Acclimation/dip procedure for marine importer
We're a freshwater fish importer/wholesaler about to bring in our first batch of marine fish.  The success of this shipment from Indonesia will help test whether we should invest in expanding to a marine operation (for this trial shipment we're leasing tank space in the quarantine area of a large retail shop).  Although constrained by the time and money pressures inherent in a competitive business, we want to do this right, or as close to right as we can get.  
<Yes... know that marine arrivals are more variable, volatile than fresh>
Since we don't have the luxury of isolating and holding all specimens for 3 weeks of quarantine, we've decided to use a dip method to remove parasites on arrival.
<Worthwhile>
Since the fish will have been in the bag for 30 to 40 hours by the time they get here, with pH somewhere between 7.2 and 6.5, we're trying to figure out a compromise between allowing them to gradually re-adjust to normal marine pH and getting them out of their ammonia-laden bag water quickly...complicated by the need to process several hundred fish in a few hours' time.  We'd appreciate your comments and suggestions on our proposed procedure.
<The best ("A" players like Quality Marine in L.A. and Tropic Marine Centre in London, "meet" the arrival pH with artificial seawater that has been pH adjusted (with dilute HCL, aka Muriatic Acid, or carbon dioxide gas... which is very water soluble) to that of the shipping water... flushing out the existing water and mixed till there is no detectable ammonia present... then flushing with new near seawater synthetic...>
Here's our plan:
set up three 5-gallon buckets (actually several sets of 3).  
Bucket #1 is salt water with pH reduced to some intermediate level between the fish's bag water and the target pH of 8.3.  We're thinking around 7.6?
<Should be near or at the shipping water pH>
Bucket #2 is water from the destination system.
<Where are you going to get this? I suspect you mean water of 8.3 from your system... which you'll use then dump>
Bucket #3 is a freshwater dip, also at pH 8.3.
<Okay>
All 3 buckets will be aerated for a couple of hours by the time the fish arrive.
1) sealed bags are floated in destination system, if needed, to match temperature.
2) a group of 6 to 10 bags are cut open, bag water discarded, and fish placed in bucket #1 for 7 minutes.
<As long as it takes to slowly (over several minutes) flush out the ammonia... i.e. run new water (ala bucket #2 into the container (#1) till there is no ammonia. Better to use smaller volumes, less steep-sided containers like plastic kitty-litter trays with holes in side or tilted at angle here>
3) the fish are then moved to bucket #2 for 7 minutes, and the next batch of 6 to 10 fish go into bucket #1.
4) the first fish go into the freshwater dip, #3, for 7 minutes, the 2nd batch is moved, and a 3rd batch is started in bucket #1.  The time in bucket #3 may be altered if a fish starts flipping out.
<Do add aeration to all "buckets">
5) after freshwater dip, each batch is moved to the destination system.
Aside from just "what do you think of this?", our questions are:
1) What should the pH be in bucket #1?
<That of the shipping water>
  Do we need a bucket #1.5?
<Maybe, unless you change #2 as noted above>
Is seven minutes enough here?  
<Should be... but the transition between 1 and 2 (or 1.5) needs to be made with a test kit rather than a timer. You want to remove the ammonia from inside the specimens... no matter how long this takes... drip or run water from #2 (or 1.5) into each batch of #1 until there is no NH3>
(we picked that time because it was appropriate for the FW dip, but if it's wrong for acclimation we can alter the procedure).
2) Should we use Methylene blue?  In which bucket(s)?  Is there any fish group we should NOT use it with?
<This is fine... depending on the state of health of the fishes it may help some or not much at all. You want to observe all, continuously>
3) Which inverts should be FW dipped?  which ones should not?  (I assume no Methylene blue for inverts?)
<I would NOT freshwater dip any of the invertebrates... nor expose them to the air... need to use flushes of just near seawater specific gravity (measure what is in their bags and match it) here>
4)  We are still looking for an affordable source of tank raised clowns, but in the meantime we do have some wild clowns coming on this order.
<... Where are you folks located? What sort of volume do you do? Have you contacted ORA re?>
Due to the pervasiveness of Brooklynella (or "perconella" as some around here call it), we're considering adding formalin to the FW bucket for clowns only.  Good idea or bad?  How much 37% formaldehyde to 5 gallons?
<Very insightful... very common... and yes to being worthwhile to use formalin in a dip/bath here. Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brooklynellosisart.htm
About one cc. per gallon>
5) Speaking of T/R clowns, can you refer us to a producer who sells to wholesalers (and not at the same price they sell to retailers)?
<Are you in the U.S.? I would try ORA: http://www.orafarm.com/
if you want to look into importing from the UK, TMC: http://www.tmc-ltd.co.uk/aquariumproducts/tropicmarintestkits.asp>
We're also looking for other T/R fish, especially seahorses since after reading the Conscientious Marine Aquarist we won't buy wild seahorses at all.
<These can be had from the above>
Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Keith Langley
Nautilus Wholesale Aquatics
Denver, Colorado
<Hope to run into you at the industry shows (was just out giving a pitch at "Marine Showcase"... would have come by for a visit...). Bob Fenner>

