Acclimitising

[goldencomet]

When i acclimitise my fish i float them in the bag for twenty minutes and then put small amounts of
tank water in the bage for ten minutes until the bag is mostly tank water
Is this right?
I just wanted to make sure because i'm getting my queen arabesque today

 

[billpayers]

Generally keep them in the bag floating on top for 20-30 minutes, I wouldn't add the shop water to your tank. disease does travel so its best to net the fish out the bag

 

[Dagu]

Yeah that is the way it's supposed to be done Despite this i prefer to leave them floating for about 10 minutes then just let them float out, mixing the water. Even though it's probably the worst way to do it its least stressful for the fish and mine have always been perfectly fine with this!

 

[molitor75]

Touch wood, i've never lost a fish after buying them from the fish store and rarely suspend them in the bag in water, unless I can feel the temperature is significantly different.

I think 5 to 10 minutes is sufficient

 

[billpayers]

When Years ago I had my tank in my room maybe about 12 or so ... I just put a fish in with no acclimatising but that was of course without dad watching or I would of got a telling off ... lol.
Didn't effect the fish in anyway best not to though ...

 

[gadazobe]

If you buy your fish from a local shop that has the same type of water as you, then you can float them until the temp is approx the same and put the fish into your tank without shop water. If the shop is some way away and doesn't have the same type of water, then I find it best to slowly mix the shop water with your water and then let the fish out of the bag.

 

[TerraDreamer]

There is only one lfs here in Portland that I'd allow their tank water to mix with mine, as they're more than a lfs, they're also a breeder and world-wide distributor of cichlids and gouramis and they do know their water. If you live in Portland, Oregon, go to The Wet Spot. A really great place for healthy, disease-free fish of all kinds and helpful advice...they've helped me a lot. Their breeding facilities are a few blocks away from there. If your favorite species is cichlids, go there!

Otherwise if from some place like Petsmart, I float the bag for ten minutes, then allow it to fill with about 30% of my tank water, let it set for another 10, then net the fish out. I once tested the water from Petsmart and the results were fine, actually. Once I get my 55 gallon set up downstairs I'll be practicing the art of quarantining them in a 10 gallon for a week first. Probably overkill, but better safe than sorry I suppose.

 

[Tolak]

Before you float anything from any shop, wipe the outside with some nicely chlorinated tap water. You don't want the bag water in your tank because of unknown diseases, if the outside of the bag got their tank water on it you can tranfer disease from that.

Always quar new purchases, never add them directly to your main tank.