G
Guest
Well could someone explain it to me, since I know its different than freshwater. Or is it?
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OP
OP
Guest
I start by adding the amount of fresh saltwater to the tank that will be
needed for the acclimation (1-2 gallons).
The new additions are in a bucket or tub with the water from the store.
I used air line, that is connected to plastic rod (coat hanger cut with the hook still left on it.) with ty-wraps. I place the plastic rod in the tank with hose attached. I pull a suction on the hose and put some tank water in the bucket. I use a rubberband or clip to pinch the hose to get the rate of
water dripping about 2 drops a second.
Double the water volume in the bucket, then empty at least half of that.
continue to repeat the process.
Everytime you are diluting the water in the bucket, it becomes more like your tank water, than the store water.
The water that you remove from the bucket.
DO NOT PUT IN YOUR TANK!!
Flush it down the drain.
There are other ways of skinning a cat, this is the way that has worked for me.
Robert
needed for the acclimation (1-2 gallons).
The new additions are in a bucket or tub with the water from the store.
I used air line, that is connected to plastic rod (coat hanger cut with the hook still left on it.) with ty-wraps. I place the plastic rod in the tank with hose attached. I pull a suction on the hose and put some tank water in the bucket. I use a rubberband or clip to pinch the hose to get the rate of
water dripping about 2 drops a second.
Double the water volume in the bucket, then empty at least half of that.
continue to repeat the process.
Everytime you are diluting the water in the bucket, it becomes more like your tank water, than the store water.
The water that you remove from the bucket.
DO NOT PUT IN YOUR TANK!!
Flush it down the drain.
There are other ways of skinning a cat, this is the way that has worked for me.
Robert
OP
OP
Guest
My LFS suggested floating the bag for 20 minutes, then every 20 minutes add a cup of tank water to it. After 3 cycles of adding water, turn them loose. This seems to work well. Didn't notice anyone in distress.
That's the way I skin the cat!
That's the way I skin the cat!
OP
OP
Guest
For snails and starfish, i just throw them in the tank. Most invertebrates i do this to and they are just fine afterwards.
OP
OP
Guest
That's just WAY too easy, Boosted.
Isn't everything supposed to be difficult with saltwater tanks?
Isn't everything supposed to be difficult with saltwater tanks?
Damn, you're really lucky to have your tank water close enough to the store water for your invertebrates to survive that treatment, boosted. Inverts are very sensitive to changes in water parameters.
Like Sarubjr, I take airline tubing but put an airline regulator thingie at the end so I can just dial in the drip rate. Once the water level is twice what it was, I dump half the water and let it double its water volume again. This takes place over the course of an hour or several hours if the water parameters are vastly different, but you have to really be conscious about not letting the 02 become depleted from the water over the course of a lengthy acclimation.
~ Sherri
Like Sarubjr, I take airline tubing but put an airline regulator thingie at the end so I can just dial in the drip rate. Once the water level is twice what it was, I dump half the water and let it double its water volume again. This takes place over the course of an hour or several hours if the water parameters are vastly different, but you have to really be conscious about not letting the 02 become depleted from the water over the course of a lengthy acclimation.
~ Sherri
dfimble
Guest
I really like the sound of the drip method but have never done it myself. Does anyone have a problem with the temp changing in the bucket because its a small volume of water with no heat source? (My house is set at 75)
David
David
OP
OP
Guest
I keep my inverts in their own bags and add a 1/4cup of tank water every 15-20 min. I just got a snail order of several species and they sent them standard overnight and the bag water was over 90 degrees. I'm shocked they made it at all. Cerith, nassarius, bumblebee and margarita snails.
I slowly acclimated them with adding the 1/4 cup of water and they all but 1-2 made it.
and the bag water was over 90 degrees. I'm shocked they made it at all. Cerith, nassarius, bumblebee and margarita snails.I slowly acclimated them with adding the 1/4 cup of water and they all but 1-2 made it.
OP
OP
Guest
I feel that if you are dripping 2 drops a second, the oxygen
should not get depleted and the temp will hold around the
tank temp.
I forgot to say that, I do float the bag first in the tank for the temp to equalize then start in the bucket.
should not get depleted and the temp will hold around the
tank temp.
I forgot to say that, I do float the bag first in the tank for the temp to equalize then start in the bucket.
OP
OP
Guest
I also read that starfish need to be properly acclimated than most
echinoderms, because they are delicate.
Here is a good article
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2002/toonen.htm
Robert
echinoderms, because they are delicate.
Here is a good article
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2002/toonen.htm
Robert
OP
OP
Guest
Cakepro said:
I've actually heard quite the opposite. That they are actually very hardy and can withstand rapid fluctuations in water parameters. I mean, look at tide pools for instance.
