How do I acclimatize new fish to my tank?

Answer 1

If you have hardy fish, just let the bag float in the water of your tank so the water temperature in the bag can match. After about 15-20 minutes, you can open the bag, remove the fish with a net and put the fish in your tnak. You don't want to let the water from the bag go into the tank, in case the water has parasites or whatever.

If you have more delicate fish, you may need to do mroe work. pH, general hardness, nitrates etc can differ, and delicate fishes may need to be acclimated to these, as well. Put the bag in the tank and float it for 10 minutes. Open it, and put in some water for the tank, and close it. Repeat every 5-10 minutes until there is as much tank water in the bag as there is bag water. Then remove fish with net and dump bag water down the sink.

Do you have a quarantine tank? If you have room, they can be very helpful. Once your tank is established and all the fish are healthy, the last thing you want to do is infect your fish with some new disease. Placing the new fish in a (cycled) quarantine tank for a few weeks can ensure that you can monitor and treat any diseases or parasites before you put them in your main tank with your healthy fish. I learned the hard way when I put 6 tetras with Ich into my 100gallon angelfish tank X( luckily none of my fish were infected but it was a pain to catch the fish (which died) and treat the whole tank with salt.

Answer 2

Set the bag in the tank for about five minutes. Then net the fish (if you can) and drop it in the tank. If you cannot net the fish, set the net atop a bucket, and dump the bag into the net. The fish will usually end up in the net, and you can dump it in the tank. If the fish is a ****** fish, it will be stuck to the bag still. Turn the bag inside out, and hang the dangling fish in the tank from the bag. It will usually dart off into the deepest recess of the tank.

I prefer to "acclimatize" my fish during the busiest days possible, when the most people are running around the house. That way they aren't so freaked out the rest of the time.

Answer 3

Once you get the fish home you should set the bag in your tank, allowing the temperature to equalize. After about a half an hour or so, add a 1/4 cup of tank water to the bag. Repeat this process once every 15 minutes for an hour, removing any water if the bag gets too full. Any water you remove from the bag should be disposed of. It will most likely contain parasites and other bad things.

After you have the fish acclimated to your tank's water chemistry, there are a couple of things you can do. You can place the fish directly into the main tank and hope for the best, or you could place the fish into a quarantine tank. In either case, quickly net the fish from the bag to the tank so that no store water gets transferred to the tank.

The best scenario is to place the fish in quarantine. Keep the fish in the quarantine tank for 2 weeks and watch for signs of disease. If the fish gets sick, you can medicate the quarantine tank without affecting the chemistry of the main tank's. If you are going to quarantine the fish, you should acclimate the fish to the quarantine tank's chemistry, not the main tank.

While a quarantine tank is a good idea, it is most likely that you do not have such a luxury (for now, at least... :). In this case, be extra careful to select healthy fish at the store, and carefully monitor your new arrivals for the first few weeks in your tank for signs of stress and disease. You always risk infecting the other fish in your tank when skipping quarantine.

Answer 4

Float the bag in the tank for 20 minutes or so. Then open the bag and "roll" down the top edge of the bag and let it float open in the tank. No every 10 minutes add some tank water into the bag with the fish.

After 30 minutes you should remove the fish from the bag and place it into the tank. Do not add the water from the bag into the tank as you can transfer parasites into your tank.

Dump the water from the bag down the drain.

Answer 5

Letting the bag float only gets the fish used to the temp but they also need to get used to the ph and other water parameters. Let the bag float and every 15 minutes or so add some of the tank water into the bag, after about an hour of doing this then remove the fish from the bag and put in the tank with as little bag water as possible.

Answer 6

Roll the top of the bag down to form a collar this will let it float upright,let float for 10-15 min.Dip or pour out 1/3 water.(do not pour it into the tank! throw it out)replace this same amount with water from the tank ,repeat 2 more times( a squirt of Stress Coat in the bag will help calm your new arival) then put a little food in for the other fish and release your new fish.The food keeps the other fish occupied and gives the new one time to get used to his new home.Never add water from a store to your tank it may carry some disease.
LeRoy

Answer 7

Make sure you get the Chlorine out of the water.

I would add meds to prevent any disease since I'm assuming this will be new fish added.

Add Stress coat.

Only add a few fish at a time. Adding to many can cause your water perimeters to get to high or to low.

Wait a few days then add more.

When adding the fish let the bag they come in rest in the new aquarium for 15 to 30 mins to let their body's adjust to the new water.

Real plants are better over fake because they help keep water within the right perimeters and some fish will nibble off of them.

Make sure you have a heater and filter. Research each fish to determine where your heat level should be...as well as PH ect.

Good luck!

Answer 8

Keep them in the bags they came in and submerge the whole bag in the tank -the temperature will change gradually this way. After a few minutes you can release them into the tank.

Answer 9

two options here...read a fricken book about the fish or dump the fish in and let it figure it out for itself...why are all u ppl NOOBS!

Answer 10

make sure ur tank is clean put the fish by first putting her in a plastic bag nd then shift her to the tank