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The Slow Drip Method

The Pros
  • The Slow Drip enables you to spread changes of Ph, Temperature and Salinity over time which allows your new animal to gently make its adjustment to the conditions in your aquarium. 
  • It's easy to perform and works with both fresh and saltwater.

 The Cons

  • This method can take up to 4hrs in some cases depending on the fish being acclimated(Stingray or Shark). Setting up is a little more involved than the bag method or float method.
  • If you have more than one fish to acclimate most likely multiple "drips" must be established as fish compatibility and space come into play.
  • Patience is needed for proper acclimation.
Acclimation Instructions
  1. Separate fish, inverts and corals into their own groups. Do not acclimate any of these 3 groups together (same body of water) because they likely do not share the same water parameters. Float as many bags as will comfortably fit in your aquarium for 15-20 min.  This will bring the temperature of the water in the bag to what the tank is. Do not open bags.
  2. Put the fish with all the bag water in a bucket or container of sufficient size( The Styrofoam box used to ship the fish to you makes a great sterile acclimation container) for the fish to be reasonably covered with the water. Set the container on the floor next to the aquarium you will be placing the fish into when done.(It would also be a good idea to cover the top with something so that fish don’t jump out.)
  3. Using some plastic air line tubing and an air gang valve, set up and run a siphon drip line from the aquarium you will be placing the fish into, to the bucket. If you don't have a gang valve you can tie two loose knots somewhere in the middle of the tubing.  This will control the amount of flow by tightening/loosening..
  4. Begin a siphon by sucking on the end you will be placing into one of the containers.  Start by having the knots tighter, then loosen to achieve desired flow (2-4 drops per second) or 15 drops per minute with the gang valve.  You want the water volume in the container to double in 30-60 minutes. It is better to fill slowly than to fill too fastOnce the water dripped into the bucket equals about two to three times the volume of the bag water you started with test the pH, salinity and temperature of the bag and compare to your aquarium water. If it doesn't empty out half of the container water and repeat process.
  5. Once water parameters match acclimation is complete. Gently remove the fish and place it into the same tank the dripped in water came from.
  • Tools Needed
  • Drip Line / Gang Valve
  • Stress Coat, Amquel or Prime
  • Sterile Container
  • Additional saltwater

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