Acclimation Of Your Marine Critters

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Mr Miagi

Veins are flowing with SW, now going back to FW!
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Acclimating Marine Critters

Everyone loves bringing home a new specimen, however excitement can soon turn to disappointment if you do not fully acclimatize your species to the water in your tank.

All individual tank parameters vary in one form or another, well beyond merely temperature and pH, so it is vital you take specific care to ensure your specimen survives when transferred.

Several methods can be used. One of the easiest is pouring. A slower, but more thorough method is drip line acclimation.

Pouring method

Acquire a measuring cup, 1/2 cup should be adequate; I use smaller. Slowly add half a cup of tank water into the specimen bag every ten minutes for the next few hours. The bag volume should double. Remove 50% of the water in the bag and repeat the process. You can repeat this process a number of times.

This could be considered erring to the side of caution; however I prefer to be careful.

Drip Line Acclimation

Gather a stool, chair, or another object lower than your display tank. I use a Chilly Bin (foam insulation box) as the Kiwis call it or a Tupperware container. Prop the bag and its inhabitants safely on the stool. These can be picked up at your LFS for free, or found at a camping/tackle store.

You should require about one meter (three feet) of airline tubing, more to be safe or if you plan to use the floor! Start a siphon through the tubing, and use an air valve to limit the flow of water to a slow drip, about one every second. Follow the steps above, by removing 50% of the bag water when the original water doubles, and start again.
 
Just trying for another pinned topic arent ya :p

I find that floating the new critters in the tank with the bag clipped to the side and then have a jug up above the tank (sat on the MH or on the hood)works well
 
Just trying for another pinned topic arent ya :p

I find that floating the new critters in the tank with the bag clipped to the side and then have a jug up above the tank (sat on the MH or on the hood)works well

:shifty: I noticed after someone bought up acclimation we didnt have a Sticky. We can continue to reply with explanations, but I thought t could be added.

Good point on the Pegs, I use them myself. Life savers they are! :good:
 
Or for those of you with sumps, you can float the bag in the sump, and drip acclimate at the same time, thats what I do :D
 
One thing for people to remember is that all fishes, invertebrates et cetera actually take several hours to adapt to even minute changes; thus, extended acclimation is not only superflous, it can actually be harmful. I could go so far as to say that the hardier fishes don't ever need to be acclimated for more than 1/2 an hour; but because of the oftentimes more permiable nature of invertebrate skin, I do still recommend to acclimate invertebrates for at least an hour. Though I have had cases in which the shipping bags of echinoderms and shrimp were overturned after a mere 15 minutes of acclimation; these animals went on to thrive.

It's always best to be careful when dealing with living animals, but there is such a thing as being too careful. ;)

-Lynden
 

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