OP
OP
Guest
ShaneV said:
I take mine out of the tank ALL the time (Purple and orange linka, red and tiger serpent stars), they just slither on my hand and then i pop them back in and they get back to crawling around.
David, you're right about temp concerns. When the acclimation process is complete, I put the pitcher (I use a one-gallon pitcher for acclimating almost everything) in the sump to bring it up to temp for about 15 mins and then add the animals to the tank. The tank water cools off fairly rapidly to room temp (74 in my house) during acclimation, so it's necessary to float the pitcher for awhile.
Boosted, maybe you could do some searching on RC or Google for "acclimating invertebrates" to double-check what you're heard.
~ Sherri
Boosted, maybe you could do some searching on RC or Google for "acclimating invertebrates" to double-check what you're heard.
~ Sherri
OP
OP
Guest
Well I did what Beverly LPS said do, since I don't have any spare tubing, but that did sound like a good idea, so maybe later I pick some up.
And update, they all seemed to live, and are eating.
And they seem to clean good to.
And update, they all seemed to live, and are eating.
And they seem to clean good to.
OP
OP
Guest
I use a modified bucket dripmethod.
Same as Cake etc mentioned ~2 drips/sec, dump the water. I also keep an airstome bubbling in there, just to reduce any possible stress.
At the end however I scoop the little guys up in a small baggie which I float until temps equalize, then i open the baggie and let them flow out.
My thinking here is the water in the baggie should be fine If I did my acclimation drip long enough, it's better to keep them submerged at all times, and It's good to equalize temps as well as chemistry.
This procedure is probably too anal, but then I like my little rituals
FWIW I'm a newbie at this (not yet 1 year in SW) so any comments are appeciated.
Same as Cake etc mentioned ~2 drips/sec, dump the water. I also keep an airstome bubbling in there, just to reduce any possible stress.
At the end however I scoop the little guys up in a small baggie which I float until temps equalize, then i open the baggie and let them flow out.
My thinking here is the water in the baggie should be fine If I did my acclimation drip long enough, it's better to keep them submerged at all times, and It's good to equalize temps as well as chemistry.
This procedure is probably too anal, but then I like my little rituals
FWIW I'm a newbie at this (not yet 1 year in SW) so any comments are appeciated.
I usually float the baggie in the tank for 20-30 minutes with the lights off (not because they're bright. it heats up the bag). I change a little water, hold the bag for another 5 minutes or so, and then invert the bag and pull it straight out so the opening is the last part out of the water. I do this for everything (fish and inverts).
I don't use an airstone since a protein skimmer provides enough dissolved oxygen from the sump in my opinion, and there's enough dissolved oxygen and air in the bag to keep the livestock well for a long time. I mean, they're shipped long distances in plastic bags and usually come out alright at the store (aside from very sensitive livestock and any stress - I'm just talking about the oxygen levels here).
As for starfish being out of the water, I had a bahama star that would sometimes climb to the top of the tank and stick a tentacle out of the water. nothing bad ever happened, but bahama stars are pretty hardy. I have heard of not exposing SPONGES to air. Perhaps that's what someone was remembering?
By the way, I recently found out about MARSHreef.com and love the site.
I don't use an airstone since a protein skimmer provides enough dissolved oxygen from the sump in my opinion, and there's enough dissolved oxygen and air in the bag to keep the livestock well for a long time. I mean, they're shipped long distances in plastic bags and usually come out alright at the store (aside from very sensitive livestock and any stress - I'm just talking about the oxygen levels here).
As for starfish being out of the water, I had a bahama star that would sometimes climb to the top of the tank and stick a tentacle out of the water. nothing bad ever happened, but bahama stars are pretty hardy. I have heard of not exposing SPONGES to air. Perhaps that's what someone was remembering?
By the way, I recently found out about MARSHreef.com and love the site.
Welcome to the site, cparka!
If I understand you correctly, you basically add a little of your tank water to the store water and then put the entire contents of the bag in your tank? I would be deathly afraid of nuking my reef with copper by adding the water from the LFS to my tank. I know for a fact that Village Tropical (the last place I bought a fish) runs continuous low levels of copper in their fish-only system. I don't know about the other stores, though.
If I understand you correctly, you basically add a little of your tank water to the store water and then put the entire contents of the bag in your tank?
I would be deathly afraid of nuking my reef with copper by adding the water from the LFS to my tank. I know for a fact that Village Tropical (the last place I bought a fish) runs continuous low levels of copper in their fish-only system. I don't know about the other stores, though.