acclamation of saltwater fish, corals and inverts need to be done slowly. most are wild caught not tank raised and can stress more easily than freshwater species.
many people know they should acclimate their new specimens but don't really understand what they are acclimating for... Temp., salinity, and ph. are a few of the most important.
Temperature....
temp. in the transport bag will be quite different than in the tank which they will be placed variations of even 2 degrees can be shocking to a new fish so first the bag should be floated on the surface of the tank. this will help to adjust the temp. in the bag to the temp in the tank. 15 to 20 minutes will be a good start
Salinity, ph..
Variations in salt and ph levels can cause shock if changed abruptly so after you have floated your bag and adjusted the temp difference the next step will be salinity and ph. open the bag and add a small amount of the tank water into the bag then repeat this step at ten to 15 minutes intervals this will help to adjust the salt and ph levels in the bag with those in the tank.
Certain species require extra care during acclamation.. starfish and shrimps are especially sensitive to rapid changes in salinity
It is also recommended to turn lights off in the aquarium while acclamation is taking place. This is more calming for the fish and will help keep other tank mates from harassing the new member
Stress of a new fish is one of the leading causes of disease, a stressed fish will be less likely to eat and their resistance can diminish greatly in a short amount of time. leaving them open to parasite and bacterial infestation which may not compromise an otherwise healthy fish
Quarantine tanks
These are very useful but often times misunderstood. The purpose of a quarantine tank is to make sure the new fish is free of disease before adding to the main tank. Fish should remain in quarantine for a period of 2 weeks! NOT HOURS I have seen people place a fish in a quarantine tank for hours then added to the main tank then they wonder why the fish stressed and got sick or died! this moving twice in a short time is double the stress!!!
Most quarantine tanks are small and unstable because the fish load is not constant and the filter bed is not established well addition of a larger fish will shoot the ammonia and nitrites up quickly so water must be changed every day or 2 to keep it clean. Ph levels can drop rapidly!. The ideal quarantine tank would be about 30 gallons with good filtration and no substrate , PVC pipe or some other item to hide in, a low dose of copper or other treatment for parasites and bacterial or fungus infection. and the addition of an air stone to increase oxygen ( most meds reduce oxygen levels) a heater would be helpful to keep the temp correct. after a few weeks if all seems well then the new fish can be added to the main tank again with the same steps as above for acclimating a new fish . water tests should be done frequently on the holding tank. If disease does break out during quarantine meds should be increased to recommendations on label and water changes should be done every few days until the fish has improved and appears well.
Tip... always try to avoid adding water from the bag to your aquarium ! some shops keep medications in their display tank that you may not want added to your tank. even if their water is good ammonia levels can build up fast in a transport bag and are not good to add to your tank also with salt water adding the salt water in the bag if your water level is a little low can raise your salinity levels higher than you may want.
