Aquatic Life Acclimation Guide

Live fish, invertebrates, and corals must be acclimated immediately after arrival!
The acclimation process may take 15 minutes to 1 hour.

Important: Some fish and invertebrates may appear dead upon delivery but often recover if properly acclimated. Always perform the acclimation process, even if the new arrival looks lifeless.

Floating Method (for Fish)

The "floating bag method," where aquarium water is gradually added to the shipping bag floating in the tank, is one of the most reliable ways to acclimate most marine fish.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Prepare the environment
   • Fish and invertebrates just endured dark shipping. Dim the room lights before opening the box to reduce stress.
   • Wash your hands to remove lotion, perfume, or chemicals.
2. Initial preparation
   • Rinse the outside of the bag to avoid introducing contaminants.
   • Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for 15 minutes. Do not open it yet! Once opened, CO₂ will escape, pH will rise, and ammonia becomes toxic.
3. Begin water exchange
   • After 15 minutes, cut the bag below the knot/clip and roll down the top edge to form a "float." You may secure it with a clip.
   • Add ¼–½ cup of tank water (¼ for small bags, ½ for large).
   • Repeat every 4 minutes until the bag is full.
4. Continue the process
   • Discard half the water and repeat the additions.
5. Transfer the fish
   • Never net the fish — delicate fins can be damaged. Let it swim out or gently guide it by hand.
   • Avoid introducing shipping water into the tank. Tiny amounts are not dangerous, but avoid pouring it in.
   • Leave tank lights off for several hours after transfer to reduce stress and aggression.

Why Acclimation Matters

• Water parameters: Matching temperature, pH, and salinity prevents shock.
• Social adaptation: Fish meet tankmates safely through the bag, while becoming accustomed to flow and filter noise.

Reducing Aggression from Established Fish

• Feed lightly during introduction so established fish focus on food.
• Rearrange decorations to disrupt territories.
• Use a divider or acclimation box for especially aggressive species.

Coral Acclimation

The role of osmotic shock

The greatest stress for corals occurs when the internal water in their tissues suddenly differs from the external aquarium water. Differences in salinity, pH, ion balance, and temperature create an osmotic gradient. If corals are moved directly, water rushes in or out of their tissues, leading to:

• swelling or shrinking of polyps,
• micro-tears in tissue,
• heavy mucus production,
• "polyp bail-out" in sensitive SPS,
• higher risk of bacterial infections (e.g., brown jelly in LPS).

Why "dehydration" helps

A brief exposure to air reduces free water volume in the coral's polyps. The coral expels mucus and old water, then rehydrates with your system's water. This makes the osmotic transition far gentler.

Step-by-step coral acclimation:

1. Preparation
   • Hold corals by the base/skeleton — never by tissue.
   • Shake gently in bag water to remove debris.
2. Dehydration process
   • Remove coral and keep in the shade on a damp surface:
     • LPS/softies: small frags 3 min, large colonies 5–10 min.
     • SPS: frags 1–2 min, colonies 3–5 min.
3. Optional dip
   • Perform a quick dip if desired (follow product instructions).
   • Avoid iodine dips for SPS — they often cause color loss.
4. Final placement
   • Rinse coral in clean tank water, then place it in the aquarium.
   • Dim lights for a few hours and ensure moderate flow to aid recovery.

Precautions

• Do not overexpose — drying damages tissues.
• Avoid this method with weak or freshly fragged corals.
• Match the dip/rinse water temperature with the tank.
• Never expose sponges, clams, or some NPS gorgonians to air.

Invertebrate Acclimation

• Float bag 5 minutes, then use the floating method.
• Do not expose sponges, clams, scallops, or gorgonians to air.
• For transfer, submerge the bag completely and release the animal underwater.
• Maintain salinity 1.023–1.025 — deviations cause extreme stress.

Quarantine

We strongly recommend a 1–3 week quarantine before adding to the display tank.

Benefits:

• Fish adapt without competition for food or territory.
• Easier to medicate if needed.
• Time to match pH, salinity, and temperature gradually.

Conclusion

Even with multiple prophylactic treatments, parasites can still appear. Inspect and dip corals before placement.

Patience, careful handling, and following these steps are the keys to successful acclimation.