Do You Drip Acclimate Your Livestock?

[Reefer Matt]

When I first started reefing, I drip acclimated everything. The info I read at the time said it was necessary for salinity and temperature differences. But nowadays, I don’t drip acclimate at all. I just float the bag for 30 minutes for temp, then dip or qt as required. What’s your acclimation like, do you drip acclimate your livestock?

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

When I first started reefing, I drip acclimated everything. The info I read at the time said it was necessary for salinity and temperature differences. But nowadays, I don’t drip acclimate at all. I just float the bag for 30 minutes for temp, then dip or qt as required. What’s your acclimation like, do you drip acclimate your livestock?

Shrimp yes, everything else, i mostly add about a ¼ cup every few minutes, dump out half, go until full again and discard water and place livestock into tank. Haven't lost anything yet

 

[Crabs McJones]

I'll float the bag, when it's up to temp I'll remove some water and add some of mine a little bit at a time. So not quite drip acclimate but an accelerated version of that

 

[exnisstech]

Like you when I started I dripped everything. Now for fish and inverts it's temp and drop and most coral it's temp dip and drop. Some coral I don't dip. Fish go into observation and coral and inverts to display. I rarely buy online and check salinity at lfs and if it's below 1.020 I don't buy.

 

[gbroadbridge]

When I first started reefing, I drip acclimated everything. The info I read at the time said it was necessary for salinity and temperature differences. But nowadays, I don’t drip acclimate at all. I just float the bag for 30 minutes for temp, then dip or qt as required. What’s your acclimation like, do you drip acclimate your livestock?

It depends only on the salinity of the water of the incoming critter.

If there is more than about 0.25 PSU difference I'll drip acclimate into the QT - how long depends on the difference.

If it's a large difference I'm more likely to adjust the salinity of the QT system and then adjust that slowly over a number of days.

 

[PotatoPig]

Fish and Inverts: Float, Sieve, Drop
Corals: Float, Dip, Drop

/LFS runs a QT that’s comparable to the one recommended here

 

[X-37B]

For corals I dip in KCL and right in. Fish and inverts from lfs I float for 10 min then in. Been like this for many years now with no issues.
I learned from losing a few online frags, Adam at BC recommended the same, get them out of the bag and into your system asap.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

For corals I just float the bag to equalize the temperature, then add the coral.

I acclimate inverts by adding quarter cup of my water to the bag every few minutes, for about 30-40 minutes then add to the tank.

For fish, it depends if I have to acclimate to the salinity. If salinity is the same, I just float the bag and add the fish.

 

[JonoH]

Depends where i get them from, and what the difference is between Temp and Salinity.
If they are the same - they go straight in.
If they are different, then i will either set up a drip line, or just us a cup and periodically transfer water across into the bucket.

 

[DIYreefer]

I drip inverts but that’s it.

 

[jsmkmavity]

I drip inverts. I have had way better survival with inverts being drip acclimated an opposed to floating bag then exchanging water slowly. Some fish seem more stressed by the drip acclimation time so i try to get them into the tank quickly. Lights off and dark container.

 

[rtparty]

Nope. Temp acclimate and go

 

[Red_Beard]

Looks like i fit the pattern here too. Used to drip everything. Now i float it, dip it, and toss it in. I even dip fish, in rubyreef hydroplex. don't know if it does much, but it makes me feel better. soak em and toss em in, been VERY lucky so far after starting to use it and everything has been super healthy.

 

[skiergd011013]

I float the bag, clip it to the tank rim, opened, and slowly Double the water in the bag a small scoop at a time. I dont dump the water they came with into my tanks. I use my bare hand or hand/nitrile glove to scoop the fish out and into the tank. Nets can snag onto fish gills, mouths, and scales. I find i can be gentler, faster and hence less stress on the fish to just do it by hand. Hermits, crabs, and corals i do not acclimate. Corals get dipped, rinsed with sw, and in they go. Hermits and snails can go from a 100 degree hypersaline tidal pool, to 70 degree 35ppt seawater with one big wave, so i figure they can handle it.

 

[JayM]

Temp acclimate and straight into the QT with salinity matched to LFS.

 

[KrisReef]

When coral comes in the mail I temp acclimate and then they go into KCL/tank water for 5 minutes. Pop off the plugs and put them in the tank.

Fish float for a few minutes and then grab them out of the bag and gently hand deliver them to the tank.

 

[Paul B]

I also just add some water from my tank a few times and if the temp and salinity is "close", I throw them in. This usually takes about 10 minutes.

 

[Doctorgori]

Usually fish are shipped in lower salinity so I take upwards 20 min depending on how low the salinity is..

I use a drip acclimation rig but at a fast rate in lieu of a cup… again, maybe 10- 20 min unless stressed

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I'll float the bag, when it's up to temp I'll remove some water and add some of mine a little bit at a time. So not quite drip acclimate but an accelerated version of that

This is the exact same way I acclimate fish and coral in my tank!

 

[John Neuzil]

no