Acclimating fish the easy/lazy way

[FishyMamma]

I've acclimated with a bucket and periodically adding tank water to gradually get my new stock used to my tank's parameters.

A better choice to make it new gradual and even, would probably have been rigging up a simple drip system with airline tubing from tank to a lower level bucket. A gently tied "knot" in the tubing cane slow down the drip.

If you (translation: ME!). Are *really* lazy or want an even easier and more precise way to acclimate your new stock, try this new contraption I got n a whim a month or so ago. (I think it's newly on the market and haven't seen another brand that makes one.) around $15.

A benefit of this over the airline & bucket system is that the bag floats in the tank the whole time so that the fish acclimate temp. wise, also. In addition, you can do a couple rounds of filling if you want to do an even longer acclimation session. It's super-easy.

This is an acclimation idea by a company called Doradon. It's the FA18X Aquarium Acclimation System. I got mine on Amazon.

Here it is being used to acclimate five Long-Fin Gold Danios:



The company website isn't very helpful, so here are pics of the sides and top of the box.












Keeping my sleeves wet...

~ Sent via Carrier Goldfish

 

[FishyMamma]

Last pic for above post (I hit the limit).



If someone has a less expensive DIY version of this, please share your knowledge. Anything for our fishes health.


Keeping my sleeves wet...

~ Sent via Carrier Goldfish

 

[Brookster123]

That's actually pretty cool! One of the main reasons I abandoned drip was temp. Fluctuations. Now i float and add a cup every little bit.. that looks even easier! I'm on a diy mission now!

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[CCXGT]

Yeah this looks fancy and all.. But I'd end up NEVER using it.

Can't beat a piece of Airline and a clothes peg.


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[NigelK8485]

Very cool. How easy is it to unclip the bag and pour out some water? And is the drip rate adjustable?

I'm with brookster, I abandoned the drip method because of temperature changes. Now I add a cup of water to the bag every so often but I have the worst time trying to keep my bags open, floating, and upright. I've had to resort to taping them to the sides of the aquarium.


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[FishyMamma]

Nigel - yes, the drip rate is completely adjustable. the nozzle from the cup looks like the top from glue or something. Twist it one way to do a really slow drip or completely the other way to get a stream of water or anything in between.

I figure at $15 to $20, its cheap enough for me to justify given how long it should last (forever), and the ease of use.

 

[venymae]

awesome! I would love to hear the diy if anyone comes up with one!

 

[Memphis Whale]

Awesome !! Thanks for sharing.I got two Sailfins coming in the mail and thats ingenious.Im gonna make one

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[BBradbury]

Acclaimating New Fish

Hello Mom...

I keep hardy fish, so I don't jump through a lot of hoops to get them used to new tank conditions. Half my tank water is changed every few days anyway, so the water chemistry is right and my local pet stores are on roughly the same water too. So, when I bring home the bag of new fish, I open it, set it in the tank and clip the bag to the tank. I float the bag for about 15 minutes and unclip the bag and tip it so the fish can swim out. Whatever water is left in the bag, I pour out.

Pretty simple.

B

 

[Brookster123]

Hello Mom...

I keep hardy fish, so I don't jump through a lot of hoops to get them used to new tank conditions. Half my tank water is changed every few days anyway, so the water chemistry is right and my local pet stores are on roughly the same water too. So, when I bring home the bag of new fish, I open it, set it in the tank and clip the bag to the tank. I float the bag for about 15 minutes and unclip the bag and tip it so the fish can swim out. Whatever water is left in the bag, I pour out.

Pretty simple.

B

So you dump the lfs water in to your tank? ??? Genius!!!

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[Fresh2o]

Neat gadget. Trying to think of a DIY alternative but nothing comes to mind (yet).
I did drip acclimations twice in the last two weeks. Did not think too much about the temp because the room is relatively warm (70 something) and heat loss should not be that much. Now if the container the tank water is dripping into is insulated, then that should take care of temp fluctuations.


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[NigelK8485]

All of you DIYers. I wish I had that patience.


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[CCXGT]

So you dump the lfs water in to your tank? ??? Genius!!!

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I'm sure he does a few 100% w/c's later on to balance it out.


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[Brookster123]

I'm pretty sure there is a thing for pouring paint that will do the trick, a wood clamp to mount it..

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[NigelK8485]

I'm pretty sure there is a thing for pouring paint that will do the trick, a wood clamp to mount it..

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How do you keep the bag open and from tipping over though?

For the $15 the product is it seems like the savings from cost of DIY materials+time invested would be minimal at best.

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[PerfectDepth]

How do you keep the bag open and from tipping over though?

I just roll the top of the bag down to make a floating ring. As for drip acclimating into a floating bag, that's something I've done before. I put a board across the rim of the tank for a place to set a small pitcher of tank water. Then I use airline with a control valve for the drip. I have a small fishing weight tied to one end to make sure it stays put in the bottom of the pitcher.

 

[Brookster123]

How do you keep the bag open and from tipping over though?

For the $15 the product is it seems like the savings from cost of DIY materials+time invested would be minimal at best.

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Clips, for $15 I'd prob just support the brainstorm though.

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[treemanone2003]

It's a nice idea but even though you're keeping the bag in heated tank water, you're still introducing water that is cooling to room temp since its out of the tank. Just doesn't make sense to me.


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[NigelK8485]

My rolled bags never seem to work. I always walk back in two minutes later with an almost tipped over bag. I usually either shut the lid of the tank onto the bag or use masking tape and tape the bag to the edge of the tank.


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[PerfectDepth]

It's a nice idea but even though you're keeping the bag in heated tank water, you're still introducing water that is cooling to room temp since its out of the tank. Just doesn't make sense to me.


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If it's dripping slowly enough, it shouldn't matter much. Whenever I've done the opposite method of dripping from the tank into a container, the water is noticeably cooler at the end of acclimation. When I float the bag instead, there's no noticeable temp difference (by touch).