavy... I really should get an acrylic tank for all this moving...

Glen.

 

I do not do the drip method. I am a little more liberal with my acclimation method. I have it done in 30 minutes tops. I just put the bag into the tank. I turn off the lights and let it float for about 10 minutes. Then every five minutes or so, I will dump about a half cup of tank water into the bag. That's it. I have had great luck with this very simple (albeit clumsy) acclimation procedure.

 

I found the same problem with the drip method, so I acclimate by floating for 15 minutes and then add 1/2 cup water every 5 minutes --dump out 1/2 and repeat. I do this for about 1 hour and in they go.

 

Hi, if you really like the concept of "drip acclimation" there is no need to abandon it, next time fill a bucket with water and add the smallest heater you can find and get water to desired tank temp and float your bag that way or just use warm water for the bucket and add a little hot water to the bucket to maintain the temp (you will need a floating thermometer).

 

I posted my method in my Blog.

 

Ditto......Thats how I have been doing it for the past 20+ yrs. Luna

 

So sounds like everyone is saying the drip method is a bunch of crap.

 

drip method is not a bunch of crap, but it is USUALLY not necessary. If you get something shipped to you in a bag that has taken a 12 hour or longer trip in a bag (sometimes up to 3 days) the drip is really important. Example, I recently got some ricordea shipped to me where it took 3 days to ship, all 24 of them survived I took almost 3 hours to acclimate them with the drip method. Lots of things happen during a long period of shipping, most notably Ph is more than likely going to drop significantly and the water temperature changes (mine was around 60 degrees when I recieved the rics, that was with a heater pack but they sealed the box too tight not allowing oxygen to the heater pack, thus it was useless.) Also you must take into consideration that the tank water is not the same in their tank as yours (salinity and ALK.) With all those combined the 1/2 cup in a bag floating the bag and repeat, might cause too much stress and whatever you have may not make it. This is when the drip method pays off, you will need something to help control the temp in your bucket (maybe put the bucket in your sump and let it float if you have that kind of space, or add a heater like someone else said). Now If you go to the local fish store or you buddies house to pick up something, its different. Then bring it home and float the bag, add a 1/2 cup repeat until you deem necessary, it works well and has been proven time and time again. Drip method is what I use anytime I get something shipped.