Aquarium

Acclimation Procedures

General Information

The following procedures are recommended to safely and successfully introduce new aquatic animals into an established aquarium. These procedures must be closely followed for you to be eligible for all of the benefits of That Fish Place's 14-day Livestock Guarantee.

Our acclimation procedures are safe and simple ways to help your new aquatic pet adjust from the relatively stressful chemistry of the shipping bag to the health and safety of its new home. Though it may seem like the best course of action is to get your new pet into your clean aquarium as soon as possible, it is extremely important to note that a rapid change in water conditions can be more dangerous than being kept slightly longer in an unhealthy environment. It is this slow transition from shipping containers to established tanks that is the focus of our acclimation procedures. Slow is good; take your time and enjoy your new aquatic pet!

Please note: That Fish Place recommends quarantining all newly purchased animals in a separate quarantine tank before introducing them to the population of your established aquarium. Read more on Quarantine Tanks here > >

Why is Acclimation Important?

Properly acclimating your aquatic livestock is crucial to help mitigate the chances of fish loss. Acclimation is the process of slowly introducing an animal to your aquarium. If your fish has been in its transport bag for a while, you may think that the best course of action is to get it out of the dirty water and into the clean water right away. While clean water is better than dirty water, moving a fish suddenly to new water can be dangerous.

Imagine you’ve lived your whole life in a scorching desert, but you suddenly get dropped into a pool of icy cold water. Your body would likely go into shock from the sudden change. The same thing can happen when a fish is moved from one water source to another. Differences in temperature or water chemistry can cause a fish to go into shock, which in severe cases can lead to death. A slow and steady acclimation to the new environment will help prevent this life-threatening stress.

Acclimation Procedures

Cup Method

This is the simplest acclimation method and will work best for hardy freshwater fish.

You will need the following supplies:

Steps:

1. Turn off your aquarium lights. This will help reduce stress in both new and existing livestock.

2. Empty the contents of the bag into a clean bucket or container.

3. Pour 1/2 cup of water from your aquarium into the bucket or container.

4. Repeat step 3 every five minutes until you have approximately triple the water that you started with.

5. Using a soft net, transfer the fish into its new home. Be extremely careful when handling any species that may have a toxic sting or bite.

6. Discard water from the acclimation container, and top off your aquarium with new conditioned water. You should never release water from the transport bag into your aquarium, as it will contain ammonia from the fish’s voyage.

Drip Acclimation:

This method is a bit more involved but is the safest way to acclimate saltwater fish or delicate species since it is more controlled and consistent.

You will need the following supplies:

Steps:

1. Turn off your aquarium lights. This will help reduce stress in both new and existing livestock.

2. Empty the contents of the bag into a clean bucket or container.

3. Tie a loose knot in the airline tubing (if you don’t have an acclimation kit), then start a siphon from the tank to the container. Adjust the tightness of the knot until the water comes through the tubing at a rapid drip. Alternatively, use a flow control valve at the end of the tubing to control the drip speed.

4. Let water drip into the container until you have approximately triple the water that you started with. Keep an eye on the container to ensure the water does not overflow and the animal does not jump/crawl out. If you have pets, be sure to keep them away.

5. Using a soft net, transfer the fish into its new home. Be extremely careful when handling any species that may have a toxic sting or bite.

6. Discard water from the acclimation container, and top off your aquarium with new conditioned water. You should never release water from the transport bag into your aquarium, as it will contain ammonia from the fish’s voyage.

Tips & Tricks:

We highly recommend the use of a quarantine tank to ensure the health of both your new fish selection and your established aquarium inhabitants. Quarantining your new fish greatly reduces the risk of parasite or disease introduction into your existing tank.

Quarantining any new tank residents gives them time to start eating properly and to recover from shipping. New fish can be difficult to feed, especially in marine tanks.

Leave the lights off in your tank after you have introduced your new animal. This reduces stress in your new animal and may reduce aggression toward your new fish by established inhabitants.

Coral & Clam Acclimation

We recommend using the Drip Method for acclimating corals to ensure no parasites make it into your reef.

When handling live corals, be extremely careful not to touch the delicate flesh of the animals. Try to handle corals only by their hard base whenever possible.

Keep the aquarium lights at a low level and gradually work up to a higher level, allowing the corals or clam time to adjust to their new environment.

Place your new clam or coral in a safe place in your reef community. You should not place newly introduced specimens too close to other well-established aggressive species, as they will sting their new “competitors.” Check on compatibility issues to see where your new clam or coral should be placed in its new home. Remember that many aggressive coral species extend their “sweeper” tentacles mainly at night, so what may seem to be a peaceful environment during acclimation may not be once the lights go out.

If you glue or cement your corals down, keep in mind the space you’ve provided them. As corals grow, they will start killing off slower-growing varieties.

Invertebrate Acclimation

To net an invertebrate you can “pour” the animal into a net held over a waste bucket.

Place your invertebrate into its new home in an inconspicuous corner of the aquarium. What is an interesting and beautiful new specimen to you may be just another tasty meal for one of your well-established animals. Give your new pet a chance to find a hiding place in the tank until it can establish itself.

Keep the aquarium lights off and the room lights dimmed for at least the first 12 hours of acclimation for new invertebrates.

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