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I was in a chat room the other night where someone was trying to figure out why their new fish kept contracting ich. I asked " How do you acclimate your fish to their new tank." They replied: " I don't do that acclimation thing. I think being in the bag in the tank is too stressful for them." That prompted me to write a brief summary of what I believe to be a proper method of acclimating new fish to your tank, or current fish to a tank that is new to them. It is not all-comprehensive, but I believe it to be fundamentally correct:



Acclimation of Fish to a New Environment

When a person begins their fishkeeping hobby, they are usually sent on their way by the local fish or pet store, with the advice of " Let the bag float for awhile in the tank." For many of us, that was our first lesson in acclimating our new fish to our water conditions, but is that enough?

I would say no, it's not. In a fish or pet store, the water parameters can be completely different from the tanks that you own, not just in temperature but in ph, general hardness ( gh), carbonate hardness (kh), and quite possibly in every single measurable way. A fish must adapt to all differences between water parameters, because it has no alternative besides to jump out of the tank.

Why then do so many people just float the bag in the water to acclimate the fish to the tank's temperature? My guess is that it is because it makes sense to us. If you go sit in the sauna for a couple hours, jumping into the unheated swimming pool certainly gives you a shock, does it not? People can relate to that. I like to think of the other water parameters in similar ways..... If you take a country person into the big city, the smog would bother them perhaps? After awhile the country person would adapt, and as time goes by he or she might not even notice the smog anymore, but at first there might be a lot of coughing. Similarly, let's say you take someone that lives in a desert and that is used to dry heat, and send them to a rain forest. It could be the same temperature, but it's a different kind of heat, is it not? Adapting to the humidity would cause some stress until your body got used to it, but until then you'd be pouring sweat I'm afraid. Acclimating new fish is like this for the simple reason that you are taking an animal from one environment (fish store tank) to another environment ( a bag ) to yet another environment (your tank). That' s a lot of adapting, especially taking into consideration that they could have been delivered just last thursday or something to the fish store and were just finally getting used to the conditions there. The dictionary defines stress as :a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation. Therefore, it is safe to say , without knowing a fish's mental state, that there is some amount of stress on a fish invloved in getting it situated in your tank , as it meets at least two factors ( physical and chemical) and there is obvious bodily tension involved.

How then, do you ease fish in to their new environment? First off, floating the bag in the water is a good start, but I would suggest a twist to that. I would float the bag to start off with until the temperature in the bag water is stabalized to that of the tank's water....something you're used to doing. After this is where I would differentiate. If the bag is mostly full of water at this point I would open the top of the bag and pour half of the water out into a nearby container. If it's only half full or less to start with it should be good to go. I would then either re-tie the bag with whatever they tied it with intially or just use the tank lid to hold the open end of the bag ( closing the lid of the tank down on the open end of the bag) - so 1) the lfs water doesn't spill into my tank because I can't stand the thought of lfs water in my tank and 2) the bag does not collapse and suffocate the fish and 3) so you can do what I'm about to suggest.
Leaving the fish to " settle down" again for a few minutes, I would then use a small cup or whatever is handy ( and clean!) to scoop up some of my tank water and would pour it into the bag, then put the open end under the tank lid once again, or re-tie it again, and leave it alone. Only a little bit of water at a time, depending on the size of the bag anywhere from 1/3 of a cup to a cup or more. Repeat this process numerous times over the course of a couple hours or until the bag is completely full, keeping in mind that this is not a race. For "particular" or "fragile" fish, the longer this takes the better...I've taken 4 hours before to complete this on some fish. Once completed, release the fish into the tank however you see fit. Personally I open the top of the bag as wide as can, sometimes calling on my wife for assistance, and net the fish out of the bag then discard the lfs water / tank water mix in the bag into the nearest sink. If lfs water in your tank doesn't bother you, that's your call.

The results should be a smoother transition for the fish, which results in less stress...and less stress means less problems. I have never had a new fish die on me for no apparent reason, nor contract ich since using this method. There is a down side to acclimating your fish in this manner, however..... (of course there's a catch). You'll most likely not to get to take advantage of the warranty that allows you a replacement fish if your new fish dies within XX amount of days. Sorry!




[span class="edited"][Edited by jake 2004-08-08 15:56][/span]

Good article Jake.

Being a beginning, I've learned put 1/3 or 1/2 cup of water until the bag water pH is almost identical to my tank. Since the diiference of some LFS is greater, it will take longer and vice versa. For example, I just bought 3 gouramis and their water was almost identical to mine (pH of 7) and to be on the caution side, poured 1/3 cup every 15 mintues for 1 hour. And in the minute I put them in the tank, they became active.

I also notice that turning the lights off helps a bit because they are not as spooked in their new environment. With the lights on, the fishes stay in the back but when it turned off, they tend to swim more freely.

[span class="edited"][Edited by sly 2004-08-09 09:03][/span]

Yup, acclimating is definitely underused - these days I tend to do 2 hour acclimations on every fish (but I guess I'm keeping more sensitive fish than I used to, or anyway more expensive ones!). Just one critique - I find that rolling back the sides to float the bag works better than pinning the top, at least with fish that aren't going to jump (never had a fish jump out of the bag, but I admit a couple have tried).

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

I find that rolling back the sides to float the bag works better than pinning the top

I might try that next time. I'm always worried I'm going to get lfs water in my tank though, which is why I "pin" the top. I'm sure whatever is in the water the fish will take with him into the quarantine tank, but it's still a phobia / irrational compulsion I have.

Just out of curiousity, if you acclimate that way, why would that void your money-back guarentee? After all, how would the lfs know, and why would you tell them? (Not that Im not an honest person, but... well ... you know)

Not being able to use the warranty, meaning the fish wouldn't die.......( doesn't void the warranty....it's just that there's less chance of problems, less stress, ... less chance of fish dying which is the only way you could use the warranty)

DUUUHHHH....okay thanks. :%) Thought that was kinda strange, that it would void it. I always wondered how I was going to bring back a dead fish anyway. I don't like getting anywhere near the dead ones....Im a wimp... I dont even like it at some of the 'lesser' stores that don't have a top on the aquarium. I always think the fish are going to jump out and land on my feet. I know, kinda weird that I would want an aquarium then, but I prefer the fish in the tank....lol

Good art. But I have found 2 other good ways of acclimating... 1st if you have just purchased a very sensitive fish, you can emty him into a small bucket, make sure it is clean and slowly drip some water from your tank in to the bucket until the fish you just purchased appears to be swimming comfortly in the bucket, then scoop it out with a net and all ow it into your tank. it will be as if he has been in the tank since birth.

2nd way is to let it sit in your tank for 10-15 min or so then poke a hole in the bag oppisite side of fish to allow the water to mix, after 10-15 min of this slowly pull the hole apart and let your new baby swim out as it would like to.

good luck hobbyist, and have fun with your new friend,

Bracguy81

Poking a hole in the bag and letting the lfs water into my tank? No thanks.

Well if your fish has been in a bag for a long time I wouldn't make it stay in it for TOO much longer. I would want to get the fish into the tank ASAP.