Drip Acclimation
<Hi Rich, PF here tonight>
Crew o' the New Millennium:
I currently drip-acclimate my inhabitants from LFS to QT, and from QT to Display (after 4 weeks, of course).  I have not lost any fish or inverts to this method, but as my purchases get more expensive (over $50), I am starting to wonder if this is a good long term solution.  Currently, I am too apprehensive about dips and the "guerilla" technique.  I have read all I could find under "drip acclimation", and I see a lot of "slow" comments.
What I need to know is how slow.  Could you give me some kind of "drips-per-minute" guide?  Over how long of a time?  How often should you spill out some water from the filling container, or only when it's overflowing?
Thanks, Rich.
<Well Rich, I don't think there is a generic number. A lot depends on the animal being acclimated. A very hardy animal could take a faster drip rate (say a damsel), while another would need something much slower (like any asteroids). The aforementioned damsel could be acclimated in an hour or so, while the asteroids should be done over the course of 8 hours, longer being even better. On the topic of dips, just be sure the pH matches, and you are using non-chlorinated water. It's an excellent method for removing disease organisms and parasites from fish. I'm sorry I can't give you a more definite answer, but in my opinion, there isn't one to give you, to much depends on what you are acclimating. Have a good evening, PF>

Re: Drip acclimation
Crew:
<Hello again Rich, PF again>
Just to review, I was trying to find out general "drip rates" for acclimation and was told that there are no general rules.  Okay, I will take a chance and give you my future choices, and hopefully we can agree upon some sort of numbers.  Now, if it is just too much to ponder, that's cool - don't sweat it.
1-Bartlett's Anthias - Pseudanthias bartlettorum
1-Yellow Assessor - Assessor flavissimus
1-Flame Angelfish - Centropyge loricula
1-Scott's Fairy Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus scottorum
1-Purple Firefish - Nemateleotris decora
1-Fire Goby - Nemateleotris magnifica
1-Canary Wrasse - Halichoeres chrysus
1-Neon Goby - Gobiosoma oceanops (or G. evelynae)
1-Clown goby - Gobiodon okinawae
1-Rainford's Goby - Amblygobius rainfordi
1-Lettuce Sea Slug - Elysia crispata
<These animals eat Bryopsis as juveniles, and other algae's as well when they are adults. I really can't advise keeping them. Even if they are solar powered slugs, they do still need to eat eventually, and if there's not enough food, they'll starve. There food of choice, is unfortunately, a pest.>
?-Various Hermits & Snails
I don't mind being extra cautious, but I don't want to drip a fish for 8 hours if it will do more harm than good.  Is there a maximum number of hours I should worry about for inhabitants such as these?  Should the "drip speed" have anything to do with the amount of shipping water you start with?  Like, you start with 2 cups of bag water, so it should take at least 2 hours to drip 2 more cups?  Does this make any sense?  Please forgive me.  I am now 9 months into the marine side of this hobby, and I badly want to move up from "novice".
Thanks, Rich
<Well Rich, if it's any consolation, after about 14 months of reef keeping, and 2 years and some odd months of research prior to that, I still consider myself a novice, just one with some experience under my belt. I don't think you can do to long a drip, a slow acclimation is always better for the animals. As a general rule, between an hour and two hours for fish should be fine, with longer for corals and other invertebrates. The drip speed example you give sounds fine for fish, say 4 hours for most inverts and corals, and 8 for asteroids. I use a 10qt bucket and generally go till the bucket fills, with about 1 drip / every second or two (leaning towards the 1/second side). It also lets me do a small water change in the process. Hopefully this answers your question, have a good evening, PF>

Drip vs. Dip -
Thanks for a great website and all the help.  I think I am starting to get it!!
I have now read the Conscientious Marine Aquarist, and all the posts about acclimation. I understand the drip method, and I understand the benefits of a fresh water, or treated, dip for new arrivals.  But I am having trouble understanding two areas, and my wife is headed out tonight for a new Six Line Wrasse and a cleaner crew, so I better ask.
1) For new fish, when do you do the dip vs. when you do the drip acclimation? <Mmm... good question. I'd say for the most part I dip almost everything that isn't a known dip-unfriendly fish.> Do you do the drip acclimation and then do the dip right before moving the fish to the quarantine tank? <No, they're going to get stressed from the salinity change anyway, so might as well dip them and drop them in the tank.> Or do you do the dip as soon as they arrive and then put them back in the shipping water to do the acclimation? <Nope, once out of the shipping water, that stuff gets tossed.> Does it make a difference which way you do this if they are locally bought versus purchased online? <Nope, both should be dipped whenever possible.>
By the way, for the dip I was planning on using a solution of ParaGuard (malachite green) in tank water with an airstone (8-10 minutes)  followed by a short freshwater rinse (5 minutes).  Sound close? <I'd skip the ParaGuard for now and just rely on the hyposalinity to do its job. Six line wrasses are good for a little more than five minutes... I'd go as long as possible. Just don't dip the inverts.>
2) What about dips for the cleaner crew invertebrates such as snails, cleaner shrimp, scallops, etc. <No... about the only thing you could do here is a dip in tank water with iodine added, but I'd hold off on this entirely... and don't buy the scallops.> Since these are so sensitive to osmotic shock, how do I treat these animals for possible parasites? <Quarantine.> Is it safe to just do a malachite green dip on these in tank water, maybe at a weakened concentration? <Heavens no, the malachite green will kill them.> Do you recommend quarantining snails and hermits? <Anthony Calfo suggests quarantining everything, I don't... although it is possible that they could carry in some "undesirables", the actual occurrence is very low.> Most of the posts and books are not very clear on this point.
Thanks,
Rick
<Cheers, J -- >

