How long to drip acclimate

Common Problems with Tank Filters. Having adequate filtration is the key to maintaining a healthy freshwater aquarium. Using Carbon in a Freshwater Aquarium. Learn about the differing points of view and guidelines on using carbon in your aquarium. Learn about the different types of filters for your freshwater aquarium.

Sponge filters are a great option for hospital and fry tanks but they can also be used as a source of supplemental filtration for community tanks.

Overview of Filter Media Types. Proper filtration is the key to keeping your freshwater aquarium healthy. How to Culture Infusoria for Baby Fish. The type of food you choose to feed your aquarium fish will have a major impact on their health. If plan to keep bottom feeders or algae eaters in your tank you may need to supplement their diet with algae wafers.

The food you feed your freshwater fish will determine their health and vitality. The Nutritional Needs of Freshwater Fish. The key to keeping your aquarium fish healthy is to offer them a well-balanced diet that meets their nutritional needs. How to Interpret Fish Food Labels. If you want to select a high-quality commercial food for your aquarium fish you should understand how to interpret a fish food label. Cichlids are one of the largest families of freshwater fishes and they are prone to developing several aquarium fish diseases.

When cultivating an aquarium, you are likely to run into a variety of freshwater aquarium fish diseases and conditions including dropsy. Behavioral Changes and Problems in Aquarium Fish. Unexpected behavioral changes are often a symptom of disease in aquarium fish.

Improving Color in Aquarium Fish. The best part of keeping a freshwater aquarium is watching your tank inhabitants thrive and grow. Betta fish are some of the most colorful and vibrant freshwater aquarium fish around. No matter how careful you are, your fish are likely to get sick at some point during your time as an aquarium hobbyist. Addressing the Shimmies in Live Bearers. Dealing with aquarium fish disease is a fact of life in the aquarium hobby.

Common Freshwater Tropical Fish Diseases. Your tank filter is perhaps the most important piece of equipment you have, so be sure to keep it clean as part of your routine maintenance schedule. Properly Maintaining the pH in a Freshwater Aquarium.

Learn how about pH and how to properly maintain it in a freshwater aquarium. What to do About Aquarium Snail Infestations. Though they may look harmless, one aquarium snail can quickly turn into dozens or even hundreds.

Cleaning Algae off Tank Glass Properly. How to Fix Cloudy Tank Water. Preparing an Aquarium for Your Vacation. Water Testing in Your Freshwater Aquarium. Choosing and Conditioning the Water in Your Aquarium. Learn about how to properly choose and condition the water you use in your freshwater aquarium. There may come a time during your career as an aquarium hobbyist that you need to divide your tank.

The Process of Cycling a Fish Tank. Controlling Algae Growth. During the summer months, it may become more of a challenge to keep your aquarium temperature stable. Freshwater Fishless Cycling. Learn about new methods for cycling your freshwater aquarium without fish. Using a Gravel Vacuum in the Home Aquarium. Cleaning your tank is one of the most important parts of home aquarium maintenance.

Fish Tank Maintenance and Cleaning. In order to keep your tank clean and healthy for your fish, you will need to perform some basic daily and weekly maintenance tasks. Aquarium Water Test Kits. The key to keeping your aquarium fish happy and healthy is to maintain high water quality. Keeping the temperature in your tank is extremely important for the health of your fish but it can be a challenge during the hot summer months. Adding wood and rocks to your aquarium can enhance its appearance and make it a better environment for your fish -- learn how in this article.

Choosing a Freshwater Aquarium Substrate. Learn about the factors you should consider when choosing a substrate for your freshwater aquarium. One of the most attractive ways you can decorate an aquarium involves a combination of driftwood and live plants.

Selecting a Background for your Freshwater Tank. The way you decorate your tank makes a big difference in its appearance. Aquarium Decorations. Algae Eaters for Freshwater Tanks. Cichlids are some of the most beautiful fish in the world, but they can also be the most aggressive. The Ideal Tank Setup for Oscars. Oscars are a type of cichlid and they are a very amusing species of freshwater fish to keep in the home aquarium. The Top 5 Shrimp for the Freshwater Aquarium. Freshwater shrimp make an excellent addition to your cleanup crew - keep reading to learn more about the top 5 species!

Compatible Tank Mates for Freshwater Angels. The process has been around for — well, forever. If you want, feel free to drop straight to the link regarding this heated debate. After all, an informed aquarist is an accomplished aquarist. Before this stunning debate came to light, I published an article about a small piece of equipment I use to make it easier to drip acclimate your new arrivals.

Pats on the back, applause for the assistance, and job well done; I felt accomplished with my work. So imagine my surprise when a loyal and helpful reader sent me a link to a thread on Reef Central suggesting that drip acclimation did more harm than good, in some cases.

I read through the thread and started to wonder: Should we drip acclimate our fish or not? Is this topic still up for debate? Did Shakespeare worry about this when he wrote Hamlet? And that led to my inspiration for this article:.

Because I want to make sure I present the most concise, current, and helpful information for you. Not to mention, I need to do the best for my fish. The person who originated the thread on Reef Center not Billy Shakespeare. And, instead of performing a drip acclimate method, the poster recommended you float new fish in the tank for a short period to match temperature and then scoop them out of the bag and place them immediately into quarantine.

No special equipment or long investments of time are required; all you need to do is perform the same basic steps you would in a freshwater tank. Let me start weeding through the ins and outs of this debate by sharing my personal experience with the drip acclimate method.

I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia, which means I eat a lot of cheesesteaks. I head to the store and pick up my arrivals, then chauffeur them back home. And that can make a HUGE difference when you look at the water quality within a transport bag. This makes drip acclimation a reasonable process. My well-informed friend from Reef Central forwarded me a link to another article with supporting information explaining their perspective.

You can also use a drip acclimation kit which is very easy to use and affordable. Dipping your corals is important to prevent pests from entering your aquarium. Depending on the coral dip that you use the instructions could be different so ensure that you follow the directions properly. Dipping your corals into a pest control solution does not guarantee that you eliminate all hitchhikers from entering your tank but it is very beneficial and highly recommended.

After the acclimation process is complete, you can add the corals into the tank. Allow them to get used to your lights slowly over a few days and monitor how they are reacting. If you use a quarantine system, you can add the coral into that tank for a period of time then follow the steps to transfer them into the main tank. Corals can be very stressed during shipping and you may think they are dead on arrival. For small salinity differences around 0. Discard half of the water then continue to drip acclimate for another half an hour.

After that, you are ready to net the fish and put it in to your aquarium. For larger salinity differences, use a slower drip rate and repeat the process above times before netting the fish and adding it into your aquarium.

In extreme, and unusual, cases where the fish was in hyposalinity at the store 1. The acclimation tank will need to have the same pH and salinity level as the water in the bag. Float the bag for 15 minutes then drip acclimate for minutes to an hour before adding the fish to the acclimation tank. Just before the fish is added to the aquarium, turn off your aquarium lights and do not turn them back on or feed the aquarium until the next day.

By following these steps, you will give your newly-acquired fish a much better chance at becoming a happy and healthy permanent resident. This gives the bully or at the top of the tank in seniority time to chill. When released the newbie will blend in better with the homies! This is the last step of acclimation to your tank. Home New fish from the store always getting sick?