Acclimation Guide
Since you've spent your valuable time and money understanding the requirements of the aquarium fish you wish to have. You certainly want to protect this purchase by adhering to a proper acclimation process once the fish arrive at your door.
The reason why you acclimate is simple: The water that your new aquarium fish are packaged in has different temperature, pH, and salinity parameters than your existing aquarium. Freshwater Tropical Fish, and especially invertebrates, are quite sensitive to even slight changes in these parameters, therefore properly acclimating your aquatic life is the key to ensuring their successful relocation into their new home.
Below are two recommended acclimation methods and either can successfully work for any type of freshwater aquarium. Please keep in mind that the acclimation process should never be rushed. Remember to keep your aquarium lights off for four hours or more after your new freshwater tropical fish are introduced into your aquarium so that you can help adjust properly.
We highly recommend that your new aquarium fish be quarantined in a separate aquarium for a period of up to two weeks in order to reduce the likelihood of introducing new diseases and parasites into your aquarium. Acclimation also helps to ensure that your tropical fish are accepting food, properly eating, and are in the best health before their transition into your aquarium display.
Acclimation Via Floating
1. Turn off your aquarium lights.
2. Lower the brightness of the lights in the room where your shipping container will be opened. Never open the box in bright light - If you do so, severe stress or trauma may result and harm your new fish.
3. Use the sealed bag and let it float in the aquarium for at least 15 minutes. Do Not open the shipping bag. This step will allow the water in the shipping bag to adjust slowly to the temperature in your aquarium, while maintaining a good level of oxygen.
4. Next, cut open the bag just under the rubber band and roll the top part of the bag down about one inch in order to make an air pocket in the lip of the bag. This step will enable the bag to float on the surface of the water.
5. Now, add a half cup of aquarium water to the shipping bag. Note: Repeat this step every four to five minutes until the shipping bag is full.
6. Then, lift the shipping bag from your aquarium and drain exactly half the water from the shipping bag.
7. Then, float the shipping bag again in your aquarium and add a half cup of your aquarium water to the shipping bag every four to five minutes until the bag is full again.
8. Finally, use a net to release the aquatic life into your aquarium. Note: Remember to remove the shipping bag from the aquarium and discard the water. Never release shipping water directly into the aquarium.
Acclimation Via Dripping
1. This method is used mostly for highly sensitive aquatic life. First off, you will need airline tubing and you need to be able to monitor the complete process. Also, get a clean, 3 or 5-gallon bucket that will is designated for aquarium use only. If you are acclimating both fish and invertebrates, make sure to use a separate bucket for each.
2. Start off by using Steps 1-3 of the floating method to in order to properly acclimate water temperature.
3. Next, you need to carefully empty the fish and water in the bags into the bucket(s), and make sure not to expose sensitive invertebrates to the air. Depending on the amount of water in the shipping bag, you may be required to tilt the bucket at a 45 degree angle so that you can make sure the aquarium fish are fully submerged. Also, you may need a prop or wedge to help hold your bucket in this position until there is ample liquid in the bucket to put it back to a level position.
4. Using the airline tubing, you need to set up and run a siphon drip line from the main aquarium to each bucket. Please Note: You’ll need separate airline tubing for each bucket used. You will need to tie several loose knots in the airline tubing, or use a plastic or other non-metal airline control valve, so that you can properly regulate water flow from the aquarium. You may also find it helpful to secure the airline tubing in place with an airline holder.
5. Next, start a siphon by sucking on the end of the airline tubing that you will be placing into each of the buckets. When the aquarium water begins flowing through the tubing, adjust the drip (by tightening one of the knots or adjusting the control valve) to a rate of about 2-4 drips per second. Please Note: When the water volume in the bucket doubles, you should discard half of the water and begin the drip again until the volume of water doubles once more. This takes about about one hour to complete.
Now, the freshwater tropical fish can finally be transferred to your aquarium.