- Drip vs. Dip -
Thanks for the response, but now I am really confused. <My apologies.> So, I thought I had better ask for clarification. <And I thought I had been as clear as possible.>
Based on your response below, it sounds like you are saying to forget the drip acclimation altogether. <Correct.> Just do the freshwater dip and then put them into the quarantine tank.  Am I reading this right? <I think that's what I said, yes.>  What about the potential sudden pH change causing problems? <Should be a pH adjusted, freshwater dip - match the freshwater pH to that of your tank. There is stress involved in this process, and there is no helping it. Getting two things over all at once should be no problem.>
Or, are you really saying to use the drip method to acclimate them freshwater dip solution (ease the Ph transition), <No... here, let's say this. There's nothing wrong with drip acclimating your fish. Still... time is of the essence, so you don't want to keep them in the bag any longer than they need to be. If they've been in the bag for a long time - more than 12 hours, then you should at the very least test their shipping water and make sure the pH is not too low. If the pH is very low - in the sevens, then go ahead and slowly drip them up to normal - no harm done. If the pH is in the eights, skip the drip and go for the dip.> then move them to the dip for 5 minutes or so and then to the quarantine tank? <Quarantine, yes.>
Thanks (again),
Rick
<Cheers, J -- >

- My new Fish Procedures - 
Hello everyone. I just wanted to get your comments/insight on a plan I have to introduce new fish to my aquarium. Got to get a process down. <Ok.> 
Display tank: 125 gal, 6ft long, over 160 lbs Fiji Live Rock (made into two towers, with bridge in the middle). 
Current residents: Red Lion fish, 20 hermits/snails, and a Sand Sifter star fish. When a new fish arrives to my home: 
1) Remove the fish from the shipping bag with a net, and place into dip tank. 
· Dip tank: 10 gal, freshwater, 80 degrees, Methylene Blue treated. 
Is it OK to add directly from the shipping bag like this? 
<For the most part, yes. I'd float the bag for a while, just to equalize the temperature of the water the fish is currently in.> 
2) Fish will remain in Dip tank for approximately 5 to 7 minutes. <Ok.> 
3) Fish will be netted again, and placed into the Quarantine tank. 
· Quarantine tank: 20 gal, display tank water, 80 degrees, Copper treated. <I wouldn't just arbitrarily put copper in quarantine unless there is a problem you are trying to treat. We're talking about compounds that are toxic and there's just no practical reason to expose the fish to the same unless you absolutely have to.> 
4) There the fish will stay for minimum 3 weeks. <Two would suffice - there is a tipping point at which the fish will fare less and less well if over quarantined.> 
5) Fish will then be moved to the Display tank, with normal procedures of acclimation. <I'd actually freshwater dip them just one more time on the way to the display.> 
Fish I want to acquire: Foxface Rabbitfish, Heniochus (2 or 3?), Threadfin, and a Raccoon (a French Angel or Naso Tang might be alternates). 
Based upon the fish mentioned, does this sound like a good plan? <Sure... plus a couple of modifications.> Could, in general, the dip and quarantine be too much stress for these fish? <All in all, no... is pretty much necessary.> 
Thank you for your time, 
Daniel 
<Cheers, J -- >

