Acclimation Guide
The purpose of acclimation: The water that the fish are packaged in has different temperature, pH, and water parameters than your aquarium. Fish can be very sensitive to even minor changes in these parameters, so proper acclimation is the key to ensuring their successful relocation into your tank.
Acclimation can be stressful for the animals, we would encourage acclimation to take no longer than 1 hour. Remember to keep your aquarium lights off for at least four hours after the specimens are introduced into the aquarium to help them further adjust.
Although not necessary, we recommend new fish should be placed into a separate aquarium for a period of two weeks to reduce the possibility of introducing diseases and parasites into your aquarium. We also want to ensure they are accepting food, eating properly, and are in optimum health before their final transition to your main display tank.
Floating Method:
Acclimation can be stressful for the animals, we would encourage acclimation to take no longer than 1 hour. Remember to keep your aquarium lights off for at least four hours after the specimens are introduced into the aquarium to help them further adjust.
Although not necessary, we recommend new fish should be placed into a separate aquarium for a period of two weeks to reduce the possibility of introducing diseases and parasites into your aquarium. We also want to ensure they are accepting food, eating properly, and are in optimum health before their final transition to your main display tank.
Floating Method:
- Turn off aquarium lights.
- Dim the lights in the room where the shipping box will be opened. Never open the box in bright light - severe stress or trauma may result from sudden exposure to bright light.
- Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for 15 minutes. Do not open the shipping bag at this time. This step allows the water in the shipping bag to adjust slowly to the temperature in the aquarium, while maintaining a high level of dissolved oxygen.
- After floating the sealed shipping bag for 15 minutes, cut open the bag just under the metal clip or rubber band and roll the top edge of the bag down to create an air pocket within the lip of the bag. This will enable the bag to float on the surface of the water. Only after acclimating to temperature, you may also empty the fish into a bucket with its bag water to acclimate.
- Add 1/2 cup of aquarium water to the shipping bag.
- Repeat step 5 every few minutes until the shipping bag or bucket is full.
- Lift the shipping bag from the aquarium and discard half the water from the bag. If using a bucket, discard half of the water.
- Float the shipping bag in the aquarium again and proceed to add 1/2 cup of aquarium water to the shipping bag or bucket every few minutes until the bag is full.
- Either net or pick the fish up with your hands from the shipping bag and release into the aquarium.
- Remove the filled shipping bag from the aquarium and discard the water. Never release shipping water directly into the aquarium.
