To Float or Drip, that is the question.

chaseter

chaseter

Member
I have seen instructions for each technique and read the articles that each one will work just fine. But, which is the best?
My LFS floats and all of their critters are happy and kicking but I have seen other stores such as this site recommend only dripping if you order from them.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
I have only done the float method, and in my 3 tanks ( a 225g, 54g, and 29G) have never lost a fish due to acclimation
 
C

cmaxwell39

Guest
I drip acclimate all of my fish. Corals are temp acclimated and then dipped in Reef dip and some flatworm exit.
 
flpriest

flpriest

Member
Float everything but Starfish, drip them.
I think of it this way, If I had to travel 14-24 hrs. in an sealed container, I wouldn't want to have air slowly given to me so that I got used to the fresh air. Just make sure my temp is pretty close to the new temp then, GIVE ME SOME FRESH AIR asap, please!!!
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
Drip everything. It's more important to drip fish/corals/inverts that have been sealed up for sometime(shipped overnight) vs. LFS bought things. There are far more elements to worry about then just dissolved oxygen levels, pH probably being the biggest.
I do fully agree that some of the suggested times for drip acclimation, 2 and 3 hours are completely ridiculous. About an hour is all everything needs. Time is not really that important. What is, is the quantity of water you add. Basically at a minimum you want to add 3 times more water, or at the end, the water you started off with makes up no more then 25% of the total volume.
However ordering stuff from online sources such as SWF, if you want to the 15 day guarantee to be valid, you will need to follow their acclimation instructions to a T.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
I float and dump. I do this more so for the fish that are shipped overnight verses those from the store, based on my breeders recommendation. The CO2 builds up in the bag and lowers the pH. If there is ammonia in the bag, it is less toxic at the lower pH. When the bag is opened the CO2 rushes out, the pH increases and the ammonia becomes toxic if it is in high enough levels. I'd rather remove my fish from this than run the risk of them sitting in it. My breeder deals with 1000s of fish, so I trust his opinion, and after my own research, adopted his practices.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by flpriest
http:///forum/post/3097630
Float everything but Starfish, drip them.
I think of it this way, If I had to travel 14-24 hrs. in an sealed container, I wouldn't want to have air slowly given to me so that I got used to the fresh air. Just make sure my temp is pretty close to the new temp then, GIVE ME SOME FRESH AIR asap, please!!!


To start with ...when you drip, the bag is opened and the critter is released into the container, so they don't need fresh air any more than floating...Your just being silly.
Drip is slower and therefore best for any critter, but when it comes to sensitive critters like starfish it really makes a difference...most healthy fish can be floated just fine and it is easier and quicker.
If you want your guarantee from SWF...they want you to drip just to be extra sure, they don't want to have to replace your critter or give a refund. They want you to have a healthy critter, that's how they stay in business, so they ask yo to be sure to give that critter every fighting chance.
 
flpriest

flpriest

Member
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3097681

To start with ...when you drip, the bag is opened and the critter is released into the container, so they don't need fresh air any more than floating...Your just being silly.
Drip is slower and therefore best for any critter, but when it comes to sensitive critters like starfish it really makes a difference...most healthy fish can be floated just fine and it is easier and quicker.
If you want your guarantee from SWF...they want you to drip just to be extra sure, they don't want to have to replace your critter or give a refund. They want you to have a healthy critter, that's how they stay in business, so they ask yo to be sure to give that critter every fighting chance.
Sorry Flower... I wasn't being silly, I was using the analogy between us humans breathing air and the fish using water to breath. Like I said, (now in diferent words...) I breath air, if I were shipped in a sealed container, I would want fresh air ASAP. instead of being acclimated to clean air... I think it is better to get the fish out of a sealed bag of water, (which coincidently contains their poo and pee and less O2) into a clean and fresh enviornment. I just make sure to float so that they don't experience a big temp difference. JMO
I haven't suffered any loos due to this type of acclimation. I alway use a QT, some don't, again JMO.
 
king_neptune

king_neptune

Active Member
Originally Posted by flpriest
http:///forum/post/3097630
Float everything but Starfish, drip them.
I think of it this way, If I had to travel 14-24 hrs. in an sealed container, I wouldn't want to have air slowly given to me so that I got used to the fresh air. Just make sure my temp is pretty close to the new temp then, GIVE ME SOME FRESH AIR asap, please!!!


