how much acclimation is enough? some info.

[blind1993]

buffering and ammonia well u just try to not have anything die or overfeed.

[Steve 926]

Originally posted by thecoralreefer
In most cases a 2 to 3 min dip should ward off most parasites.
An Iodine dip like flugals is commonly used. Be sure you have less than 10% Iodine solution for this dip. To much iodine can kill too.
This works for corals and fish too. Don't forget that they are sitting in an unnatural solution so to much time can be devastating for them both.

Thanks for the info. Coralreefer.
When you dip with the Lugols, are you using FW or SW.
Are you using the Kent products Lugols solution, or the pharmaceutical strength Lugols. I have read about an RO/DI~Lugols dip for Zoanthoids.

When using a Hypo salinity QT for new additions (fish), how long do you QT them before placing them in your display

Thanks for a reply

Steve 926

[coast2coast7390]

im for the 15 min float with a couple cups of water from the display and hes good to go

[kyreefer1]

Never to old to stop learning

[chromafi]

Fish : Put a drop of prime/fish in the bucket. Drip acclimate for 20min@2 drops/sec.
I have worked in several pet stores and I cannot believe some of the stuff on this thread. Dont put corals in RO water, & if you have to do something, use reef dip for 1 minute. I have seen thousands of corals transfered without acclimating and I have never seen any adverse effects.

[kikithesailorwo]

i didn't know that!! i hope i didn't do too much damage i put much less... thats what some gay told me when i bought it..

[Sk8r]

The main thing for safe acclimation is to match salinity. Measure incoming bag, and what you have in your qt.

Dip is another issue. Best to use a commercial product intended for fish or corals, be sure it's marine, and use it in salt water as per the directions on the package, meticulously followed, to the gram.

[khoivo1]

what if i am tranfer fish from smaller tank to biger tank in my house ,what should i do //.?? just match salinity and temp then tranfer them over?? do i have to acclimate for 30 min too/?? or just release them right away?? hope to get a good infor from Pro thanks

[Sk8r]

If salinity, temperature, ph, AND alkalinity all match you can pretty well take them straight over.

[puffer21]

be careful when you are doing a drip acclimation, anything longer than a half an hour, you should really add a heater and air pump, for most livestock.

[C4SxM5]

I've always used the dripped method with an air pump and not sure how to "QT" the fish.

Do you just put the new fish in the sump for a couple weeks? Please go into to detail for a NEWB

[Sk8r]

That IS another issue, qt---but basically it's a bare sandless, rockless tank with only a cheap filter, maybe a heater, where your new fishes 'adjust' to your water, and calm down and get to eat without competition. It's also 2 weeks where you can watch your new fish to make sure you aren't bringing in ich or brook or lord knows what. If they break out in spots, you can treat them and save their lives without endangering your main tank or have to break it down catching them. I earnestly, earnestly recommend using a qt tank for your very first fish purchase and every one after. I answer so many heartsick appeals from first-timers who've just found out their new fish has a parasite and now it's really sick---so, SO easy to treat if you've got the fish in qt, over it in a few weeks and safe and generally immune from then on.
Adequate sized tank, regular tank water, plain filter floss and pump, daily testing for salinity, ph, nitrate/ammonia, and after 2 weeks you can pretty well bet if your fish was sick it would have broken out by now. SOme prefer a longer 4 week qt, but most things show up fast with the stress of being moved and bagged.

[virginiadiver69]

Sk8r, I am getting my first fish via mail order tomorrow. The shipper recommends not opening the shipping bag right away do to pH swings. They do not go into any detail, can you enlighten me?

[WaterKeeper]

You need a chemist not a writer Virginia.

I really don't know why they would say that as the shipping bag has a enhanced carbon dioxide atmosphere in the void space. This is normal but it tends to knock down the pH during the journey. Opening the bag is not going to change things radically as the CO₂ will dissipate but not change the pH to substantially. Let the bag breath and it will slowly adjust both pH and gas balance at you acclimate.

[virginiadiver69]

Thanks WK

[racrumrine]

Here's my favorite article on the topic and how to set up a QT.

Quarantining Your Fish by Andrew Trevor-Jones

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-0...ture/index.php

Best of luck,

Roy

[reefaholic101]

bump

[WaterKeeper]

That looks like a No Sales bump there to me reefaholic.

[ricsreef]

I QT for at "least" four weeks,no less,I try to QT for eight most of the time,depends on the species. I want to make sure I dont add something sick or any bad hitchhikers to my reef system.Been there,done that and dont want to be in that situation again.

[reevasreef]

wow. wonderful info. thanks for the detail. I had no idea!

[wooden_reefer]

My new fish stay in my QT for at least five weeks counting from the day of active treatment against ich, hypo or copper.

I don't believe in "observation". There is limit to observation. What is there to observe?

I treat actively to eradicate ich for at least five weeks, often longer. You do not see all the ich infestation. It is in the gills, in very small sizes that you can't see. That is why a QT must have a robustly cycled nitrification filter.

The fish also needs time to build immunity against various opportunistic pathogenic bacteria. I use UV.

To me, "accilmation" is not just water chemistry. It is behavorial. Accilmation is complete when the fish has started to eat well, boldly and in enough quantity and variety.

[jimicasper]

a month or two...

[WaterKeeper]

Originally posted by wooden_reefer
I don't believe in "observation". There is limit to observation. What is there to observe?

To me, "accilmation" is not just water chemistry. It is behavorial. Accilmation is complete when the fish has started to eat well, boldly and in enough quantity and variety.

Observation is what you suggest yourself and in the correct manner. We observe the OT specimens behavior and compare it to other fish we keep in our display. If the fish behaves strangely then we suspect disease or other problems.

I, myself, do not routinely use prophylactic treatment on newly acquired specimens as sometimes those treatments themselves may have undesirable effects. Only if the fish shows signs of disease; labored breathing, wild dashing about the tank, stability problems when swimming or unusual sores or other visual visual signs do I commence using medications. That however is a personal choice and many people practice medicating all new arrivals.

[yokoyii]

May I know how to do the aclimation system? Can anyone tell me?

[whosinpower]

I am a newbie, just in the process of setting up a reeftank.
In fact, I am filtering RO water as I write this. My tank is 90 gallons with a sump bringing total volume around 100 - 110 gallons.

I have a sump, tank is drilled, plumbing is in place, as is the lights, heater, pumps etc.

This is a new tank. Water will go in first. Check for leaks. If that checks out - add salt and adjust salinity to appropriate level.

Then I add my sand and then do the liverock. Cycle the tank. That is my plan. I was thinking that the cycle would be 3-6 weeks give or take.

Can I set up a quarentine tank in the meantime - and have fish waiting until the tank completes its cycle - and then add them knowing that they have been quarentined and tank is ready for livestock???? Problem is that I do not have "mature" water for the quarentine tank - it would all be new. Does this matter?

Also - do you quarentine the clean up crew as well?

thanks