Acclimating star

[MarkW19]

I'm hopefully getting an Orange Seastar (Echunaster) on Sunday...

What's the best way to acclimate him to my tank? Do I float the bag in my tank first before opening it and starting a drip acclimate? How long should the drip acclimate last, and how do I make sure the temperature remains ok in the bag throughout the acclimate?

And, with the star not being allowed to be out in the open air at all, how do I get him out of the bag and into my tank without letting the bag water get into my system??

How do I get him out? Hand? Net? Should I avoid handling?

Please help

 

[steve-s]

It's unavoidable when adding seastars, you'll inevitabley get some water in the tank. It's best to pour out as much as possible first but do not exspose the star. Submerge the bag with the star in the tank and tip, the star will fall freely in the tank so be careful what's beneath it. Don't worry if it falls upside down, it will easily right itself.

Acclimation.... http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/acclimation.htm

Cheers
Steve

 

[MarkW19]

Thanks - will it really be that bad getting a bit of bag water in my tank though?

And, if I acclimate my star (if I get him) over 2 hours, about 1 drip a second, getting a bit faster after an hour's past, will he be ok out of my tank for that time without the water getting too cold, assuming my room is a good ambient temperature?

I'll be acclimating my corals like this too.

 

[steve-s]

Thanks - will it really be that bad getting a bit of bag water in my tank though?

Depends on what tank the LFS had it in. The star itself will not carry fish pathogens but that does not mean the water won't. With anything non-fish related, that's usually the biggest danger. If you can purchase the star from a tank that has no fish and not connected to any fish systems through filtration then you'll be much better off. It basically comes down to how much you trust your LFS. Other than possible fish maladies, there is no other real danger. I can't see how you have much choice and still ensure a maximum success rate of acclimating the star.

And, if I acclimate my star (if I get him) over 2 hours, about 1 drip a second, getting a bit faster after an hour's past, will he be ok out of my tank for that time without the water getting too cold, assuming my room is a good ambient temperature?

You can do one of two things since you don't have a sump. Fill a 5 gal bucket ½ full with SW and heat it with a small heater to the same as the main. Second option would be to refloat the bag in the main every 45-60 min for about 10 min to help maintain the temp. Dripping will not provide enough heat from the tanks water to sustain the temp in the bag. You should also drip the star closer to 4 hours, 2 is not normally long enough.

I'll be acclimating my corals like this too.

Depending on the hardiness of the coral, this is often enough. Except for more sensitive species, hardier corals only really need 1-1½ hrs acclimation time, some less than that depending on the chemistry of the water it came from. As I said though, float the bag every so often in the main to bring the temp back up. Especially before placing the coral in the tank.

Cheers
Steve