How To Acclimate SW Fish??

[KeeperOfFish]

I am going to get a SW tank set up soon and I would like to know how you acclimate the fish. I was reading other threads and apparently you do it in a different way than FW fish so can someone explain this to me?

 

[twisted metal]

One could acclimate SW fish, the same was as a FW fish. BUT, the best way to acclimate the SW fish to there new home is by a drip. YouTube shows diffrent ideas on the drip acclimate. The video showing one, is better then reading about it. I put my fish and corals in a big bag in the sump water. That way the temp is the same, and the fish or corals are driped to the new home salt levels.

 

[KeeperOfFish]

Oh hmmm ok I'm gonna watch YouTube videos about then haha thanks for replying

 

[twisted metal]

Ya, no prob!!

 

[Reef-master003]

What I always do is float the bag for 30mins and then drip acclimate for 30mins

 

[carey]

I do a temp float for about 20 min then add my fish to a container and then add a small amount of tank water every few minutes over the course of an hour or more. You ideally want the fish to be in mostly tank water when you move him. And never ever dump in the water that the fish came in, net or scoop out the fish and discard the water.

 

[Codyheitmiller]

I do a temp float for about 20 min then add my fish to a container and then add a small amount of tank water every few minutes over the course of an hour or more. You ideally want the fish to be in mostly tank water when you move him. And never ever dump in the water that the fish came in, net or scoop out the fish and discard the water.

I never net unless I absolutely need to, netting takes off the slime coat of fish and can break spines on fish such as lion fish, if the slime coat is off stress levels go up and ick is more likely to infest your fish along with many other problems, always tell your LFS to not net the fish you get as well.

 

[Grease]

How do u transfer fish?

 

[Codyheitmiller]

How do u transfer fish?

Catch, bag, acclimate.

 

[Ricksreef]

Catch, bag, acclimate.

How do you catch without netting?I also use my hand to remove the fish from the bag and put it in the tank to avoid any of the acclimating water to get in my DT.But of course I don't do lion fish.

 

[Codyheitmiller]

I'm talking about stores and stuff, but pour most of the water from the bag into a bucket leave enough water for the fish to have some then just dump it in.

 

[Ricksreef]

I'm talking about stores and stuff, but pour most of the water from the bag into a bucket leave enough water for the fish to have some then just dump it in.

So you dump some of their water in your tank?Even though no telling what is in their water.

 

[cabezon]

If you properly acclimate, very little of the store's water is left.

But then of course you ARE quaranteening the fish and corals in your QT anyway. Right? Right?!

 

[Jereli]

I have never drip acclimated my fish (which is probably wrong I know) but i will usually take out like half cup of water that the fish came in and pour half cup of my water in. I do this couple times never had issue. After couple times doing this most of the water in the bag is from your aquarium so then it should ne okay to just pour in with the fish.

 

[Codyheitmiller]

I have never drip acclimated my fish (which is probably wrong I know) but i will usually take out like half cup of water that the fish came in and pour half cup of my water in. I do this couple times never had issue. After couple times doing this most of the water in the bag is from your aquarium so then it should ne okay to just pour in with the fish.

That's what I use to do, I only drip for inverts really. Everything else I float, or float add water and release.

 

[cabezon]

You will get away with that until you buy an expensive fish.

Also, if you do not QT, the last fish you buy will crash the tank.

Murphys laws of reefkeeping.

 

[Codyheitmiller]

You will get away with that until you buy an expensive fish.

Also, if you do not QT, the last fish you buy will crash the tank.

Murphys laws of reefkeeping.

Yes yes, love hearing that, thanks for pointing it out because it slipped my mind. On the same note if you see a fish u really like, hold that impulse buy and ask if the LFS can hold it for a week or two (mostly on newly added stock) so you can see if it has any problems.

 

[Codyheitmiller]

Also ALWAYS ask to see the fish eat.

 

[Jereli]

Well knock on wood but Murphy has not laid his law down on me yet. : )

 

[carey]

Well knock on wood but Murphy has not laid his law down on me yet. : )

LOL Murphy caught me a little over a month ago. I lost 6 fish, some expensive too. I also lost my very first SW fish, a pair of ORA B&W clowns. :-(

I'm in the process of setting up a qt now for my 125g's new additions when I get them. You never know what the fish may bring into the tank, I'm lucky I didn't lose everything.

Been there done that is my two cents, try to get a 10g tank for QT it isnt really that much more money when you look at the price you've paid so far for your system.