How Do You Acclimate New Fish.

[Jumbie]

How do you acclimate your new fish, do you do a water change before adding them, drip method, temp acclimate, add a few cups of your water to the fish bag over 10 mins?

I let the fish adjust to the temp of the tank by floating the fish in there bag for about 15 min, then I scoop the fish out with a net and toss them in to there new tank. I should but I don’t own a quarantine tank; I keep fish in species only tanks so for the most part the new fish are going in to a tank by themselves.

 

[F8LBITE]

I keep a 20L for QT but if its from a trusted source and the fish didnt have to travel/stress for very long I float the bag for 20 mins and net them out.

 

[dogofwar]

If they've been shipped to me (and have probably been in the bag for 12+ hours) then I dump them into a net and into the quarantine tank.

If they're from a LFS or hobbyist and have only been in the bag for a little bit, I let them temp adjust for 10-15 minutes, dump them into a net and into the quarantine tank.

From tank to tank in my fishroom, I just net them from tank to tank.

Matt

 

[McFluffrichromis]

I float for 20 minutes or not at all if they have been in the bags for long then scoop and plop. Never lost a fish.

 

[danger_chicken]

Most of the time just net and put in the tank. Sometimes I'll let the bag float a while. I have a book from about 15 yrs ago that said drip acclamation is bogus becuase it takes the fishes chemistry several days to adjust to different water conditions.

 

[minifoot77]

i float the bag and add a small portion of tank water to the bag every 5 min. for 15 min then net them out...

 

[Billy Rocket]

out of the bag and into QT

 

[Cartel]

Net out of the bag and in they go to either QT or main tank all depends. Havent lost any so far.

 

[SubMariner]

If they've been shipped to me (and have probably been in the bag for 12+ hours) then I dump them into a net and into the quarantine tank.

If they're from a LFS or hobbyist and have only been in the bag for a little bit, I let them temp adjust for 10-15 minutes, dump them into a net and into the quarantine tank.

From tank to tank in my fishroom, I just net them from tank to tank.

Matt

I concur...

 

[George]

Out of the bag and into quarantine.

george

 

[lonlangione]

As long as I have been around fish I have always acclimated the fish over a period of time. The times I imported fish and when I had my shop I always either dripped water in them or exchanged water in the bags. When I would import and acclimate this way I had about 10% loses. Then I was at a talk given by Discus Hans and he explained his reasoning about acclimating fish. When he receives his discus, he gets them outta the bags and crappy water and into the tanks as soon as he opens the boxes. The next order of imported fish I opened the bags and poured the fish through a net and put them directly into the tanks. The fish I got were albino neons, some other tetras, gouramis some cichlids, 12 - 3" frontosa (they cost me $4.50 ea landed with freight) Out of 900 fish I lost 15, all tetras. So I now open the bags and put the fish in right away, pouring them through a net and throwing the water in the bag away.

Lonny

Lonny

 

[longstocking]

I get them out of the water as soon as possible with a few exceptions. Sometimes when you get fish in they are COLD ! Too much of a change can affect them. I'm talking a 15 or more difference. Airlines can damage boxes in the middle of winter .. therefor freezing the fish ! In these rare occassions... I will float the bag before opening it.... then net and dump.

 

[Pat Kelly]

Open bag, remove fish, install into tank.
Old water is trashed.
Usually.
I do make sure temp is close before opening bags.

 

[Link]

I float to match the temp then net fish out and release into tank. Tried drip method but i lost most of the fish I dripped.. more success in getting them out of the bad water ASAP I think.