There are many variables to take into account when choosing a method to acclimate new saltwater fish, including the number of fish that were put in a single transportation bag, the amount of water that was added to the bag, the size of the fish compared to the size of the bag and even when the fish ate its last meal can make it tricky to judge amounts of accumulated waste in a fish bag. The three most common methods of acclimation are:
Acclimation Method One
1. Turn aquarium lights off while floating the fish.
2. Float the sealed bag with the fish inside on top of the aquarium water for 15 - 30 minutes. The salesperson should have filled at least half the bag with air, enabling the bag to float in your aquarium. Floating the fish bag on the surface of the aquarium allows the water in the bag to gradually change to the same temperature as the aquarium water.
3. Use a thermometer to ensure the temperature of the water in the fish bags is the same as the aquarium water.
4. Release the fish into the aquarium. To accomplish this, you can pinch the end of the bag and pour all of the water into a bucket, then pour the fish into the aquarium; OR pour the fish into a net over a sink or bucket to catch the water from the bag, then release the fish into the aquarium. The key here is to keep store water from entering your aquarium. Caution: Some fish such as angels and mandarins have spines which can get caught in a net.
Tip: Water from a fish store could contain copper or other medications! Do not add water from a fish bag to your aquarium!
Acclimation Method Two
1. Turn aquarium lights off.
2. Float sealed bag with the fish inside in the top of your aquarium or, if you prefer, in your sump for 15 minutes. The salesperson should have filled at least half the bag with air, enabling it to float in your aquarium. Floating the fish bag on the surface of the aquarium allows the water in the bag to gradually change to the same temperature as the water in the aquarium.
3. Open the bag and roll down the sides to create an air pocket, which will allow the bag to continue to float.
4. Slowly add some water from your aquarium to the bag (about a 1/3 of the bag volume)
5. After 10 minutes, repeat step 4. Do this two more times.
6. Release the fish into the aquarium. To release the fish you can pinch the end of the bag and pour all of the water into a bucket, then pour the fish into the aquarium; OR pour the fish into a net and then release the fish into the aquarium. The key here is to keep store water from entering your aquarium. Caution: Fish such as angels and mandarins have spines which can get caught in a net.
Acclimation Method Three
1. Turn off the aquarium light to avoid stressing the fish.
2. Float the sealed bag with the fish in the top of the aquarium or sump for 15 to 30 minutes. The salesperson should have filled at least half the bag with air, enabling the bag to float in your aquarium. This allows the water in the bag to gradually change to the same temperature as the aquarium water.
3. Put a clean nontoxic container or bucket in front of the aquarium. The number of fish and their sizes determine the size of the bucket. For two small fish (less than three inches each) a one gallon container will do.
Note: When acclimating a new fish make sure you keep it in a separate container from invertebrates and corals that you acclimate at the same time.
4. Once the temperature of the new fish water is the same as your aquarium, open the bag and pour the fish gently into the bucket. If there is not enough water to cover the fish, place something under one side of the bucket to raise the water level on the other side.
5. Add an ammonia neutralizing product to the bucket of water with the fish. There are several products available at fish stores used to quickly neutralize ammonia.
6. Start a siphon to slowly drip water from your aquarium into the container. The siphon is a section of airline tubing, generally four to six feet long, with an adjustable valve on one end.
7. Place the end of the tubing without the valve in your aquarium and suck on the valve end to begin water flowing. Place the valve end into the bucket and slowly open and close it until the valve allows just two to four drops per second to drip through. Cover the bucket to keep fish from jumping out and to keep it dark.
8. When the water in the bucket has doubled, dip out half of the water and discard it.
9. Let the water level double again.
10. Now, transfer the fish one at a time to the aquarium using a fish net or small plastic container. Caution: Some fish, like angelfish and mandarin fish have rays which can get caught in a net.
11. Add premixed saltwater to the aquarium to replace water removed for acclimation.
Note: This unhurried acclimation method will slowly raise the ph along with leveling out specific gravity and other water parameters. Remember; always acclimate in a shaded or dark area as fish are sensitive to sudden light changes.
Tip: Feed a small amount of food to help distract the original inhabitants from picking on the new fish. Leave aquarium light off for a few hours to calm fish and keep them from harassing each other. When new fish enter the aquarium, you may see both territorial disputes and changes in the pecking order. These behaviors are both natural.
For a variety of great aquarium filtration supplies, visit AquaticExperts.com!
