This can help save your new fish! Do you have one?

Do you have a fish acclimation box that you use to introduce new fish to the tank?

  • YES

    Votes: 189 37.7%
  • NO

    Votes: 214 42.7%
  • Not yet but want to

    Votes: 92 18.4%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 6 1.2%

  • Total voters
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vlangel

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Yes, I use a baby fish breeder net as an acclimation box. I believe that it is helpful for new fish to adjust to new water parameters and conditions without the added stress of being harassed or bullied by the current occupants. I recently added some tiny masked gobies to my tank of 14 fish and acclimated them in the net breeder box. I added some macro algae and made sure that they were eating well before I released them.
They are tiny and my tank has lots of rock so I do not see them often but I think they adjusted well.
 

Robert1994

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I tried it for the first time last month. Clown Tang. The fish died that night.
 

David Gaskins

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I use an acclimation box on occasions (after QT tank time completed), but find its use questionable (as noted by past posters). I have found my answer to tank aggression in a simple small mirror I attach to side of tank.
Diverts the attention of any aggressive fish to their own reflections. How useful? Well if I remove the mirror, the aggressor spends hours scouting the glass for it!

David
 

Uncle Bob

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I borrowed one from a friend once. It was like the other fish were just looking at the new guy thinking - Oh Yea, we are going to get you soon as you come out. Then they did, but not for too long and it all worked out in a couple days.
 

DaddyFish

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I have one, or two, or maybe even three. They're all fairly small and I've only used them for picky eaters like Copperband or Mandarin that needed to be hand-fed for a couple days.

My tanks are all community tanks of sorts. One is a community of predators with some Stoopid Clowns thrown in. And like others stated above, my experience with an acclimation box is everyone just waits for you to release the new kid on the block so they can come check him out, sniff his butt, and see how he tastes.
 

ArtsyFish

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Yes, I just got one and it worked great. The first two days the Tomini Tang tried to chase a Bluegreen Chromis and would follow the Chromis from side to side and underneath the acclimation box. The tang lost interest after the fourth day. When I released the Tang he hid for a day and now he and the Chromis are the best of friends.
 

ArtsyFish

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I used one for the first time recently for a Tomini Tang. When I put him in the box the Tang tried to attack and dart at a Bluegreen Chromis and would follow the Chromis from side to side nd underneath the box. After the third day it subsided. When I released the Tang he hid for a day and now he and the Chromis as well as the other fish are all great pals!
 

Trever

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I'd get one if I could find a good one for my smallish (33 gallon cube) tank. Surprisingly not easy to find something that I like.

My howdy tank so far has been acclimation bags. I had a Royal Gramma charge my yellow coris wrasse in the bag! Sure enough, it was a bad situation, I had to remove the Gramma because he was intent on killing the wrasse.

Other than that my rock work allows a picked on fish to hide near the back of the tank, and it gives them time to enter tank social life.
 

lukesnc

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Yes I use one if I am worried about bullies and I also use it for fish that need a time out from the tank, if they are the bully or just having a bad day with friends
 

ca1ore

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I would love one but I don't think they exist for 1" thick acrylic euro-braced. If they do, yes, please tell me where.
I built mine specifically for a 1" thick euro braced acrylic tank ... plus all the commercial options were too small. It basically hangs in the acrylic top cutout. You can see that in the picture, sort of.
 

Daniel

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I always have an acclimation box on hand! Most recently used to successfully introduce a mate for my veteran clownfish. This is a critical piece of equipment in my book. The feeding tip is something I subconsciously did as well without even thinking about it! Great suggestion from above poster :)
 

fowler279

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I have one and have used it. When I added a second clown to my tank the original one went crazy for the new one. So got the acclimation box and put the bully in there to allow the new one to establish some space and get used to each other. Took 2 attempts but they have been buddies ever since.
 

DeniseAndy

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In the past I would use one. I had a homemade one for larger fish and small one for smaller. Last fish were multiples so I did not need one.
 

mchans

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I have one and haven't had to use it yet. Just got a very young Tailfin Blenny and it is so small that I'm worried about how the others will react once it comes out of QT. I'm going to use this box and a safety measure. Right now my Yellow Tang seems to be the meanest one of the eleven fish I have in the DT.
 

waterskiguy

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I use an acclimation box on all incoming fish, that I can think of. Experience has shown me that it's easier on the fish and less stressful for the new guys. It seems to almost get them "used" to each other before they have to deal with each other face to face. Especially timid fish or anything that current tank mates may be aggressive toward at first.
 

CavalierReef

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I bought one of the fish traps with glass sliding door. I used it 2 or 3 times to catch a problem fish. I've found it also works well as an acclimation box. It has suction cups to hold it to the glass.

If I'm adding a fish to a well stocked tank and am worried at all about compatibility, I use the acclimation/trap box. I'll keep the new fish in the box for a day, or several. The existing fish see the new addition and the new fish can become a little more comfortable with the tank before being let out. Helps with some initial aggression.
I have one built by Marc Levenson at melev'sreef.com. I bet he could make one to fit our needs.
 

boacvh

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Yes. I have always used one. It's easier to make sure my new fish are feeding before they hide!
I was using a tanklimate but the magnets busted open so I recently switched to one from octo aquatics from @cromag27. Love it!
PXL_20210204_010546677.jpg
 

Looking for the spotlight: Do your fish notice the lighting in your reef tank?

  • My fish seem to regularly respond to the lighting in my reef tank.

    Votes: 104 75.9%
  • My fish seem to occasionally respond to the lighting in my tank.

    Votes: 15 10.9%
  • My fish seem to rarely respond to the lighting in my tank.

    Votes: 8 5.8%
  • My fish seem to never respond to the lighting in my tank.

    Votes: 3 2.2%
  • I don’t pay enough attention to my fish to notice if they respond to the lighting.

    Votes: 3 2.2%
  • I don’t have any fish in my tank.

    Votes: 2 1.5%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.5%
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