Then you come back in the morning to a fish laying at the bottom gasping because you shocked him into new water instantly. I'm just saying, Ive seen enough posts with people stressing their fish due to rushed acclimation. Losing a fish is never fun, and its worse when you could have prevented by taking the extra steps. What is 1-2 more hours doing the drip going to matter to the fish? Hes already in his water, it wont decay in that short amount of time.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3097681
Drip is slower and therefore best for any critter.
I don't agree. Just because it is slower doesn't mean it's better.
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3097681
They want you to have a healthy critter, that's how they stay in business, so they ask yo to be sure to give that critter every fighting chance.
My breeder likes the way I described.... he too wants to give the critter every fighting chance and believes this is the best way.
There are more than one way to do things.... and perfectly logical reasons for doing such and great outcomes for both. I'm just sharing my way.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by flpriest
http:///forum/post/3097688
Sorry Flower... I wasn't being silly, I was using the analogy between us humans breathing air and the fish using water to breath. Like I said, (now in diferent words...) I breath air, if I were shipped in a sealed container, I would want fresh air ASAP. instead of being acclimated to clean air... I think it is better to get the fish out of a sealed bag of water, (which coincidently contains their poo and pee and less O2) into a clean and fresh enviornment. I just make sure to float so that they don't experience a big temp difference. JMO
I haven't suffered any loos due to this type of acclimation. I alway use a QT, some don't, again JMO.

Sorry, I thought you were kidding around...
Drip method gets clean fresh tank water to the critter faster than floating...in floating you let the bag sit in the tank unopened for at least 20 minutes. Then you open the bag an add a little water, dump a little water, for an hour at least.
In drip you release the critter into the cotainer, and begin dripping fresh clean tank water right away, removing water so it doesn't overflow.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
I get the critter home, open the bag and remove about 1/2 of the water then float the bag in the tank and add one turkey baster of tank water to the bag. Then every 10 minutes I add another turkey baster of tank water. This goes on for an hour, then take the fish from the bag to the tank and discard bag and water it contains.
 
xcali1985

xcali1985

Active Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3097704
I get the critter home, open the bag and remove about 1/2 of the water then float the bag in the tank and add one turkey baster of tank water to the bag. Then every 10 minutes I add another turkey baster of tank water. This goes on for an hour, then take the fish from the bag to the tank and discard bag and water it contains.
+1 not exactly the same but my method is similar. The key is that the shipping water and your tank water are usually extremely different. Remember there are a lot of test for water quality. So you don't want to throw it from say 0ppm to 20ppm even if its nitrates. However if you slowly increase the amount of tank water to shipping water it will slowly match your tank and the fish will be ready. I float and after the first 20 minutes I add a little tank water every 10 minutes for about an hour. Only ones I don't do this for is hermits.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3097702
Drip method gets clean fresh tank water to the critter faster than floating...in floating you let the bag sit in the tank unopened for at least 20 minutes. Then you open the bag an add a little water, dump a little water, for an hour at least.
This is a key point in my method. You DO NOT open the bag during the floating process. The fish needs to come out immediately when the bag is open. Just to clarify :)
 
N

nihoa

Guest
and put where? you are floating to get the temp right and then saying when you open the bag the chemistry of the water changes dramatically and you need to get them out of it? where are you putting them? ive always done it the way spanko describes.
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3097788
This is a key point in my method. You DO NOT open the bag during the floating process. The fish needs to come out immediately when the bag is open. Just to clarify :)
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
Originally Posted by Nihoa
http:///forum/post/3097849
and put where? you are floating to get the temp right and then saying when you open the bag the chemistry of the water changes dramatically and you need to get them out of it? where are you putting them? ive always done it the way spanko describes.

With the build up of CO2 in the bags from an overnight trip, the pH is lowered. A low pH minimizes the effect of ammonia on the fish which occurs in transport water as a result of fish metabolism, besides other things. When you open that bag, the CO2 escapes, the pH rises and the ammonia which was non toxic now becomes toxic. There's going to be a drastic change in pH no matter which way you look at it. When you open that bag it's going to bolt up. So if I leave him in the bag to drip, they have to go through a pH spike AND ammonia exposure. In my QT he'll just have the pH chage to deal with. I usually know the salinity of the fish I receive so it's all ready before hand. But a lot of people actually freshwater dip a new acquisition.... you can't exactly acclimate a fish to a FW dip.
EDIT: Did I answer the question? I float the closed bag in the QT tank. Then open it up and put the fish in the QT. Take a sample of water from the LFS to test their salinity before opening the bag so you can adjust it (don't ask, trust only your own reading). If you are buying online you have no choice but to trust them... but ask anyways. Test the salinity of the shipping water and notify the site if they were off. Enough people call them on wrong values and they soon start checking "for real".
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Nihoa
http:///forum/post/3097849
and put where? you are floating to get the temp right and then saying when you open the bag the chemistry of the water changes dramatically and you need to get them out of it? where are you putting them? ive always done it the way spanko describes.
Yeah...that confuses me too....I float the bag to get temp right first, then open and start doing the water changes ...in the bag....
 
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