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Wet pets make the best Pets
I found this how to guide for Acclimating new fish/corals to your tank and I think it does a nice job explaining things... especially things you may think are your fish or corals dieing... It is from Saltwaterfish.com....
Well anyways here it is:
Acclimation
The most important step to success in keeping a saltwater aquarium is the acclimation of your new aquarium friends. Saltwaterfish.com highly recommends you follow our drip method procedure. With the proper acclimation you will find your new friends adjust much better and live a lot longer.
Saltwaterfish.com suggests you prepare the following items before your order arrives:
1. 8-10 Feet of clear vinyl airline tubing. (3/16 X 1/4 is a good size)
2. Scissors or knife
3. 2 Buckets (5 Gallons each)
Acclimation Instructions:
1. First, you will need Clear Vinyl Airline Tubing. This can be found in the plumbing department of Home Depot, Lowes, or a local hardware store. Find the size that is 3/16†X 1/4â€. 3/16 is the inside diameter and 1/4 is the outside diameter. If you need to ask, simply ask for Clear Vinyl Airline Tubing and you will find a number of different sizes in that section. You will need 8-10 feet of the 3/16 X 1/4, which will cost about $1. Yes, that’s all.
2. When your order arrives be sure your aquarium lights are off and that you open the box in a dimly lit area. Next, place all of the bags – or as many as will fit at one time – into your aquarium. Leave them floating without being opened for 20-25 minutes. This will allow the water temperature in the bag to become the same temperature as the water in your tank.
3. It is very important that you do not mix the water from the fish bags with the water from the invertebrate bags. They should not be acclimated together. It is very important you split the fish and invertebrates into 2 separate buckets and that the containers have never been used for cleaning floors, washing your car, etc. We suggest you use brand new buckets.
4. Now that your bags are floating, rinse off your Clear Vinyl Airline Tubing in fresh water to remove any dust, etc. The airline tubing will be used to move water from your tank down to the bucket in a slow dripping process. First, you will need to find a small rock of some sort in your tank and attach it to one end of the tubing with a rubber band. Once it has been attached, place the rock into your tank. The rock is used to help keep the tube submerged. Place the other end of the tube into the bucket on the floor. If you have excess tubing you may cut it away. Just be sure you have enough to easily reach from the tank to the bucket. You will then need to tie a knot in the tubing. This will allow you to slow down the rate of flow once the siphon is started. Tie the knot closer to the bucket side of the tubing. About a foot from the end will work well.
5. After 20 minutes have passed you can begin the process of cutting the fish out of the bags and into the bucket. If you only have a few items, or just to get started, you can tilt the bucket 45 degrees to one side. This will allow water to accumulate so the items will be completely submerged. Once you have cut a number of them into the bucket there will be enough water so you can lay the bucket flat again.
6. Use a scissors to cut a large opening toward the top of the bag. Be sure it is large enough for the fish to exit the bag. Pour both the fish and water from each bag into the bucket. Remember, only do the fish OR the invertebrates. Do not do them at the same time or in the same bucket. We suggest you start with the fish.
7. After you have cut them all into the bucket, to the novice it may appear that they are not doing well. This is totally natural. The fish are in shock and will be just fine. While you may not be used to receiving fish in this manner, these fish have traveled far to reach you and are very tough. There is nothing to be concerned about. If they are acclimated properly they will do well in your aquarium.
8. Once all of the fish OR invertebrates (whichever you have decided to do first) are in the bucket, place your mouth on the low end of the Clear Vinyl Tubing and suck on it until you see the water from inside the aquarium pass over the edge of the aquarium in the tubing. Obviously, remove your mouth before water reaches your end. The water should be moving from the aquarium down the tubing and into the bucket. At this time you will need to tighten the knot you made earlier until the water is literally dripping in a fast motion into the bucket.
9. The drip should be quick and steady, but it should not be a steady stream of water, or a slow drip, but somewhere in-between. 6-8 drips per second will work well. Your aquarium lights should be off. You will now need to allow the water to drip from your tank into the bucket for approximately two hours (be sure you have enough water in your sump, or continue to add water into your sump) or the acclimaton time suggested for each particular item on the Saltwaterfish.com website. You will need to keep an eye on the bucket from time to time to be sure the tubing doesn’t move outside of the bucket and start spilling on your floor, and that the water does not begin to overflow over the sides of the bucket once it starts filling up. This process is allowing the slow transfer of pH and salinity to take place. By doing so, your new inhabitants are being eased into their new surroundings. You will find this process will greatly increase your success.
