Float Acclimation

The Float Method

Before you open the container in which your new animals have arrived in be sure to turn off the lights in your quarantine tank or aquarium and dim the lights in the room to reduce stress. Once you have the lights dimmed open the container to check that all of your new animals have arrived in good health and the bags are intact and will be able to hold up during the acclimation period. Also, make sure you wash the outside of the bag before you introduce it to the water in your aquarium. The float method is the most useful for acclimating most fish and invertebrates.

To begin acclimating float the bag or bags in the quarantine tank or aquarium for 20 – 25 minutes to allow the temperature to equilibrium. Remember it is very important NOT TO OPEN the bag during this first 20 – 25 minutes. Once the bag containing the new animals has been floating for at least 25 minutes carefully open the bag and roll the edges down an inch or two this will make the bag more stable and help to keep it afloat. If for any reason it will not evenly stay afloat clip the bag to one side of the tank with a clip or clothespin. Now begins the next step of acclimation, add a quarter cup of aquarium water to the shipping bag. Be sure the water from the bag does not spill into the tank. Now every 4 – 7 minutes add another quarter cup of the tank water to the bag, continue this process until the bag is full this should take about 30 – 45 minutes. Once the bag is full discard half of the water in the bag, roll the edges down again and begin the process of adding water to the bag again a quarter of a cup at a time every 4 – 7 minutes until the bag is full again this will take another 30 – 45 minutes. Once the bag is full again the second time it is time to remove the animals from the bag and place them into the tank or aquarium. If you are transferring a hardy fish or motile invertebrates, use a net to do so.

If you are transferring tangs or other sensitive animals, use a cup to capture them, be sure to pour as little of the water from the bag into the tank as possible. When transferring sessile invertebrates, such as corals or anemones you should probably use your hand. Just be sure to use clean, sterile and powder-free gloves, discard the remaining water in the bag.

IMPORTANT NOTE – Make sure that NONE of the water from the bags carrying your new specimen go into your main tank or quarantine tank. You do not want any of the chemicals or diseases/sicknesses that could have been in the tank the specimen came from transferred to your tank.

Acclimation is a huge part of getting new life to adapt to your tank. It determines if your already stressed fish, inverts, or coral will survive. Each animal that is introduced to your tank is very delicate and should be handled with extreme caution – you just spent hard earned money on this animal so make sure you follow the steps and protect the life of the animal and your investment. See The drip method for another commonly used and effective acclimation process

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124 Responses to “Float Acclimation”

1. Acclimation | Reef Chronicle says:

   March 24, 2010 at 2:06 pm

   [...] The float method [...]