Fish

Getting new fish for your aquarium can be a very exciting moment! You want the very best for your new pets and want their transition into their new home to be as stress-free as possible. As a general rule, you want to temperature acclimate new fish for a minimum of 15-20 minutes if they were shipped to you. But if you've purchased new fish from a local fish store, you may want to acclimate them to temperature and water parameters for up to an hour. There are 3 different popular methods for acclimating fish into your new aquarium... The best method for you will depend on a few different factors: Were the fish purchased locally from a pet store or were the fish shipped to you? How sensitive is the breed of fish or livestock you are getting to changes in water parameters? How different are the water parameters you have compared to where you purchased your fish There are other things you should consider, but these are the main important things to keep in mind when trying to acclimate fish to your aquarium water. Below, I'll talk about the 3 different methods you can use, which method is best for which situation, and also how to prepare your water for your new aquarium fish... How Long Should You Acclimate Fish Answering this question really depends on the method you choose to acclimate your fish... On average, the minimum amount of time to acclimate your fish is 15-20 minutes if you acclimate them to temperature and use the plop and drop method. On the other hand, if you are using the drip method, then acclimation can take anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes. Whether you float the bag in the tank water and then plop and drop your fish into a quarantine tank (recommended if you have an established main aquarium). Or use the drip method, which is a slow process, depending on how you got your fish. Let's talk about why this is the case... Getting New Fish From Local Fish Store When you get saltwater fish or freshwater fish from your local fish store, the time these fish spend in plastic bags is very short. The bioload and waste created in that water in the plastic bag is very minimal, especially on a 15-30 minute car ride. This gives you some time to slowly allow your fish to get used to your tank water. In this case, you can safely use the drip method or float the bag while gradually adding aquarium water to get your fish used to your water chemistry. On the other hand... Getting New Fish Shipped To You When you get fish shipped to you, it's a completely different story. The fish may have been in the bag for a few days, creating a lot of waste that can raise ammonia levels. Also, the fish's respiration may have created a lot of carbon dioxide in the bag. This can lower the pH of the water... This essentially creates a ticking time bomb as soon as you open the bag... When you do, the bag is introduced to the oxygen content in the air. The carbon dioxide is also released and can create a situation where the pH can rise, causing ammonia to become more toxic, which can start causing harm to your fish and burning their gills. In this case, you'll want to float the bag for 15 minutes to get used to the water temperature, then open the bag and use the plop-and-drop method. Now that you know which method is best for which situation. Let's talk about how to do each of these methods properly... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjxafua43qM Different Ways To Properly Acclimate Aquarium Fish Below are the 3 most popular ways to acclimate your new fish into your aquarium. Floating Method With Fish Bag Some may consider this the standard method when it comes to acclimating your fish from a local store. There are many different variations you might see of this method, but this is the one I use... Here are the steps you are going to want to follow: The first step is you're going to want to float the bag your fish came in to get them used to your water temp. (about 15 minutes should be good) Next, you'll want to open the bag and roll the sides up to create a ring so the bag continues to float. Or you can use a metal clip secure the bag onto the glass of your aquarium. Now you're going to want to add about half a cup of water into the bag every 10 minutes. Do this until the water level has doubled. Now, you want to take half the water and dump it out into the sink. You are now going to repeat the process of adding about half a cup of water into the bag every 10 minutes until the water level has doubled. Now, you can net the fish out of the bag and safely place them into your aquarium. Keep in mind you do not want to introduce the pet store water in the bag into your tank. Always discard this water down the drain. Plop And Drop Method This is the best method if you ever get fish shipped to your door. Here are the steps to follow: First step: recommend floating the bag for 15-20 minutes to get the water in the bag to the same temp as your aquarium. Next, you'll want to net the fish by pouring the water into a net over an empty bucket. Once you've netted your fish, you can drop them into your aquarium or quarantine tank. Now let's talk about the last method... Drip Acclimation Process For Aquarium Fish And Other Livestock This slower acclimation process is mainly recommended for very sensitive fish and