System for Fish at new facility... another satisfied customer
Hi Bob and Crew
<Evening>
Since our last correspondence a month ago, my holding facility has been cycling well....6 weeks in fact (system details below)
I had my first shipment from overseas come in 2 days ago, and applied the Guerilla Acclimation technique....I lost no fish from 160....BUT, some things alarmed me, and I would like to outline these to you...please tell me if something is not right.
I prepared some mixing water...approximately twice the volume of the shipping water....I added StressCoat from Aq Pharmaceuticals, and some Methylene Blue ( but not a huge amount)...I added a whole bunch of airstones and put the chiller to work....I lowered the pH to 7.5 as a preliminary, so I could fine tune it a few hours later when the fish came in.
When the fish came, we opened a few of the bags and tested pH.....down in the mid to low 6's.....was a bit of a shock !!
<Heeeee! Happens>
....so we did the Kitty Litter thing with larger plastic containers, and poured the fish and shipping water
into these....put in the airstones and waited 30 min.s....The fish generally seemed OK......Tested the Ammonia during this time and the result was deep Green ....quite high.....
<Typical>
Tested the pH again after this 30 min.s and it was 7.2.......we then fine-tuned the mixing water......
<Good>
My 1st question is...is this normal?...
<Very>
and with the pH rising 0.7 in 30 min.s on it's own drastic enough for the NH3 to change and become nasty?
<Can be>
We then proceeded to slowly ladle in mixing water....took 1 hour or more to add double the amount than the shipping water, with the excess draining of through holes drilled in the trays.....tested Ammonia again, and it was still high, but not quite as high.......but the pH had risen again by a little.
<Ahh... yes>
I started to worry a little, but the fish seemed to be generally OK.........My system water was then slowly added......parameters for system water as follows,  Ph 8.3, dKH 8, Salinity 1.023, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate all Nil....calcium 380..D.O  6+, and temp 24.5 Celsius.......
Over the next 2 hours, we slowly added system water until the pH was 8.2 (pH was monitored constantly throughout this process).......
We prepared a freshwater dip to 8.2 also, and added a few drops of Formalin....in your article it said an ounce per gallon, but the bottle said a couple of drops per gallon...so I was really confused and went with a few drops........added 2 Yellow Tangs to try.....and they went ape in the Freshwater Bath......needless to say we then dispensed the rest of the fish into the system without the dip....
Within a few minutes   3 Yellow Tangs and a Declivis started to swim crazy loop the loop configurations......
<Again... par for the course>
However....no dead fish !!!!
<Amazing, eh?>
Please read through what I did and let me know if there is anything I did wrong, or need to do better, as I have a Shipment from Brazil coming in 2 days, and these guys will have been in bags for 50 hours.....albeit in a damn sight more water than the Hawaii shipment......
Thanks in advance for your valuable advice.
JD
<More and more valuable as you consider... Bob Fenner>

Acclimation Techniques
Hi,
<Hi there! Scott F. here today!>
We are trying to eradicate ich. When giving a freshwater bath to new arrivals prior to quarantine, you article indicated to match PH to the New Tank's water. 1) Shouldn't we acclimate the fish with a few cups of water before putting him/her into the Dip? It seems that shipping water may be a much lower PH than a normal tank - and we don't want to risk shocking the animal.
<Good point. That's my personal procedure. Replace some of the water in the bag/bucket with water from the quarantine tank, try to match the pH in the dip as closely as possible to the quarantine tank, and proceed from there. However, I have seen many people skip this step and go right to the dip without problems. I'm not recommending this "shortcut", but I have seen it done before many times. I'd take the conservative approach myself.>
Also a couple more dip questions: 2)Is RO/DI water with Reef Buffer the best thing to use for a new fish? We saw the post where someone's fish died after they used distilled water and are getting a little paranoid.
<I'd aerate the RO/DI before using it>
3) Should we also dip fish before adding to fallowed tank who have been in quarantine 2 months with no signs of ich?
<I'd probably pass under these circumstances. They don't need any additional stress>
If so, how long would you recommend for a Watchman goby and Hippo tang? Thanks as always!!!
Doug
<As above. Sounds like you're doing things right! Best of luck to you! Regards, Scott F.>

Acclimation before and after dip/quarantine   2/22/06
Hi Bob,
<Joe>
First up, I think your website is a great, a good stress reliever, in particular for myself, being new to saltwater. I've had much hesitation over whether to operate a quarantine tank but I must say the website persuaded me to go ahead with it! ;)
<Yay!>
My question is this: Upon bringing a marine animal home from the LFS, what acclimation procedures, if any, should be followed prior to carrying out a freshwater dip and then placement into the quarantine tank. I am aware that the freshwater used for the dip should be of similar temperature and ph to system water  but I was confused (after quite a bit of reading) as to where the normal acclimation technique of slowly adding system water to livestock over a period of time exactly fits into this process, if it does at all??
<Ahead of this dip/bath>
Aren't the fish stressed by being quickly moved from shop water to freshwater and then to quarantine water without any transitional/intermediate acclimation?
<Sometimes... up to folks to "evaluate" their animals' conditions... choose to do more/less in the acclimation/dip-bath process. Bob Fenner>
Thanks for your time,
Joe
(Sydney, Australia)