10. While the dripping takes place you can also keep an eye on the fish or invertebrates, but do not push them, or move them around with your hand or objects. They are in shock and it takes time for them to acclimate. So, even if after the two hour period they are still lying on their side and breathing hard they are not dead or dying. Once the two hour time period has elapsed it will be time to place the items into your tank. Do so gently with a net. They may still need to recover in the tank and may float to the bottom of the tank continuing to breathe hard. Again, this is nothing to be alarmed about. If this occurs, simply leave them alone and as long as they aren’t harassed they should be fine and recover nicely. Once all items have been placed into the aquarium you should turn off all powerheads and continue with the lights off for three hours. Once that time has passed you can turn on your lights and powerheads again.
11. Saltwaterfish.com recommends you use this method every time you are acclimating items into your tank.
12. NOTE: Be sure your air conditioning or heat is not blowing directly onto the bucket. You want the temperature in the bucket to be the same as the temperature in your tank at the end of the 2 hours. Also, it is VERY important that the amount of water in the bucket quadruple over the 2 hour time frame. If the amount of water has not quadrupled after 2 hours of dripping you will have to wait until it has done so. To the contrary, if it appears too much water is going into the bucket and the amount of water will quadruple in less than 2 hours then you should slow the speed of the drip.
When acclimating items it is always a good idea to keep all items that are already in your tank at a distance. Fish can get confused and think you are feeding them when something is introduced into the tank. Allow the items to get settled in the tank and find a place to hide, etc. before allowing your other items to greet them.
The following items may display behavior you are not familiar with:
Fish: May breate rapidly during acclimation -- this is normal.
Angels, Triggers, & Tangs: Lay on their side when in the bag or acclimating
Wrasses: Lay on their side when in bag or acclimating; may spin harmless cottony substance in bag and "play dead".
Shrimp: May act motionless for up to 30 seconds when first introduced into tank, move them around
Sand Crabs: May act motionless when first introduced, move them around
Starfish: May stay motionless or not move for days at a time, pick up and inspect for signs of disintegration
Snails & Conchs: May not open or move for days at a time, pick up and see if it smells rancid
Puffers: Like to lay on bottom
Corals & Anemones: May take hours or days to fully open or inflate
Anemones: Shipped in little or no water, will inflate and shrink, disintegration is only indicator of death
Well anyways here it is:
Acclimation
The most important step to success in keeping a saltwater aquarium is the acclimation of your new aquarium friends. Saltwaterfish.com highly recommends you follow our drip method procedure. With the proper acclimation you will find your new friends adjust much better and live a lot longer.
Saltwaterfish.com suggests you prepare the following items before your order arrives:
1. 8-10 Feet of clear vinyl airline tubing. (3/16 X 1/4 is a good size)
2. Scissors or knife
3. 2 Buckets (5 Gallons each)
Acclimation Instructions:
1. First, you will need Clear Vinyl Airline Tubing. This can be found in the plumbing department of Home Depot, Lowes, or a local hardware store. Find the size that is 3/16†X 1/4â€. 3/16 is the inside diameter and 1/4 is the outside diameter. If you need to ask, simply ask for Clear Vinyl Airline Tubing and you will find a number of different sizes in that section. You will need 8-10 feet of the 3/16 X 1/4, which will cost about $1. Yes, that’s all.
2. When your order arrives be sure your aquarium lights are off and that you open the box in a dimly lit area. Next, place all of the bags – or as many as will fit at one time – into your aquarium. Leave them floating without being opened for 20-25 minutes. This will allow the water temperature in the bag to become the same temperature as the water in your tank.
3. It is very important that you do not mix the water from the fish bags with the water from the invertebrate bags. They should not be acclimated together. It is very important you split the fish and invertebrates into 2 separate buckets and that the containers have never been used for cleaning floors, washing your car, etc. We suggest you use brand new buckets.
4. Now that your bags are floating, rinse off your Clear Vinyl Airline Tubing in fresh water to remove any dust, etc. The airline tubing will be used to move water from your tank down to the bucket in a slow dripping process. First, you will need to find a small rock of some sort in your tank and attach it to one end of the tubing with a rubber band. Once it has been attached, place the rock into your tank. The rock is used to help keep the tube submerged. Place the other end of the tube into the bucket on the floor. If you have excess tubing you may cut it away. Just be sure you have enough to easily reach from the tank to the bucket. You will then need to tie a knot in the tubing. This will allow you to slow down the rate of flow once the siphon is started. Tie the knot closer to the bucket side of the tubing. About a foot from the end will work well.
