Drip acclamation

[florida joe]

I was wondering, has anyone especially in the colder states recorded the ambient temperature in their home, DT, and vessel they are using to acclimate after a three hour dip to check if there is a chance for thermal shock when you introduce you fish to the DT

 

[perfectdark]

Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/2500830
I was wondering, has anyone especially in the colder states recorded the ambient temperature in their home, DT, and vessel they are using to acclimate after a three hour dip to check if there is a chance for thermal shock when you introduce you fish to the DT

Absolutly I always make sure all water bagged is the same temp as my tank before I start to drip keeping a floating thermometer in my acclimation container and a small 25watt heater in to keep the temps constant and equal.

 

[kas2247]

I haven't recorded temperatures, but I did find that when I drip acclimated, the water that the fish were in was way colder than my tank, like at least 10* colder... this is mostly because I keep my heat really low in the winter and the ac really high in the summer. I've had the best success floating the bags in my tank and (after the H2O temps are similar) adding a very small amt of water (maybe a teaspoon) every 10-30 minutes depending on how fragile the critter is. As time goes on I'll add a little more water in shorter time increments. I haven't lost anything doing it this way, but had very little success drip acclimating.

 

[florida joe]

That’s what I was wondering so your saying the temp in your acclamation vessel moves toward your ambient home temp rather then staying at the drip temp for 2 or 3 hrs

 

[florida joe]

Originally Posted by kas2247
http:///forum/post/2500853
I haven't recorded temperatures, but I did find that when I drip acclimated, the water that the fish were in was way colder than my tank, like at least 10* colder... this is mostly because I keep my heat really low in the winter and the ac really high in the summer. I've had the best success floating the bags in my tank and (after the H2O temps are similar) adding a very small amt of water (maybe a teaspoon) every 10-30 minutes depending on how fragile the critter is. As time goes on I'll add a little more water in shorter time increments. I haven't lost anything doing it this way, but had very little success drip acclimating.
Do you feel that the reason you have not had much success with drip acclamation is due to thermal shock? 10 Degrees is a huge swing

 

[fats71]

I am new to this 25 days in. I however have accclimated 7 fish and a full clean up crew. my home temp is 69 my tank is 79 and they rie in my trunk in a cooler 2 plus hours from saint louis to my house and the outdoor temp is around 13 degrees f. I first place all bags in my tank for atleast thirty minutes. I then dump all of them in same tank other than inverts ( puffer, manderin, gobie) inn a 5 galloon bucket tilt it use their water all together then slow drip into a stream for about 30 minutes upto a 1 hour and they look great thus far. the damsels I did thhe same thing but acclimated in the tank with their own bag. I would let small amounts of my water into the bag dipping it and took about 30 minutes to do that.
As I said im a noob but thhus far its worked.

 

[perfectdark]

Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/2500865
That’s what I was wondering so your saying the temp in your acclamation vessel moves toward your ambient home temp rather then staying at the drip temp for 2 or 3 hrs
Yea definatly, If I didnt heat it myself it gets colder even if while driping, although my basment is heated and finished it is colder down there because the main thermostat is upstairs. The drip isnt fast enough to sustain the heat needed to keep them both at the same temp.

 

[florida joe]

Originally Posted by PerfectDark
http:///forum/post/2500902
Yea definatly, If I didnt heat it myself it gets colder even if while driping, although my basment is heated and finished it is colder down there because the main thermostat is upstairs. The drip isnt fast enough to sustain the heat needed to keep them both at the same temp.
Just an other thing to facture in as we try to duplicate nature in our homes

 

[al mc]

I was troubled by the acclimation temperature issue so what I do to try to account for it is to put about 1-2 gallons of QT (DT if no QT) water into a 5 gallon bucket (old salt bucket) with a heater and thermometer. Once the temp is similar to the QT water I put a piece of LR from my QT into a 2 gallon plastic pitcher and put the fish to be acclimated along with about 2 cups of the water it came in inti the pitcher and put it in the 5 gallon bucket. The rock keeps the pitcher from floating/tipping and I drip acclimate. If the pitcher overflow I do not care. I discard all the water in the end and add the fish to the QT. This keeps the temp very stable.

 

[kas2247]

Originally Posted by PerfectDark
http:///forum/post/2500902
Yea definatly, If I didnt heat it myself it gets colder even if while driping, although my basment is heated and finished it is colder down there because the main thermostat is upstairs. The drip isnt fast enough to sustain the heat needed to keep them both at the same temp.

