Freshwater Fish Acclimation Guide
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: The water chemistry of the water the fish are shipped in should be very close to the range indicated in the description of the fish you purchased. We keep most of our fish in soft water. You may notice that there is a green tint to the water of the fish that has arrived. This is a general antibiotic that we use on all of our fish upon arrival. We medicate all fish upon arrival for a minimum of 7 days, sometimes we extend that period longer if necessary. Rest assured, we only ship fish we are confident will arrive in good condition. Even though we take this precaution, we cannot guarantee that the fish are 100% disease free. We recommend you quarantine your fish if that is something you normally do. If fish look funny upon arrival contact us immediately with pictures and videos and begin acclimation immediately. Do not discard dead fish without making contact with us.
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 15-30 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.
-
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.
-
Begin a drip acclimation on the fish (here’s our method below).
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)
2. 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.
3. Allow the drip acclimation to run for about 30 minutes to an hour. Be sure to monitor the process closely.
4. 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)