invertebrates or if you have very different water parameters from where the fish is coming from. Then, you may want to use this method instead. Here are the steps to follow: First is to float the fish bag to get them used to water temp. After that, you will want to have an acclimation container like a bucket. Safely empty the contents of the bag into your bucket. Next is to use airline tubing to siphon water from your tank into the bucket. You'll want to create several knots in the airline tubing in order to control the flow. Tighten the knots to slow down the drip, and loosen the knots to increase the drip. You'll want to aim for a few drops coming out of the tubing. Around a drip rate of 2-4 drops per second. Let this drip into the bucket. Once the volume of water has doubled, take half the water and throw it out. Allow the volume of water to double again. Now, you can safely net your new fish and introduce them into your aquarium or quarantine tank. Those are the 3 most popular methods. Now, let's talk about preparing your aquarium water for new fish... Preparing Your Tank Water For New Fish If this is the first time you are setting up an aquarium, then you need to make sure your water is properly cycled before adding in your new fish. Failure to do so may lead to harm to your fish and possibly death. Read this post on what happens if you don't cycle your fish tank to learn more about this. If you already have an established and cycled tank, I recommend treating your water with Seachem Prime And Stability for the first few days. Check prices on Seachem Prime on Amazon here. Check prices on Seachem Stability on Amazon here. Prime is a water conditioner that dechlorinates tap water, making it safe for your fish, and it also detoxifies harmful chemicals like ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Stability introduces beneficial bacteria that break down ammonia and nitrite into less toxic nitrates. It's recommended and a good idea to use these two products when introducing new fish into your aquarium to help with any spikes in ammonia or a crash of your cycle that may happen with the increase in bioload. How Long To Float Fish Bag In The Tank Water To Acclimate Fish This is a common question I see being asked around the internet a lot. And the answer is it depends on the method you use. In general, you need to float your bag for a minimum of 15-20 minutes for temperature acclimation and using the plop and drop method. But, if you plan on using the standard method and introducing water from your tank into the bag every 10 minutes, then this method takes up to an hour or longer. How long you float your bag depends on how you've acquired your fish and the method you choose to acclimate them. Other Things To Consider When Acclimating New Fish Below are a few things you should also consider alongside acclimating your fish. Set Up A Quarantine Tank For Your New Freshwater Fish Whenever you are introducing any fish from a local fish store, pet store, or online shop. You will want to set up a quarantine tank before putting them in your established main aquarium. This process helps prevent the spread of any disease and illnesses your new fish may have. It also gives you the opportunity to treat anything that may pop up during the quarantine process. Ensure You Have Good Water Quality Most new fishkeepers tend to forget about this. But it's important to ensure your tank is properly cycled and has built up a colony of beneficial bacteria that can handle the bioload of the fish you are introducing. Also, it's smart to research the water chemistry, aka parameters the fish you are getting needs and thrives in. You'll want to match your water to these same parameters. Last but not least, ensure the temperature of your water is within the correct range. Are They A Good Fit For Other Fish In Your Tank Last but not least... You want to ensure that the new environment your fish is going into will be a good fit them and any of the other fish in the aquarium (if there are any). Ensure you research the best ratio of fish for your sized gallon tank, as well as compatible tank mates. What Happens If You Don't Acclimate Fish You may be wondering what is the worst that can happen if you decide not to acclimate fish to your aquarium... As a general rule, you want to acclimate your fish with the water parameters in your aquarium to reduce the stress your fish will experience and prevent them from going into shock. If a fish is stressed or goes into shock, they may suffer illness and disease, which can ultimately lead to death. Acclimating your fish will increase their chances of survival and lead happy lives in your aquarium. Final Thoughts On How To Acclimate New Fish Into Your Aquarium Now, you should be an acclimation professional! If you've made it this far, then you understand the 3 different methods of getting your fish used to your aquarium... Not only that, but you know which method is best for which situation. Just remember to keep in mind the few things I mentioned above. If you do this, I believe you will have no issues with keeping your fish happy within your tank. I hope I was able to answer all the questions you may have about this topic. Thank you again for taking the time to read my post. I hope to see you in the next one!