5. After 20 minutes have passed you can begin the process of cutting the fish out of the bags and into the bucket. If you only have a few items, or just to get started, you can tilt the bucket 45 degrees to one side. This will allow water to accumulate so the items will be completely submerged. Once you have cut a number of them into the bucket there will be enough water so you can lay the bucket flat again.
6. Use a scissors to cut a large opening toward the top of the bag. Be sure it is large enough for the fish to exit the bag. Pour both the fish and water from each bag into the bucket. Remember, only do the fish OR the invertebrates. Do not do them at the same time or in the same bucket. We suggest you start with the fish.
7. After you have cut them all into the bucket, to the novice it may appear that they are not doing well. This is totally natural. The fish are in shock and will be just fine. While you may not be used to receiving fish in this manner, these fish have traveled far to reach you and are very tough. There is nothing to be concerned about. If they are acclimated properly they will do well in your aquarium.
8. Once all of the fish OR invertebrates (whichever you have decided to do first) are in the bucket, place your mouth on the low end of the Clear Vinyl Tubing and suck on it until you see the water from inside the aquarium pass over the edge of the aquarium in the tubing. Obviously, remove your mouth before water reaches your end. The water should be moving from the aquarium down the tubing and into the bucket. At this time you will need to tighten the knot you made earlier until the water is literally dripping in a fast motion into the bucket.
9. The drip should be quick and steady, but it should not be a steady stream of water, or a slow drip, but somewhere in-between. 6-8 drips per second will work well. Your aquarium lights should be off. You will now need to allow the water to drip from your tank into the bucket for approximately two hours (be sure you have enough water in your sump, or continue to add water into your sump) or the acclimaton time suggested for each particular item on the Saltwaterfish.com website. You will need to keep an eye on the bucket from time to time to be sure the tubing doesn’t move outside of the bucket and start spilling on your floor, and that the water does not begin to overflow over the sides of the bucket once it starts filling up. This process is allowing the slow transfer of pH and salinity to take place. By doing so, your new inhabitants are being eased into their new surroundings. You will find this process will greatly increase your success.
10. While the dripping takes place you can also keep an eye on the fish or invertebrates, but do not push them, or move them around with your hand or objects. They are in shock and it takes time for them to acclimate. So, even if after the two hour period they are still lying on their side and breathing hard they are not dead or dying. Once the two hour time period has elapsed it will be time to place the items into your tank. Do so gently with a net. They may still need to recover in the tank and may float to the bottom of the tank continuing to breathe hard. Again, this is nothing to be alarmed about. If this occurs, simply leave them alone and as long as they aren’t harassed they should be fine and recover nicely. Once all items have been placed into the aquarium you should turn off all powerheads and continue with the lights off for three hours. Once that time has passed you can turn on your lights and powerheads again.
11. Saltwaterfish.com recommends you use this method every time you are acclimating items into your tank.
12. NOTE: Be sure your air conditioning or heat is not blowing directly onto the bucket. You want the temperature in the bucket to be the same as the temperature in your tank at the end of the 2 hours. Also, it is VERY important that the amount of water in the bucket quadruple over the 2 hour time frame. If the amount of water has not quadrupled after 2 hours of dripping you will have to wait until it has done so. To the contrary, if it appears too much water is going into the bucket and the amount of water will quadruple in less than 2 hours then you should slow the speed of the drip.
When acclimating items it is always a good idea to keep all items that are already in your tank at a distance. Fish can get confused and think you are feeding them when something is introduced into the tank. Allow the items to get settled in the tank and find a place to hide, etc. before allowing your other items to greet them.
The following items may display behavior you are not familiar with:
Fish: May breate rapidly during acclimation -- this is normal.
Angels, Triggers, & Tangs: Lay on their side when in the bag or acclimating
Wrasses: Lay on their side when in bag or acclimating; may spin harmless cottony substance in bag and "play dead".
Shrimp: May act motionless for up to 30 seconds when first introduced into tank, move them around
Sand Crabs: May act motionless when first introduced, move them around
Starfish: May stay motionless or not move for days at a time, pick up and inspect for signs of disintegration
Snails & Conchs: May not open or move for days at a time, pick up and see if it smells rancid
Puffers: Like to lay on bottom
Corals & Anemones: May take hours or days to fully open or inflate
Anemones: Shipped in little or no water, will inflate and shrink, disintegration is only indicator of death
