Do you have to acclimate fish?

hunt

hunt

Active Member
Ive had my tank set up for maybe a year and a half and i have never acclimated any of my fish. This is all i do, I let the fish,in the bag, float at the top af my tank for 20-30 min. and then empty the bag into my tank. Ive never had any problems and my fish are well and healthy. So, is it really nessissary or just precautionary?
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
You put the water from the bag in there too? I would never put someone elses tank water in with mine
IMO I think it is necessary because you are getting the fish use to your water conditions....
ALSO...IMO you have been very lucky
 
hunt

hunt

Active Member
haha, the wort thing thats ever happened is an ick outbreak wich didnt kill anything.
 
louti

louti

Member
Yep, you have been lucky. Fish should be acclimated. And, every time you add someone else's water, you risk introducing stuff. Moreover, new fish should be quarantined. It may be funny when you are getting away with it, but trust me, when your luck runs out it won't be so comical.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
Acclimation
I would suggest, if you choose to drip acclimate, you at least dip stick test for ammonia. To run a run a kit test is still 20 minutes, which is too long to be sitting in water with ammonia.
If it tests positive, add Amquel or get him out of that water.
 
socal57che

socal57che

Active Member
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3211629
Acclimation
I would suggest, if you choose to drip acclimate, you at least dip stick test for ammonia. To run a run a kit test is still 20 minutes, which is too long to be sitting in water with ammonia.
If it tests positive, add Amquel or get him out of that water.
Have you seen the float/drip setup I shared with Sep a while back? Ummm I guess a long while back.
(oh, and please don't ever change your location)
I found a pic, but I use an open top container with a drip tube coming out of the bottom. I just fill the container with tank water and start a drip into the bag or specimen container while it's floating. Occasionally remove and discard water from the specimen container. I drip EVERYTHING.
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
Originally Posted by Hunt
http:///forum/post/3211502
haha, the wort thing thats ever happened is an ick outbreak wich didnt kill anything.
You laugh as this has wiped out many many many tanks everywhere.
I wouldn't acclimate just because of that -- but the pure sewer from the bag you are also dumping in with the fish.
You can only drive blindfolded for so long.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

Hunt, I wouldn't even use your method on freshwater fish, let alone a saltwater expensive fish. I'm glad to hear you will change your methods.
But seriously...don't you even like your tank enough to even learn the right thing to do in the first place? Have you ever read a single book on fish keeping?
Because if you have been doing this with the most fundamental thing, what other mistakes are you making, and not even have a clue to other dangers to even ask about.
I am not trying to sound harsh or pick on you. I really wonder what other things you are doing that you have no idea to comment or ask about.
 
firefightremtp

firefightremtp

Member
I have done the acclimation process on all additions to my tank, which is only 3 months old.
My question is, when you drip acclimate, the temp of the water decreases pretty significantly. How do yall regulate the temperature?
~grace
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by FirefightrEMTP
http:///forum/post/3212005
I have done the acclimation process on all additions to my tank, which is only 3 months old.
My question is, when you drip acclimate, the temp of the water decreases pretty significantly. How do yall regulate the temperature?
~grace

If your drip is quick enough the temp is nearly the same...I drip into the Styrofoam container my fish are shipped in, it holds heat.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
Originally Posted by srfisher17
http:///forum/post/3211910
I wish I had $1 for every fish that died as a direct or indirect of not acclimating or using a QT.
I, in contrast, do not drip acclimate fish and have never lost one.
It's not an uncommon practice and is indeed practiced by peeps who deal in mass volume of fish. These peeps have found it to be a good practice.
It's not that I think the drip acclimation is unnecessary, and therefore bypass it. I honestly feel it is more detrimental for fish to sit in toxic ammonia. I haven't found the ammonia in LFS purchases, but have found it in overnight shipments.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3212199
I, in contrast, do not drip acclimate fish and have never lost one.
It's not an uncommon practice and is indeed practiced by peeps who deal in mass volume of fish. These peeps have found it to be a good practice.
It's not that I think the drip acclimation is unnecessary, and therefore bypass it. I honestly feel it is more detrimental for fish to sit in toxic ammonia. I haven't found the ammonia in LFS purchases, but have found it in overnight shipments.

I remove some water and add some water as I go. People have their own way and they all work, some better than others.
The OP wasn't doing anything but getting the temps the same by floating the bag and just dumping the fish and water from the bag into the main tank.
 
socal57che

socal57che

Active Member
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3211856
?
(hiding from caulerpa cops)
Originally Posted by FirefightrEMTP
http:///forum/post/3212005
My question is, when you drip acclimate, the temp of the water decreases pretty significantly. How do yall regulate the temperature?
~grace
See post #7. Float and drip at the same time and you can perform long drips without freezing your specimen. Inverts, especially sea stars, should be acclimated very slowly. Using the floating drip method you can sustain a long drip time without sacrificing temperature.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
Just remember to test your invert water as well.... they don't like ammonia either. Snail water, when you purchase online, is some of the nastiest water.
All I am saying is whatever way you choose, just be aware ammonia can be in the water and take care of it. The last 5 of my shipments have had at least a 1.5 of ammonia and the shipments were recieved from 3 different sources.
 
socal57che

socal57che

Active Member
Yeah, definitely get the specimen out of the water it was shipped in if the water is bad. This is where the hobbyist must be able to make a decision as to what is best for the animal...to remove it from the poisonous water takes priority over chemical and temperature acclimation processes.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
The only other thing I would add here is do not add the shipping water to your tank if for no other reason than some stores copper their fish tanks.
 
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