Acclimation success

[i cant think]

Out of curiousity, as someone who has acclimated both ways and never lost a fish I would like to know what you guys find survival rates to be better in.
What is the more successful way to acclimate animals to your aquarium? Drip Acclimation or Float and Drop Acclimitisation (Temperature Acclimation). Also, to help back up your success please note how many losses you’ve had due to this, how long you do it for, how many animals you’ve acclimated using either way ect…

I’ll go first, as I said I’ve done both ways and still do both ways. I do drip for Inverts and Coral and Float for fish. So far I think I’ve acclimated 15, possibly 20 fish through float & drop acclimatisation and I haven’t lost any of them due to that. I have lost one fish due to drip acclimation which was a Chelmon marginalis.

As for coral, I’ve only ever lost a Montipora setosa due to the drip acclimation and I don’t actually know why to this day (Every other coral I’ve acclimated into my nano has survived).

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Drip acclimation for things from the LFS and anemones, float and drop for shipped animals.

 

[ScubaFish802]

I don't get many fish so this isn't much of a statement.. but after learning more about the ammonia levels that can occur in the bag water and that reading BIOTAS recommended method it float and drop I have moved to that. I have only done one fish so far, but it didnt skip a beat.

I always drip inverts and cuc in general.

For corals I have had good luck going directly from bag -> to tank water with dip without drip first - haven't drip acclimated a coral in a year or so at least now.

 

[ScubaFish802]

Drip acclimation for things from the LFS, float and drop for shipped animals and all anemones.

LFS is a good point, if it wasn't shipped then drip for sure.

 

[lulubap]

Looking into getting a drip tube from my LFS, just too lazy to do it. For most of my fish I did a rather unorthodox method where I placed them in a bucket with the water they came in and used a turkey baster to slowly add water from my tank, lol. Then I net and place in my tank. All of the fish that have undergone this method have survived. The rest of my fish... I can't quite remember. I own a family tank so sometimes my family members will acclimate the fish themselves and I'm not present for it; couldn't tell you. Since my tank is pretty much stocked at the moment, the desire for a drip tube has diminished more and more.

 

[DavidinGA]

Anything I order online I float and drop. I already have my qt tank's salinity matched to the shipments, so no need to drip and add additional stress.

 

[i cant think]

Out of curiousity, as someone who has acclimated both ways and never lost a fish I would like to know what you guys find survival rates to be better in.
What is the more successful way to acclimate animals to your aquarium? Drip Acclimation or Float and Drop Acclimitisation (Temperature Acclimation). Also, to help back up your success please note how many losses you’ve had due to this, how long you do it for, how many animals you’ve acclimated using either way ect…

I’ll go first, as I said I’ve done both ways and still do both ways. I do drip for Inverts and Coral and Float for fish. So far I think I’ve acclimated 15, possibly 20 fish through float & drop acclimatisation and I haven’t lost any of them due to that. I have lost one fish due to drip acclimation which was a Chelmon marginalis.

As for coral, I’ve only ever lost a Montipora setosa due to the drip acclimation and I don’t actually know why to this day (Every other coral I’ve acclimated into my nano has survived).

Forgot to add that I also lost an urchin through drip acclimation.
Everything I acclimate (Whether drip or floated) is from my LFS whether it’s the one that’s an hours drive away or the one that’s 30 minutes away. I don’t get shipped live animals (It’s just too much hassle to do IMHO).

 

[trevorhiller]

Thank you for expanding on my Biota acclimation thread (https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/b...tion-instructions.929450/page-2#post-10508894) with an actual poll!

I've lost 3 shipped fish recently (1 DOA, 1 died after acclimation, 1 died during acclimation) so this topic has really piqued my interest. My 3 fish from my local petco acclimated via drip acclimation are all alive and well.

I have a hypothesis that drip is less stressful than float in bag and drop, but float and drop is better when ammonia is present in the bag (such as when fish are shipped). It seems like there is a stress continuum and it is about minimizing stress rather than always do it this way or that way.

I'm currently trying to make a data collection system that would allow Reef2Reef members to enter their newly acclimated fish so we can look at some data on survival. It won't exactly be a randomized controlled trial, but it should show some correlation if I can figure out the best way to collect the data (and members actually take the time to submit data). I think this would be really beneficial and interesting.

 

[ShoalSister]

Float first for temp, then empty bag into bucket and if it was shipped, add a few drops of prime to reduce effects of ammonia and nitrites. Regardless of source, measure salinity and if .001 or less the same, drop into aquarium. If further off in salinity, I drip acclimate. I only have fish and cuc.

I mostly buy livestock that has to be shipped. I always ask what the salinity will be if it isn't provided, and it is hardly ever what they say it is going to be. One time, two different employees responded with 2 vastly different salinities for the same fish. Is this your experience too?

 

[Rmckoy]

Looking into getting a drip tube from my LFS, just too lazy to do it. For most of my fish I did a rather unorthodox method where I placed them in a bucket with the water they came in and used a turkey baster to slowly add water from my tank, lol. Then I net and place in my tank. All of the fish that have undergone this method have survived. The rest of my fish... I can't quite remember. I own a family tank so sometimes my family members will acclimate the fish themselves and I'm not present for it; couldn't tell you. Since my tank is pretty much stocked at the moment, the desire for a drip tube has diminished more and more.

I use a length of airline and after starting a siphon I tie a loose knot in the end

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

I only drip acclimate sensitive inverts. For fish, if bought local, I float/temp acclimate for 20-30 min. Then use a turkey battery to remove about 1/2 cup bag water and add 1/2 cup tank water. Wait around 5 min. Repeat 3x then scoop fish and drop. If shipped, I temp acclimate but then dump the fish and bag water into a 5 gal bucket. If salinity is within 1 to 2pts, I add a 1/2 cup tank water every 5 min. (again 3 times), then scoop and drop. If salinity difference is over 2pts, I double the time. I've never lost a fish.