Acclimation of your new arrival
Marine animals are hardy, but shipping is one of the more stressful aspects of the hobby for them. As a result, they need to be acclimated properly to insure their health and well-being.
EcoAquatic will make every effort to ensure the safe and healthy arrival of every order. Properly acclimating any new fish, coral or invertebrate to your saltwater aquarium is probably the most important thing you can do to ensure a smooth transition from the bag to your tank. Sudden changes to water parameters will "shock" your livestock and make it more susceptible to disease and illness.
Orders are insulated to prevent large temperature fluctuations, however, more often than not the temperature of the shipping water will be different that the temperature of your tank. Salinity of the shipping water may not match, and will need to be adjusted as well. We recommend 1.019-1.023 for fish only tanks and a higher salinity of 1.024-1.026 for reef tanks. In addition, all living organisms will release waste and carbon dioxide in the shipping water through their natural processes, causing the pH to be lowered. If the pH is increased too quickly toxic levels of ammonia can develop harming your livestock.
Quarantine all livestock before placing them into your display tank. It is impossible to eliminate all parasites, or pests without killing the fish itself, therefore, we strongly encourage customers to implement quarantine procedures to reduce the risk. Proper quarantine will eliminate the spread of disease and illness, and prevent "bullying" of new arrivals, giving them a chance to get used to their new home.
Before getting started remember to take your time, and be patient, but to not delay. Have enough prepared saltwater on hand to replace water that will be used during the acclimation process.
Note: Some fish will appear to be dead upon arrival, and can be due to their natural defense behavior, or degraded water quality. Acclimation of the fish must be performed even if the fish appears to be dead. A fish that is properly acclimated will recover very quickly.
Acclimation:
1. Dim the lights of the display tank and the room before unpacking your order.
2. Open the box and inspect the bags for any signs of damage.
3. Place the bags into the tank (DO NOT OPEN THE BAG) and allow them to float for 30 minutes.
4. After floating for 30 minutes remove and open the bag. Avoid spilling any of the shipping water into your tank.
5. Gently pour the contents of the bag into an appropriately sized clean container. Due to the different holding systems that we use. Livestock should be placed into separate holding containers. This is especially important for livestock that may be venomous or release toxic substances as part of their defense mechanisms.
Note: Do not place and air stone in the container being used. This will increase the pH of the water too quickly and release toxic levels of ammonia.
6. Attach two pieces of airline tubing on either sides of a gang valve. This will allow you to regulate the flow of water being dripped.
7. Place one end of the airline tubing into your tank and using a syringe draw out water from your tank. It’s handy to keep a separate container handy to collect the water when it starts flowing.
8. Adjust the valve until there a steady drip is maintained. The amount of flow that you want will depend on the amount of water in the container. You will want the water to double its volume in at least 30 minutes.
9. Place the other end of the airline tubing into the container holding the livestock. In order to prevent any spillage, do not leave this process unattended.
10. Once the water volume in the container has doubled, discard half and repeat. Most fish will be ready to add after 2 cycles, but additional cycles would not hurt. You can test the water chemistry (mainly pH & salinity) of the container matches that of your tank.
11. Remove the livestock from the container and place them into your tank. For hardy fish a standard aquarium net will be adequate. For more sensitive livestock a cup may be used. Try to minimize the amount of water that is transferred into your tank. Use your hands, covered with clean gloves, for corals or anemones.
12. Discard the remaining water in the container. Do not add it to your tank.
Note: Keep aquarium lights off for the day, after the new arrivals are introduced into the aquarium.
EcoAquatic will make every effort to ensure the safe and healthy arrival of every order. Properly acclimating any new fish, coral or invertebrate to your saltwater aquarium is probably the most important thing you can do to ensure a smooth transition from the bag to your tank. Sudden changes to water parameters will "shock" your livestock and make it more susceptible to disease and illness.
Orders are insulated to prevent large temperature fluctuations, however, more often than not the temperature of the shipping water will be different that the temperature of your tank. Salinity of the shipping water may not match, and will need to be adjusted as well. We recommend 1.019-1.023 for fish only tanks and a higher salinity of 1.024-1.026 for reef tanks. In addition, all living organisms will release waste and carbon dioxide in the shipping water through their natural processes, causing the pH to be lowered. If the pH is increased too quickly toxic levels of ammonia can develop harming your livestock.
Quarantine all livestock before placing them into your display tank. It is impossible to eliminate all parasites, or pests without killing the fish itself, therefore, we strongly encourage customers to implement quarantine procedures to reduce the risk. Proper quarantine will eliminate the spread of disease and illness, and prevent "bullying" of new arrivals, giving them a chance to get used to their new home.
Before getting started remember to take your time, and be patient, but to not delay. Have enough prepared saltwater on hand to replace water that will be used during the acclimation process.
Note: Some fish will appear to be dead upon arrival, and can be due to their natural defense behavior, or degraded water quality. Acclimation of the fish must be performed even if the fish appears to be dead. A fish that is properly acclimated will recover very quickly.
Acclimation:
1. Dim the lights of the display tank and the room before unpacking your order.
2. Open the box and inspect the bags for any signs of damage.
3. Place the bags into the tank (DO NOT OPEN THE BAG) and allow them to float for 30 minutes.
4. After floating for 30 minutes remove and open the bag. Avoid spilling any of the shipping water into your tank.
5. Gently pour the contents of the bag into an appropriately sized clean container. Due to the different holding systems that we use. Livestock should be placed into separate holding containers. This is especially important for livestock that may be venomous or release toxic substances as part of their defense mechanisms.
Note: Do not place and air stone in the container being used. This will increase the pH of the water too quickly and release toxic levels of ammonia.
6. Attach two pieces of airline tubing on either sides of a gang valve. This will allow you to regulate the flow of water being dripped.
7. Place one end of the airline tubing into your tank and using a syringe draw out water from your tank. It’s handy to keep a separate container handy to collect the water when it starts flowing.
8. Adjust the valve until there a steady drip is maintained. The amount of flow that you want will depend on the amount of water in the container. You will want the water to double its volume in at least 30 minutes.
9. Place the other end of the airline tubing into the container holding the livestock. In order to prevent any spillage, do not leave this process unattended.
10. Once the water volume in the container has doubled, discard half and repeat. Most fish will be ready to add after 2 cycles, but additional cycles would not hurt. You can test the water chemistry (mainly pH & salinity) of the container matches that of your tank.
11. Remove the livestock from the container and place them into your tank. For hardy fish a standard aquarium net will be adequate. For more sensitive livestock a cup may be used. Try to minimize the amount of water that is transferred into your tank. Use your hands, covered with clean gloves, for corals or anemones.
12. Discard the remaining water in the container. Do not add it to your tank.
Note: Keep aquarium lights off for the day, after the new arrivals are introduced into the aquarium.
