Livestock Acclimation
Floating Method
Turn off the aquarium lights for several hours. This reduces any stress on the specimen by allowing it to slowly acclimate to its new conditions.
1. Float the bag in the aquarium for 15-20 minutes to equalize the water temperature.
2. Pour one-half cup of aquarium water into the bag every 5 minutes until the bag is nearly full.
3. Discard half of the water from the bag. Do not pour the water from the bag into the aquarium.
4. Add one-half cup of aquarium water every 5 minutes until the bag is nearly full again.
5. Some corals produce excessive mucous and slime during shipping. Before placing into the aquarium, hold the coral by the base and shake the coral in the shipping bag to remove the slime.
6. Remove the specimen from the shipping bag and place it into the aquarium. Never expose sponges, clams, scallops, and gorgonians directly to air. Submerge the bag underwater in the aquarium and remove the specimen from the bag.
7. When placing corals in the aquarium consider the lighting conditions and water flow in the area that you plan to place them.
8. After you have placed the coral into position wave your hand at it to create a strong current. If the coral stays put you are done. If the coral falls or moves try to wedge it in more securely. If the coral is secure then you don’t have to worry so much about fish knocking it over.
9. When placing stony corals make sure that only the dead portion of the skeleton is touching the live rock. The portion of the coral where it attaches to its skeleton is very delicate and can be damaged if it is leaning against the live rock. This can cause the coral to recede.
Drip Method
You will need airline tubing and must be willing to monitor the entire process. Gather a clean bucket designated for aquarium use only. If acclimating both fish and invertebrates, use a separate bucket for each.
Turn off the aquarium lights for several hours. This reduces the stress on the coral by allowing the coral to slowly acclimate to its new conditions.
1. Carefully empty the contents of the bags (including the water) into the bucket. Be careful not to expose sensitive invertebrates to the air.
2. Use airline tubing and an airline control valve to siphon a drip line from the main aquarium to the bucket. Make sure that the airline is secured so that you do not inadvertently empty your tank onto the floor!!
3. Adjust the drip to a flow rate of about 2-4 drips per second.
4. When the water volume in the bucket doubles, discard half and begin the drip again until the volume doubles once more.
5. Gently transfer the specimens to the aquarium. Never expose sponges, clams, and gorgonians directly to the air. Gently scoop them out of the drip bucket with the specimen bag, making sure they’re fully covered in water. Submerge the bag underwater in the aquarium and gently remove the specimen from the bag. Do not pour the water from the bag into the aquarium. Carefully tie a knot in the top of the bag and discard both the bag and the enclosed water.
Remember to never leave a siphon unattended. The water from your tank or bucket may end up on your floor!!!
Quarantine Tank Method
The safest way to acclimate new livestock is over a period of weeks in a quarantine tank. This allows the specimen to be totally separated. Diseases and parasites can be readily identified and treated. Prior to moving your specimen into the display aquarium it is essential that the water quality parameters of the quarantine tank are as close as possible that of the tank you will be placing the specimen into.
Some aquarium fish can become very territorial and aggressive to new inhabitants. Consider catching and separating territorial fish prior to introducing new fish (Tank dividers, refugiums, sumps, or breeding tanks are ideal for this purpose). This allows the new inhabitant to become familiar with its new environment and will help reduce stress. After several hours the tankmates can be introduced into the aquarium together.
Many species of coral may take up to five days to fully open and acclimate to your aquarium. If after a week they have not fully opened up, try moving them to a different position with different lighting and flow conditions.