New fish acclimation method

[NewYorkReefer1988]

Hello everyone.

I’ve been hearing more and more about this “new” fish acclimation method when fish are being shipped from an online vendor. I’ve seen multiple videos on YouTube and read a few articles and posts that all claim that if you order your fish online and it is in the bag for 24 hours or more then you should skip the regular acclimation procedure in favor of just floating the bag and essentially just throwing it in the QT or DT once it gets up to temp. Apparently this is to avoid toxic ammonia levels that have built up over the journey due to the excess of fish waste from burning the fish’s gills once it is exposed to oxygen. According to the theory, using normal acclimation methods such as drip and/or pouring tank water into the bag allows too much time with the fish in that high ammonia level and a week or two after it is added it can be seen gasping for air near the surface and die.

So I’m just wondering what are everyone’s thoughts on the matter? Is this just bogus or is it legitimate?

I do have some tangs due to arrive in the next few days so I’m trying to decide which way to go. Thanks everyone!

 

[WWIII]

I'm not sure if the whole ideal behind it is true, but I only temp acclimate basically everything. I try to match salinity (usually much lower than a reef), float them for 15 mins and in they go. I have never noticed any problems from this immediately or in the first few days. In most cases these fish haven't been in the same water conditions for any length of time since they were taken from the ocean. I guess maybe ph could have some effect on them? Maybe?

To me the big one is temperature and then salinity. Clean water in a quarantine tank has to be better than the gallon or 2 they've been in for the past 18 hrs. I'm not sure what started the whole drip acclimation thing way back in the day, but in my experience it's just not neccessary. Having said all that, I'm not really sure about the whole opening bag to air ammonia spiking deal?

Edit - if the bag is really cold from shipping I may float for up to an hour, but most times 15-20 mins.

 

[lapin]

Ask what salinity they ship in. Very important to match that. Alk is another issue. You can drip or add water to the open bag for 30 min. To solve the ammonia issue always add a drop or 2 of prime to bind the ammonia while fish are in the bag. Dont forget to float the unopened bag for temp matching. Then when all of this is done let fish out into the qt tank.

 

[Peace River]

Hello everyone.

I’ve been hearing more and more about this “new” fish acclimation method when fish are being shipped from an online vendor. I’ve seen multiple videos on YouTube and read a few articles and posts that all claim that if you order your fish online and it is in the bag for 24 hours or more then you should skip the regular acclimation procedure in favor of just floating the bag and essentially just throwing it in the QT or DT once it gets up to temp. Apparently this is to avoid toxic ammonia levels that have built up over the journey due to the excess of fish waste from burning the fish’s gills once it is exposed to oxygen. According to the theory, using normal acclimation methods such as drip and/or pouring tank water into the bag allows too much time with the fish in that high ammonia level and a week or two after it is added it can be seen gasping for air near the surface and die.

So I’m just wondering what are everyone’s thoughts on the matter? Is this just bogus or is it legitimate?

I do have some tangs due to arrive in the next few days so I’m trying to decide which way to go. Thanks everyone!

It is a thing although the length of time will likely very based on the cleanliness of the water, if the fish had eaten recently before it was put in the bag, etc. I am not making a recommendation either way, but you may want to do a quick water test of salinity and ammonia as soon as you open the bag and then make your decision based on the readings. Either way you will want to float the bags to get a temperature match before the bags are opened. Good luck!

 

[Peace River]

Hello everyone.

I’ve been hearing more and more about this “new” fish acclimation method when fish are being shipped from an online vendor. . . .

BTW, this isn't really a new fish acclimation method, I have heard this from international freshwater fish importers for years.

 

[NewYorkReefer1988]

BTW, this isn't really a new fish acclimation method, I have heard this from international freshwater fish importers for years.

Right, it’s just easier to say”new” than “challenges the conventional wisdom”

 

[MabuyaQ]

As a child my dad told me not to adjust the transport water to anything but temperature and adjust the tank water for pH. It prevents you from introducing unwanted elements present in the transport water.
So float bags to equalize temperature, take a water sample with a syringe, test for Ph, adjust tank water (that is in a bucket) for pH, take fish out of bag (no water), put fish in bucket and you are ready to start pH acclimating your fish without the risk of pH induced NH4 to NH3 conversion burning your new fish its gills.

 

[Larry L]

I think the issue the OP is talking about is that ammonia builds up in the shipping bag, but so does CO2. The CO2 buildup lowers the pH in the bag, and as the pH gets lower the ammonia turns into less toxic ammonium. When you open the bag, CO2 equilibrates with the air (especially if you're sloshing things around), so the pH in the shipping water goes back up, and the ammonium turns back into ammonia, and that ammonia spike can kill the fish if you leave them in that water too long.

More info at: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ammonia-in-shipping-bags.247311/

I usually try to match salinity and pH as close as possible, float the bag a while to match temp, and then try to get them out of the shipping water as fast as possible.