Acclimating

[cichlid_tank619]

I myself like to do what I call "slow drip" acclimating. I tank the fish in the water from the store and put it in a pitcher/bucket. Run an air hose with a knot in it causing a slow drip from the tank into the bucket. For about 3-4 hours. This has work for me almost 99% of the time.

Now why is it every time I get fish from the store they tell me to float the bag? I can under stand to bring the water temps to the same temp but the water parameters don't mix.

How do you guys do it and why?

 

[Fishanatic]

I myself like to do what I call "slow drip" acclimating. I tank the fish in the water from the store and put it in a pitcher/bucket. Run an air hose with a knot in it causing a slow drip from the tank into the bucket. For about 3-4 hours. This has work for me almost 99% of the time.

Now why is it every time I get fish from the store they tell me to float the bag? I can under stand to bring the water temps to the same temp but the water parameters don't mix.

How do you guys do it and why?

I let my bag float. They will not be in shock from the water parameters unless the difference is major. The pH in the stores is usually 7-7.8(You should ask), and if you have 0 in the toxins in you're water(except for nitrate), then he should be fine after 30 minutes of floating. I never got a problem by doing that

 

[Mogurako]

I let my bag float. They will not be in shock from the water parameters unless the difference is major. The pH in the stores is usually 7-7.8(You should ask), and if you have 0 in the toxins in you're water(except for nitrate), then he should be fine after 30 minutes of floating. I never got a problem by doing that

That's not always the case and its best to exercise a little more caution than that especially when introducing more delicate species.

Here's what I do:
Put the fish in a 5 gallon bucket let water from your tank drip slowly into the bucket via air tube once you have reached double the volume of water that was in the bag remove half the water then continue to let the water drip into the bucket. Wait for the water volume to double again. Once that is done re-bag the fish let them float for 30 mins in the tank then net the fish out and add them to the tank.

 

[Fishanatic]

That's not always the case and its best to exercise a little more caution than that especially when introducing more delicate species.

Yes indeed, that's why i ask my lfs for the water parameters before

 

[Mogurako]

Yes indeed, that's why i ask my lfs for the water parameters before

Yes but GH, KH and TDS can come into play at that point also there can be different minerals or heavy metals.

 

[cichlid_tank619]

That's not always the case and its best to exercise a little more caution than that especially when introducing more delicate species.

Here's what I do:
Put the fish in a 5 gallon bucket let water from your tank drip slowly into the bucket via air tube once you have reached double the volume of water that was in the bag remove half the water then continue to let the water drip into the bucket. Wait for the water volume to double again. Once that is done re-bag the fish let them float for 30 mins in the tank then net the fish out and add them to the tank.

I do this almost the same way except the second bagging. I use a water thermometer to ensure the temp in the bucket is the same as in the tank.

 

[Andy Sager]

You are basically doing a double acclimation. By floating the bag first, you are letting the water temp in the bag gradually change to the same temp. in the tank. By slow dripping, you are allowing the fish to gradually adjust from the water chemistry it is in to the water chemistry it is going in to. The caveat to this is that if the temp in the bag is close to the temp in the tank and the temp in the room is close to the temp in the tank, you can really skip the floating aspect because the slow dripping will adjust the temps gradually. HOWEVER, I've seen people float the bags for the 15-30 mins then release the fish into a container to drip acclimate but the room temp is wayyy colder than the tank so they negated whatever adjusting the floating did. HELLO ICK!!
Hope this helps.

 

[Vienolac]

I float my bags for 15-30 minutes, and then form a lip on the bag by folding the top. And adding like half a cup of water every 5 minutes untill the bag is full, and the. Pouring the water out untill it's about where I started and doing it again, takes about 1 hour ot so. Maybe a little more. But I've never had problems acclimating that I can tell...