Acclimation Weirdness :) actually, clarification re some very useful techniques, particularly for folks in the biz   1/25/06
Hi Crew,
<Bora>
Bora here. I work in a chain petstore and after "mysterious deaths" of saltwater fish, finally management decided that it would be a good idea for the "aquatic guy" to receive fish :). That would be me. Personally Bob F. is my idol
<Rats! Wish I could sing>
so I try to follow him mostly. I had a great shipment/success with "guerilla acclimation" but there was couple of things I was not sure.
1- I did regular chemicals/differences check on saltwater except for salinity at first. Went through the process. Original fish only set up I have is 1.021. but after the acclimation I wanted to see what the level would be and the final mixture in tub came out 1.029.  So is it logical to assume the vendor is keeping these fish at about 1.033 :) or because of the evaporation and gas exchange the water in the shipping bags became "saltier"?
<Likely they were using natural water (1.025) and the animals "added" some more dense material...>
(I even thought that since the vendor is in Florida, maybe they are cycling their water from the very shallow waters of ocean might effect the situation but hey I don't know much that's why I am seeking help lol)
<Best to "meet halfway" here or so... spg-wise... unless most fishes are very weak...  and to match for invertebrates, and fishes that live in close association with invert.s>
2- Is there a reason for the black Volitans lion to adjust takes longer time than the rest of the stock ? (I am saying this by observing behaviour such as getting out of corner and actively feeding and all) And also puffers in general don't do well, either, whatever I tried. I usually end up advising my customers not to buy "that" puffer.
<Are slimier, and "moodier", and more spheroid/three dimensional...>
3- (Freshwater question over same type of acclimation) I had amazing results with Bob F.'s experiences also, yet the rainbow sharks were the only ones amongst the whole stock to get dizzy, and fell to the gravel after acclimation and laid dead for 15 minutes. Now they are alive and well. but what might I have done wrong to disturb the rainbow sharks? Any ideas?
<These minnows are in need of high dissolved oxygen levels... and do suffer from the low DO in shipping. Add vigorous mechanical aeration (i.e. airstone bubblers) during acclimation/dips... and Methylene Blue if you have... and you will experience much different results (better)>
Not enough "thank you's to WetWebMedia crew and Bob F.  for sharing years of experiences and the outcome of a lot of investments in any ways.
Bora.
ps: I have to say that I admire Ali's professional attitude over the "t-5 lights" issue.
<Me too. Bob Fenner>

Acclimation P & P  12/9/05
Lorenzo, you asked about my acclimatization procedures.
<Hello again!>
I equalize the temperature by floating the bag in the tank, and then drip acclimatize. I have used package water to describe the water the fish came in and aquarium water to describe my cycled water. If the fish/critters do not show signs of distress after 20 minutes, I increase the rate of flow a bit, or else, I reduce it. It usually takes me about an hour. <I assume you control the temperature in the bag during this time, perhaps by leaving it floating in a heated system.> 
(I scoop out half a cup of package water for every cup of aquarium water added). When the package is full of aquarium water instead of package water, 
<You understand this condition is nigh impossible, mathematically/chemically, yes? Nevertheless, that's about the right way to do it.> 
I net (or in the case of the clown used a specimen jar) the fish out and put it in the tank. Whenever I drip acclimatize, I use the water of the QT tank into which the fish is going and not my main display tank.
<Sounds good.> 
I acclimatize again, though not as extensively when the fish go into the main tank (just in case) but by the add-a-half-cup, remove a half cup, wait 15 minutes, repeat method until water replaced, then net and add. As you can see, I spend a *lot* of my time transferring water from one place to another. The temperatures in my display and QT tanks are the same (78 degrees) but I am anal like that.
<Good practice.> 
My angel fatality:
As for my angel, she had small strips of Sea Veggies and tang heaven Nori around the tank on sterile ornaments to help her graze. I did not wish to keep live rock inside the tank but I wished her to have the opportunity to simulate grazing. I came back from work, and she was dead. No other fish in that tank, except for a shrimp. A tiny peppermint shrimp, nothing predatory. And she was an adult!
<This fish may well have been cyanide-caught, or otherwise stressed, perhaps by poor transit conditions.> 
New fish in tank:
I just want a fish that is out and about, not one that hides in the rockwork all the time. If a royal Gramma is a hider, then I'd like to give him a wide berth. I love wrasses. I just don't know what wrasse could fit in a 30 gallon. I thought they all needed 50 gallon or bigger tanks?
<A six-line wrasse would work, and they're quite busy. Not the flashiest colors, though beautiful details.> 
Once again, thanks crew.  Sweta
<Always a pleasure, Lorenzo> 

