ACCLIMATION

Article by: steve-s

Basic Acclimation

Fish, soft corals and zoanthuds are prime candidates as they are less sensitive to changes. Float the transport bag in the quarantine tank for approximately 10-15 minutes before opening. This is very important to allow the temperature to come up and the ph to stabilize. If the bag is opened too soon, the fish could suffer ph shock. After the 10-15 minute float time, open the bag carefully and remove all but a third of the water and discard it. Every 10 minutes add ¼-½ cup of tank water. Continue until the bag is almost full, dump out ½ the water (discard it) and repeat the procedure until the bag fills again. Once refilled, remove the bag, net the fish and place in quarantine. If this is a fish with ornate fins such as a lion, an appropriate sized plastic container with small drain holes would be better than netting. Just be sure there are no rough edges that may cause abrasions to the fish. Be sure to discard the water from acclimation. Never allow the transport water or any acclimation water back into the quarantine tank. Many LFS will use copper or other meds to reduce the instances of parasites and should be avoided. If possible turn off any bright lights and run with only actinic lighting or no light to allow the new addition to adjust. This will greatly reduce any stress.

Drip Acclimation

Drip acclimation should be used for more sensitive animals such as stony corals, clams, snails, stars and such. If in doubt always drip acclimate as apposed to the above information. You will need an appropriate length or airline tubing and something to restrict water flow (such as an IV regulator) or loosely knotting the hose. If using the sump heating will not be a concern but if done outside the aquarium, be sure to monitor temperature as dripping will not always maintain the heat. Float the bag in the same manner as in basic acclimation for temperature and ph equalization. The drip procedure can be best done in a sump if available. Once the bag is opened, either clip to the rim of the sump or bucket and begin the drip @ 2-3 drops/second. Once the bag fills, empty ½ the water (discard the water) and repeat as often until a 4-6 hour time frame has elapsed. The more sensitive the invertebrate, the longer the acclimation time needs to be. When ready to place the animal in the aquarium, remove as much water as possible without exposing the animal to air (discard the water) and gently lower the animal into the display tank. Ease the animal out and place on the substrate if a coral or appropriately if a mobile invert. Not all invertebrates are sensitive to being exposed to air but when in doubt always transfer under water and wear gloves to prevent contamination from your hands when possible. Be sure the coral is left low in the tank for the first few days to allow for light acclimation as well. As the coral adjusts, it can be slowly moved up a few inches every few days until the desired elevation and placement is achieved.

It is also advisable to inspect for possible coral parasites or other maladies and treat as appropriate if necessary. This will only be necessary with sessile invertebrates and should never be done with mobile invertebrates. It is generally not necessary to quarantine invertebrates.

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