Acclimation time - How slowly

[rdd1952]

I just bought 4 small angels and am currently floating them in my 5 gallon Q-tank. The pH in my tank is about 7.2. I also checked the pH on the bag water and it is yellow - the lowest color on the chart meaning it is no higher than 6.0. I guess it could actually be lower. I generally add about 8 oz of tank water every 10 minutes until the bag is full, float another 10 minutes and release. That generally takes about an hour. Is that too fast for these angels considering the huge change in pH that they will eventually end up with?

 

[SirMinion]

The trickle method (also known as the drip method)

Place the bag of fish in a bucket and open the bag. place the bucket on the floor by the tank.
take a length of air tube and place one end in the tank and make a syphon.
tie a knot in the tube to reduce the flow to a drip and allow the water to drip into the bag in the bucket.

Leave it alone for a couple of hours .

when the water overflows the bag into the bucket, and the fish escape into the bucket is the time to transfer them to the tank via a net.

 

[rdd1952]

Unfortunately, I don't know if I have enough time to do that or not. It is almost 9 pm here. I guess if it doesn't take more thatn a couple hours, it would be ok. I have added about about 12 oz of tank water to the bag already (over about 30 minutes) and the pH still show 6.0. I can't believe the LFS pH is that low. Most of them keep their pH right around neutral.

 

[colegamby]

there might be something throwin off your scale a bit. i tested my water twice and got one real low and one at neutral. i dont think those ph kits are extremely reliable

 

[Mr Miagi]

If there is a big difference in pH you WILL need to use the trickle method.

If not, u run the risk of putting your fish into pH shock, and angels arnt the most hardy fish in the world. Fish take a long time to adjust to pH, but using the trikle method will atleast ease the stress on the fish, your fish will not totaly adapt in the bag, so its best to give them the longest time u can before adding them.

 

[rdd1952]

Unfortunately, the tests are correct. I have been adding about 6 oz of water every 10 minutes for 2 hours now and the bag is up to about 6.4.

 

[Waterloo Kid]

I lost 3 new angels like this. I hadn't kept an eye on the pH in my tank during a hike in my CO2 input. Aclimatised the fish in my usual 40 minute way and let them go free. 2 died within 2 days and one other died about a week later. My tank pH was down around 6.0. The fish shed their slime coats and were really sluggish before they died. The surviver got fin rot but seems to be pulling through. Not before giving fin rot to my rainbows though.

WK

 

[Blue Lobster]

How about adding a little baking soda to the bag to raise the PH so it's closer to the tank PH?

 

[isu_guy]

I would think that adding baking soda would cause too fast and uncontrolled spike in pH.

Slow and gradual is the way to go... perhaps the drip method is a bit too conservative for some but definately safe.

I have never tried the drip method, but think I will next time. I use a turkey baster (only used for aquarium stuff) and slowly add small amounts over the period of about an hour or two.

I am just bought a digital pH meter so I can more accurately see how fast I am changing pH. I think it will be a good investment.

Also, one method that I do is to remove some water from the bag with the fish in it after it starts to get full. If you were to do this again and again the water in the bag and in the tank would be all but identical.

 

[rdd1952]

The biggest problem with the drip method is the time involved. If you don't get home with fish till 9 or 10 at night, you can't spend 3 hours waiting on it. Also, in this particular tank (5 gallon), if I started a drip into a 5 gallon bucket, I would basically drain the tank and end up with almost all the water in the bucket.

I have never tried the drip method, but think I will next time. I use a turkey baster (only used for aquarium stuff) and slowly add small amounts over the period of about an hour or two.

I do the same thing except with a clean, plastic 9 oz drinking cup, adding about 6 to 8 oz every 10 minutes. In the case last night, I checked the pH after every time I added water to the bag.

I am just bought a digital pH meter so I can more accurately see how fast I am changing pH. I think it will be a good investment.

I looked at one of those but don't know if I want to spend the money or not.

Also, one method that I do is to remove some water from the bag with the fish in it after it starts to get full. If you were to do this again and again the water in the bag and in the tank would be all but identical.

I basically did that last night. The bag filled up twice and I emptied some of the water from the bag back into the tank. The pH in tank and bag were extremely close to the same when I finally put the fish in the tank.