Acclimation worries?   9/1/06
Hello,
<Hi there>
Not quite sure who will be answering today, but thank you in advance.
<Me neither, but welcome>
I didn't see anything in the acclimation sections that answer this so here goes: I am maintaining my quarantine tank 65 gallon fallow tank with large sponge filter and Eheim Ecco 2232, at slightly lower salinity levels (1.019 at 82 C) when I receive livestock the shipping water can be anywhere from about 1.024 to 1.026 - how should I acclimate the stock so that it can be placed in to the quarantine tank?
<Mmm, for one, you should "meet" the specific gravity of the shipping water... Please read the Acclimation articles again>
Should I be maintaining my tank at higher levels and then try to bring the salinity levels down later on to try and inhibit the likelihood of marine diseases?
<Can do...>
Or should I just maintain my salinity at a level that will be closer to the shipping water that the livestock is received in?
<Your choice... some species (e.g. those that live in close association with invertebrates, like symbiotic gobies... "like" higher/steady spg>
When the stock is moved from the quarantine to the main tank (being maintained at 1.022) should I be worried about shock to the livestock from altering the salinity in such a large increment in a relatively short period of time (I usually take about an hour acclimating stock from tank to tank)
<I would move the new fishes environment to be close to this over a few days time... no more than a thousandth in a day>
Any and all advice would be great - thanks.
Aehsun
<Bob Fenner>

When acclimating Lysmata amboinensis - 11/09/06
Alight thank you  I will read on WetWebMedia.  One more quick question When acclimating Lysmata amboinensis.  What is the best method to use?
<Very slow drip into an open container... a length of air-line tubing either tied to reduce flow, or a nut, couple of washers, and bolt to pinch/restrict. Bob Fenner>
 

Saltwater Acclimation/Dipping - 04/21/07 Good afternoon all!   <<Hello Kim...morning now>> I am having a hard time getting a clear answer to the confusion I'm experiencing. <<Oh?>> I am planning on using the Guerilla Acclimation Technique for the first time (salt water). <<Mmm, I see>> In addition, I would like to do a freshwater dip. <<Ok>> From here, the fish will go to QT for the appropriate amount of time. <<Excellent>> I understand that the pH of the treated water during acclimation should be adjusted down to the level of that in the shipping water (ex 7.8). <<Per the 'Guerilla Acclimation Technique' article, yes.  But keep in mind this article appears to be geared toward those in the industry receiving fish shipments that may have been bagged/in transit for long periods and that bringing/keeping the pH "down" in the initial stages of acclimation reduces the toxicity of the accumulated ammonia.  I'm not saying that the procedure won't work for the average hobbyist, but I think there is a more simple process for acclimating/dipping specimens purchased from your LFS>> I also understand that the pH of the freshwater dip should match that of the QT tank water (ex. 8.2). <<Agreed>> If one is to acclimate, as well as use a freshwater dip, where in the process is the fish acclimated to the differing pH between the acclimation procedure and the dip?  (assuming that the shipping water, and therefore the treated water for acclimation is lower than that of the QT??)  Because of my lack of understanding, I don't know whether to dip first and then acclimate, or vice versa??? <I understand your confusion, and scanning the article, I don't see the answer to your question either.  I definitely would want to match the pH of the holding/acclimation system water to that of the quarantine system before transferring the fish.  I think this would be best accomplished by slowly adding/replacing the acclimation water with water from the quarantine system (This can easily be done "after" following Bob's acclimation procedure and "before" performing the freshwater dip).  Once the pH is matched, I would then prepare the freshwater for the dip (Ph and temperature adjusted)...dip the fish...and place it in quarantine.  Or more simply...float the bagged fish in the quarantine system...add/replace water until pH/temp are matched...net-out the fish (disposing of the water in the bag)...dip the fish...place the fish in the quarantine tank>> Thanks for all your help.   <<Hope you find it useful>> Regards, Kim in Boston.   <<Cheers, EricR in Columbia>><The pH should be allowed to "drift" back to NSW... the same about as the water that the fishes are being moved to next. With depressing pH through the use of inorganic acid (like HCl) or CO2 gas... new water of NSW (Near Seawater quality) is dripped, otherwise delivered into the acclimation mix, allowed to overflow or be dipped out... over time matching pHs. RMF> Re: Saltwater Acclimation/Dipping - 04/23/07 Thank you for taking the time to respond.  As always, your advice is always appreciated. <<Quite welcome...is what we do>> Our new addition is swimming happily and eating well in the QT tank! <<Good news indeed!>> Regards, Kim <<Thanks for sharing.  EricR>>

