snails and cleaner shrimp arrive today

[pinkorchid]

Okay...
I'll be picking a mix of snails and a skunk cleaner shrimp up from the bus station this afternoon. They're coming from an area that's about 1.5hrs from me. I'm "guessing" they'll be bagged up for 2-3hrs.

My plan is to acclimate using the drip method. This will be the first time doing this so I've been reading and making notes. Is there a better way or is this a good choice?

I've read that certain inverts can't be exposed to air. Will I have to be super careful with these ones? I've only ever netted things to get them in the tank so this is new to me.

Wish me luck! Any tips would be great :)
Thanks.

[Bergy]

well, you can use your hands instead of a net for the snails... and i would suggest using your hand for the shrimp too, as sometimes they get stuck in a net, or you can drain 90% of the water, and dump the leftover water and the shrimp into your tank, AFTER the acclimation...


As for drip, the concept is to slowly add your tank water to the bag water to dilute the water and get it as close to your tank water as possible...

I use a bucket or rubbermaid container, depending on size of specimen...

and i just slowly add about 1/4cup of water to the container every 15 minutes... dont get distracted...

I do this until the water volume is more then double the original bag water...

should take about an hour...



good luck and let us know how things work out for ya


bill

[cruzincaril]

yeh thats what i do..i put the bags in the tank to get to same temp about half hour..then start adding like a quarter cup or so every five  mins..when the bags are full i dump out into a bucket leaving enuf in the bag of course..then repeat this about three times or so then put livestock in tank..never had a prob this way and dont have to handle anything til time to go into tank..i use a net..

[Learner]

Hurrah!!! so excited for you  ;D

I use the drip acclimation method too.

This is probably wrong on a lot of levels, but if I'm unsure about handling or netting...
Once the bag is  acclimated, I pour the contents very slowly into the tank.


This would be okay for the shrimp, but you may be better to place the snails, so they don't upend on entry. :o

Good luck, look forward to hearing all about it.

[Bergy]

if you have corals in your tank, it could be VERY wrong to pour bag water into your tank...

When in doubt contact the shipper to find out..

Fish are sometimes shipped in copper treated water...

If you add copper to your tank it will kill off the inverts and corals...depending on the concentration and quantity, it coule be fatal quickly or slowly over time... which could make you wonder about why...

some critters need to stay submerged... typically sponges, and clams...  which I will hold the bag under the water and then pull out the specimen under the water, then remove the bag, then place the specimen somewhere..

[Learner]

if you have corals in your tank, it could be VERY wrong to pour bag water into your tank...

When in doubt contact the shipper to find out..

Fish are sometimes shipped in copper treated water...

If you add copper to your tank it will kill off the inverts and corals...depending on the concentration and quantity, it coule be fatal quickly or slowly over time... which could make you wonder about why...

some critters need to stay submerged... typically sponges, and clams...  which I will hold the bag under the water and then pull out the specimen under the water, then remove the bag, then place the specimen somewhere..

Whoops, mis-worded my post there, sorry.

I don't pour the bag water into my tank, I ensure I have completely changed the water, so the newbies are in my tank water.

When I 'pour' the contents, i submerge the bag, then let out the fish etc.,

Note to self: read post before submission!!! :-[

[pinkorchid]

Thanks everyone!
I "think" I'm prepared....

Bill - that's the method I used with my clowns and crabs. I'd much rather do that instead of using tubing with the drip. Main reason being my two "helpers" would probably be tempted to pull on the tubing  since it would be within their reach ::) The baby (20mths) doesn't really get the "don't touch" concept....LOL. So adding 1/4 cup every 15 is slow enough for inverts! Good to know. Thanks.
 

Am I the only one that gets anxious when adding something new???  :D 

Thanks again!

[Just_Greg]

depending on how long the specimen has been in the bag dictates how i acclimate.  if it has been shipped, i just match temp and add the critter to the QT.  the reason is this:  

you have a small bag that the fish has been in for a couple of days.  altho most shippers usually fast the fish for a few days prior to shipment (ever wonder why there's rarely any feces in the bag?), there is still some NH3 in the bag water, which also results in a low pH.  the NH3 in the bag is relatively non-toxic at lower pH values, however, once the bag is opened, the sudden rise in pH causes the NH3 in the bag to become more toxic.

so, for reasonably short durations in a sealed bag, drip or dip acclimation is fine, however, if the bag has been sealed for more than few hours, i don't recommend leaving the specimen in the bag once it's opened.

also, as Bill mentioned, never, Never, NEVER add nasty bag water to your DT or QT.  i usually transfer anything that can't harm me by hand.  even clams are OK to remove from the water, but NOT sponges.

[Bergy]

the pH issue is a good thing to understand...

Also, i dont know of any wholesaler that acclimates anything....  They open bags/boxes and dump everything into a holding tank...

(they float the bags to acclimate temperature)

but thats it...

it's funny how we will take hours to acclimate but they wont take 5 minutes

[Learner]

Am I the only one that gets anxious when adding something new???  :D 

You are not alone  Amy,  I am always anxious too. ;)

[Bergy]

i get anxious too.. although most of my acquisitions are now few and further between...

But yea, i recall getting my first of everything, and being worried, concerned, scared, excited...

[pinkorchid]

I'm thinking it'll be pushing 3hrs in the bag for these guys.....
hmmm...

What to do...

I tested everything earlier...all was perfect. This is the first time I've had something shipped, for the others it's been bagged and in my door within 20mins or so.

[cruzincaril]

i was always told livestock is good in the bag a couple days..from foster/smith its coming from either wisconsin or calif..ive never had a prob..and as far as acclim in the bag like i said i just net them out really quick...rite on the brim of the tank water so they not really getting much air..i must have done something rite cuz they always lived...

[Bergy]

this is a discussion for geeks...

there is evidence that what greg states is accurate...

Basically, there is a potential for a shock in ph, by just opening/oxygenating the bag water... as soon as o2 hits that water, if the water is rich enough in ammonia, that the pH can spike...

but, is the spike bad... depends on the concentration of ammonia and the amount o2 

the more ammonia the more O2, the bigger the shock..

basically when you buy $20 fish, it isnt as important as when you are dealing with a $100+ fish...

there can also be a discussion about how stress makes things stronger and more resilient... so, if there is a bit of a pH shock/stress, will it be fatal...

so, again, this discussion, like discusions about whether 1 glass of wine is good for you is just discussion that can be argued different ways to suit the goal...

[pinkorchid]

Well all arrived safely they are floating in the tank as I type  ;D

It's interesting to hear all sides of discussion!
I appreciate everyones input...