Agreed!
I've just found that floating the bags in the main tank and slowly (very slowly) adding tank water to the bags, does basically the same thing as drip acclimating, plus the temp stays the same and I have a whooole lot less to clean up.

 

[fats71]

Originally Posted by kas2247
http:///forum/post/2501356

Agreed!
I've just found that floating the bags in the main tank and slowly (very slowly) adding tank water to the bags, does basically the same thing as drip acclimating, plus the temp stays the same and I have a whooole lot less to clean up.

Easy peasy

 

[al mc]

Originally Posted by kas2247
http:///forum/post/2501356

Agreed!
I've just found that floating the bags in the main tank and slowly (very slowly) adding tank water to the bags, does basically the same thing as drip acclimating, plus the temp stays the same and I have a whooole lot less to clean up.
This works fine for fish, which is what Joe initially talked about...However, when it comes to more delicate animals, like sea stars, you have to be a little more careful.

 

[kas2247]

Al, I would definitely agree that you need to be a lot more careful with things like sea stars... but honestly, I've done it both ways with brittles and had a TON more success floating them, too. Now please note, I was a lot more careful about very slowly adding the water with the brittles than I was with the fish, of course. I'm talking 4 or 5 hours of a teaspoon every 20 minutes or so. The reason I liked this way better didn't even really have to do with the temperature (although I'm sure that was one added advantage). Actually, it was just a lot less traumatic on the brittles to not have to move them into the main display. The first time when I drip acclimated them, I had a horrible time trying to get them into cups or nets to move to the display and they lost a few legs before it was all said and done. The second time, I just opened the bag and let them slide out when they were good & ready. No legs broken! Brittles are the only kind I've tried though, so I'm definitely no expert on acclimating stars... this is just what has worked best for me.

 

[al mc]

The reason I have gotten away from the floating bags is to avoid putting any of the water that coomes with the animal into the my tank. Worried about disease....Also, just for sake of discussion I should note that everything goes in a QT tank for at least 3 weeks (usuall4-5 weeks) before it is acclimated into my DT.
Bag way you describe definately works.....I just don't do that anymore....The way I do it is more time consuming and requires extra heater/buckets, etc...but I believe itr is safer. Just a metter of opinion.

 

[kas2247]

Yep, I'd definitely agree with that point. I wonder what I'm putting in the tank every time I do it. Especially from fish stores... for some reason I don't worry so much when it comes from here (even though I know I should be just as cautious). I agree a QT is the best way to go too, but they still need to be acclimated to that water, so would the actual acclimation be any different?

 

[earlybird]

I drip in a small styrofoam cooler. Prevents temp swings like a champ.

 

[usc932000]

My bag water was always colder than my DT water by -3 degrees or more sometimes. Before I set up my QT, I would just drip my DT water for 30 min to 45 with a small heater in the bucket. Now I will drip from the QT for 45 to an hour because the QT will be at hyposalinity.

 

[florida joe]

Originally Posted by USC932000
http:///forum/post/2502001
My bag water was always colder than my DT water by -3 degrees or more sometimes. Before I set up my QT, I would just drip my DT water for 30 min to 45 with a small heater in the bucket. Now I will drip from the QT for 45 to an hour because the QT will be at hyposalinity.
IMO I don’t think it’s a good idea to transfuse a fish straight into a tank with the salinity level at the hypo point unless you’re going to drip over a 48hr time frame

 

[florida joe]

Originally Posted by Al Mc
http:///forum/post/2501943
The reason I have gotten away from the floating bags is to avoid putting any of the water that coomes with the animal into the my tank. Worried about disease....Also, just for sake of discussion I should note that everything goes in a QT tank for at least 3 weeks (usuall4-5 weeks) before it is acclimated into my DT.
Bag way you describe definately works.....I just don't do that anymore....The way I do it is more time consuming and requires extra heater/buckets, etc...but I believe itr is safer. Just a metter of opinion.

I also worry about cross contamination by way of the floating bag method
I cannot remember the name of the fish, I think it’s a blenny but it will come to me. My point is that I read you are never to get any of the bag water into your tank as the fish secrets slime while it is stressed in the shipping bag that is detrimental to your tank

 

[usc932000]

Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/2502093
IMO I don’t think it’s a good idea to transfuse a fish straight into a tank with the salinity level at the hypo point unless you’re going to drip over a 48hr time frame
You're right...
My plan is to drip the QT for 45min to an hour and Stop..I'll do this 3x in the 48hr time frame.