Compatibility/Acclimation 1/23/08
Hello crew,
<Hello>
I know that you hear it a thousand times a day, but it's still worth saying. You are the go to site on the web for information. Any time I am ever tempted to get a fish/coral/ invert, I always check out what you have to say about it first. As you have mentioned not every published person is even remotely correct on certain issues; (granted there is always some range within what is true). Anyway onto the questions:
One of my tanks is a 30g mixed fish/reef. It has been up and running for 9 months now and doing well since I added the Remora pro skimmer- lots of hair algae before that now zero. Currently residing in the tank are:
False Percula Clowns
Coral beauty- not a nipper :)
Blue damsel
CBS <Coral Banded Shrimp?>
Hawaiian Shrimp (Saron marmoratus)
And various sps, LPSs, soft corals
I feed the tank a varied diet at least twice a day and all my parameters are within acceptable ranges.
My question is this, who bit the Coral Beauty?
<I'm betting on the Blue Damsel.>
If not as soon <?> as the bite out of the tail fin healed, another two circular bites appeared in the same location. I would assume that it was the damsel because of their notorious reputation but... Lately the clowns have been hosting a Goniopora. (I know, hard by itself, even harder with the pestering of clowns- I have noticed a bit of recession after two months) Anyway, the female has become quite protective of it's host. Is it likely that the clown could be the culprit?
<Both, as you say, this coral is difficult to keep without the Clownfish agitating it. You do not mention your lighting and this coral requires very high light levels to survive, and even at that, most will not survive long.>
Or should I go ahead and remove the damsel and see where it goes from there? The reason I ask is because I have never seen any aggression between any of the tankmates. Even when I first added the Coral Beauty two months ago, I saw no signs of discontent. Why all of a sudden?
<With you being in front of the tank, it could change the mindset of the damsel, more concerned with you than the Coral Beauty. I'd remove the damsel.>
Second question: after reading the explanation of the two ways to acclimate fish and inverts- normal and "guerrilla" I guess- I am still left with one question. What is the purpose of acclimating a specimen to your exact pH, salinity, etc. if you're just going to put them in a freshwater/ Methylene blue dip for five minutes? Are you suggesting to just jump to the dip after temperature acclimation?
<I do not strive to match the pH and other parameters exactly. A pH within .1 is fine along with an SG within .001 is fine. Temperatures can be within a degree. As far as the freshwater dip, I'm really not a fan of dipping a perfectly healthy fish. Why put it through unnecessary stress, much better to quarantine a new specimen and treat only if needed. As far as acclimation, I prefer the drip method. This type of acclimation will slowly adjust all the water parameters within a safe time frame with no need to manually adjust the shipping water. There are inexpensive kits on the market now for drip acclimation.>
Thanks for your time
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
 

Acclimation procedure, SW  2/29/08   Bob, re-write, sep. FW, SW...  <Done! 3/1/08> Bob, I read your article regarding salt-water acclimation and related article on Methylene blue dips. I am a little confused and concerned regarding how many acclimation procedures to put the fish through. <There are a few variations on the theme... depending on where you are in the "chain of custody", the species in question, their apparent state of health> When bringing fish home from the LFS do I first acclimate them to the QT saltwater conditions or do I just start adding/acclimating to the RODI treated water? <Most of the time the former... some folks advocate prophylactic dipping/baths... by hobbyists...> By treated water I mean RODI water <Mmm... I would use tap/source water... the mineral helps, and using such assures it has been at least likely aerated... RO/DI is gas-less...> that is the same temp & ph as the QT tank, no salt added, but with Kordon's Meth Blue, Malachite Green & NovAqua, (should I add dosages as recommended by the manufacturer?). <Mmm, you could... I would not generally use Malachite in a dip for livestock...> After approximately 15minutes do I then start another acclimation to switch the fish to the QT saltwater tank? <If you were in doubt as to the likelihood of external parasite faunal presence, you might dip/bath enroute from your dealer to your quarantine... IF you have no such QT, a dip/bath may be prudent going from the source to the main/display> I purchased the Methylene blue from Kordon Corp, is this pharmacy grade, (I would assume it is since the President of Kordon is the one who made the statement to you)? <You can read Dr. Rofen's co.s stmt.s on the Net re> I know we don't want to risk exposing the fish directly to the main display without some precautions however I don't want to kill parasites at the cost of killing the fish. Don't you feel that the fish is stressed moving from the ocean to the LFS to the shipping bag to the dip method to the QT? <Oh yes> Only to be moved at a later date into the main display. Can the fish survive all of this? <Most can, do... far less stressful than living on reefs> I am just wondering if all these procedures adds to the stress of the animal and in and of itself can increase mortality rates. Thanks for your input, I look forward to your reply, Frank <The apparently too-complicated methodologies are S.O.P. in wholesale livestock, aquaculture facilities and public aquariums the world round... Bob Fenner> Re: Acclimation procedure follow-up question 2/29/08 Bob, just a couple of last questions on this topic: you state below that you would generally not use Malachite in an acclimation process for livestock however in your acclimation article you state the following: E) Additives: I endorse the use of Maracide and Saltwater Maracyn ingredients for saltwater acclimation. These fine products from Mardel labs should be used in similar concentrations as for listed above for freshwater. From the freshwater acclimation procedure: ...we add two more chemicals to the treatment. As a matter of availability and convenience they are Maracide (principally malachite green) and Maracyn (the antibiotic erythromycin) by Mardel Laboratories. <Mmm, yes... you stated you are dealing with saltwater, NOT fresh> Are you differentiating between a dip and acclimation procedure? (If so would you employ both processes or is one the preferred method?) <Don't know if I'm following you here. These are two different processes. Are distinct> I would like to follow a prescribed method to give new fish the best chance of survival in my main display w/out possibly introducing undesirables into the main display/infecting established livestock: would you agree with the following: bringing fish home from the LFS in a shipping bag 1) transfer livestock & shipping water to cat litter tray, 2) start to mix treated water into the shipping water, treated water is defined as conditioned tap water, (proper ph & temp), with Meth blue and NovAqua (HOW LONG SHOULD THEY REMAIN HERE?) <10-20 minutes likely, with aeration> then 3) transfer to QT tank or Main display tank. Or 1) mix main display or QT saltwater slowly with the shipping water, 2) Dip livestock in treated tap water for a couple of minutes 3) transfer livestock to QT or main display. Frank <The former procedure is much better. Bob Fenner> Re: Acclimation procedure LAST follow-up question 2/29/08 Bob, Not trying to be argumentative but rather trying to clarify. <Frank... so sorry that my correspondence, indeed, old articles on this important topic are so unclear. I assure you, the lack of clarity lies with me, not you... Let's see if I can help here> see below: Per your article on Saltwater acclimation: E) Additives: I endorse the use of Maracide and Saltwater Maracyn ingredients for saltwater acclimation. These fine products from Mardel labs should be used in similar concentrations as for listed above for freshwater. From the freshwater acclimation procedure: ...we add two more chemicals to the treatment. As a matter of availability and convenience they are Maracide (principally malachite green) and Maracyn (the antibiotic erythromycin) by Mardel Laboratories. <Mmm, yes... you stated you are dealing with saltwater, NOT fresh> I am dealing with saltwater but am confused over your response of using Maracide (malachite green) as an additive. I am assuming that Maracide and malachite green are the same. <Is the principal ingredient, yes> Use with the acclimation process or am I confusing your article? Frank <Do note the statement in this section of the article: "Additives: This, once again, is my own garden variety formulation for almost all types of freshwater fish livestock. Specifications are okay at approximate drops per gallon. In actual practice we re-use sixteen ounce squirt bottles of standardized-available stock solutions." Do you see that this statement applies to FRESHWATER livestock? "almost all types of freshwater fish livestock"... The article is written for both FW and SW applications... and is unfortunately confusing. You are dealing with marine fishes, correct? Please ignore the statements/sections referring to freshwater livestock. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

