acclimatization

[drock59]

what is the proper way to acclimatize new specimens into the tank?

[swims withthe fishes]

there are a few different methods people use to acclimate their fish. some place the fish in a container such as a bucket and slowly drip existing tank water into it for 5 or so hours, then add the fish. some others do this followed by a FW dip to reduce possibility of parasites on fish. I personally float the baggy for 15 min, then open it and double the amount of water in the bag with my tank water.(so there is twice as much water as we started with) wait 15, dump half the water out of the bag(down the sink)and replace it again with myown tank water. wait another 15 min and do it again 3-5 times.... all in all it takes me 1 -1 1/2 hours to acclimate my specimens, then i place it in the tank. I might add i do all this with the tank lights off.
there are i'm sure other methods people use to acclimate that may be better for you, if you do a search on acclimation i'm sure it will kick back many options for you

good luck

[Entropy]

I think it also depends on what you are acclimating. For instance with most snails I float the bag to even the temp and then just stick them at the water line at the top of the tank and let them do their own acclimating.

With fish I usually float the bag for about 20 minutes, then dump the bag into a container I have and then add 1/2 tank water to the store water, then dump some out, and then add more tank water, and then net or hand transfer the fish into the tank. The only fish I have lost with this method so far was my very first fish (diamond goby) and I am still not sure if that is what did it to that fish.

Corals I treat pretty much the same as fish but I usually end up glueing them as well.

Everything I put in goes into either a dark tank, or with just the actinics on. No full lighting... :D

[cyclgrl]

The time you take to acclimate something new to your tank also might be dependent on the different in the SG btw your tank and the tank where it came from.

I will usually check the SG of the water from the baggie and acclimate slower if the SG is very different.

[thedogofwar]

I first place the bags into the tank and open them up. After they have set for about 30min, I remove as much of the store water as possible.

Then I drain a couple gallons of tank water and slowly drip them into the bags over a period of several hours.

Then I remove most of the water from the bags again and transfer them to the tank.

[DouglasTiede]

Originally posted by Entropy
I think it also depends on what you are acclimating. For instance with most snails I float the bag to even the temp and then just stick them at the water line at the top of the tank and let them do their own acclimating.

With fish I usually float the bag for about 20 minutes, then dump the bag into a container I have and then add 1/2 tank water to the store water, then dump some out, and then add more tank water, and then net or hand transfer the fish into the tank. The only fish I have lost with this method so far was my very first fish (diamond goby) and I am still not sure if that is what did it to that fish.
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The exact same just happened to me. I used the method you just mentioned and
2 days later my orange diamond sleeper goby was dead in my tank.
They must be harder to acclimate???

[adiver]

Some basic rules I use and have had no loss do to accl.
test the param of the water that the criter came in.
Keep the temp stable, drip water from your tank at a rate of 10drops per min. keeping the lights low or off. I use a plastic tupper ware bowl and float it in my main take, removing water as it fills over a couple of hours, be sure not to get any of the water from the bowl in your tank.