DOA Policy/ Fish Acclimation

AQUARIUM ARTS ONLY OFFERS LIVE ARRIVAL GUARANTEE.

CLAIMS WILL BE COMPENSATED IN THE FORM OF CREDIT ONLY, NO REFUNDS; SHIPPING COSTS ARE NOT COVERED IN THIS AND ARE FINAL. LEAVE ALL ANIMALS IN THE ORIGINAL CONDITION THEY ARRIVED. DO NOT REMOVE THEM FROM FRAG PLUGS, BAGS ETC. OR DISCARD THEM UNTIL WE APPROVE OF THE CLAIM. IF A FISH IS STRUGGLING BUT THE GILLS ARE STILL MOVING, RECORD A SHORT VIDEO TO SEND US AND FOLLOW OUR ACCLIMATION GUIDE IMMEDIATELY. 

*UPS delays due to weather or mechanical failure which result in loss may not be covered under our guarantee.

* For DOA Claims:

It is required that videos be submitted via email to sales@aquariumartsarizona.com within 2 hours of the posted delivery time.

If this does not occur, DOA claims will be denied. If you know that deliveries to your home are inconsistent, we highly recommend you have your order held at the nearest UPS access point. 

 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SALTWATER FISH ACCLIMATION:

Thank you so much for supporting our family business! It really means a lot to us! Let’s make sure you get these fish into your Aquarium safely!

 

Our Water: Our water contains Copper at all times, and we also have various medications mixed in at any given time. Furthermore, we also keep our salinity low around 1.018-1.019 S.G. All of these precautions help us to ensure we are delivering healthy fish to your door!

 

Steps to acclimate your fish (these same steps apply if introducing the fish to a quarantine system): *If you purchased a lot of fish, it is best to have multiple acclimation buckets, please contact us with any questions* We advise that you do not add any additional acclimation meds or products to the acclimation bucket. 

 

  • Float the fish in your aquarium or sump for 15 minutes. This will bring the fish to your aquarium temperature. If you have high output lighting (LED, T5, Halide etc.), you will want to either turn them off during acclimation or float the fish in the sump as the heat from the light can create a greenhouse effect in the bag. 
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  • Cut the fish out into a 5-gallon bucket with the water the fish came in. Please note that you SHOULD NOT mix our fish water with the water from any invertebrate or corals that you purchased due to the medication and copper in our water. 
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  • Begin a drip acclimation on the fish (here’s our method below).
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    1. Use an airline tube to create a siphon from your aquarium into the 5 gallon bucket. (Pro Tip: To secure the airline, you can thread it through your overflow teeth, or tie it off on a return line or filter pipe)

     

    1. At the end of your drip tube, tie a loose knot. For the rate of flow, you want the water stream out of the airline tube to be about 3-4 inches before the water begins to droplet. 

     

    1. Allow the drip acclimation to run for about 30 minutes to an hour. Be sure to monitor the process closely.

     

    1. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you bail water out of the acclimation bucket every 10-15 minutes. This will make it so that the water in the bucket actually begins to match that of your aquarium. (Pro Tip: Take the lid from the fish styrofoam box and cover the fish during the acclimation. This will help to decrease stimulation of the fish and reduce stress during acclimation)

     

    Final Step: After the full hour of acclimation, collect the fish out of the bucket and place it into the aquarium gently. Discard the acclimation water.  Refill your aquarium with new saltwater that was lost during the acclimation.