A Heartfelt "Thanks!" & SW Fish Acclimation/Dips   7/5/08
Dear Bob,
>Joe<
I have been a reader of WWM for several years and would like to thank you and the crew members for the huge amounts of effort, experience, wisdom, as well as common sense that has went into the site. I have NEVER had to write because every question I’ve thought of has been within these pages. In addition, I would like to give a huge “Thank you” to both you and Anthony for the books, “CMA” as well at “Reef Invertebrates”. I would like to encourage all readers to purchase both because there is additional information not posted on WWM in these pages that is extremely valuable! These are the most detailed books that I’ve read regarding the hobby and I appreciate every word! I’m already on my 2nd copy of CMA!
<Heeee!>
My first ever question is actually more of a clarification. In the past I have not quarantined or dipped specimens and have been very lucky regarding disease. This is all going to change. After reading every acclimation article on WWM, every FAQ, and every chapter (repeatedly) in CMA, I’m still a bit confused as to proper acclimation/dip procedures. I know this is a relatively simple procedure and I think that the root of the confusion that other readers have had is from not actually seeing/experiencing the proper procedure first hand. There is a big difference between reading and actually witnessing someone properly acclimate/dip a specimen.
<I totally agree with you>
I have done my best at compiling the information and have created a general step by step acclimation procedure with dip. I would GREATLY appreciate a critique. I believe that this step by step layout will help other aquarists like me that have difficulty understanding the complete and proper process.
<Ok>
This is a general procedure for most common marine fish that appear to be in general good health,
1) Upon bringing the specimen home, float bag in quarantine tank to equalize temperature for about 10 minutes.
2) Add an air stone to the bag and begin drip acclimating to quarantine tank for 40-50 minutes.
3) While drip acclimating, prepare dip water in separate container. Use pre- aerated RO water that is temperature adjusted and buffered with sodium bicarbonate to about 8.2
<Will only raise to about 7.8>
(same parameters as quarantine) with or without Methylene blue added according to bottle instructions. (Or should this dip water be made 24 hrs in advance?)
<New is fine>
4) When drip acclimation is completed, scoop specimen with net and dip in prepped water for 5-10 minutes depending on size and reaction to dip.
5) Net and place directly in quarantine tank
6) Observe in quarantine for at least 4 weeks and administer treatment if symptoms arise.
7) Upon quarantine release, drip acclimate to display tank (turn lights off or dim) and release specimen.
*Never mix bag water with quarantine or display
<Sounds good>
Obviously there are other ways to go about this. But in general, how does this look in your valued opinion?
>Fine<
Again Bob, words cannot express how your and all of the WWM crew's work has helped me and countless other aquarists. THANK YOU!
Joe W.
Wichita, KS
<Glad to help you. Bob Fenner>