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Coral Acclimation Procedure
Coral acclimation like Saltwater fish acclimation takes time but will reduce your disappointment of watching the coral fade away and die we need to follow proper acclimation to reduce the likely hood of failure.
Handling Corals
Different corals will require different handling techniques for others. For instance, soft corals, polyps, and mushroom corals will normally arrive attached to a small rock, therefore nly handle them by this rock.
Hard corals with large fleshy polyps can be handled by their base, which is the hard exoskeleton. Other hard corals, including SPS corals, should be handled only by the base where it was fragmented, or by the plug or rock it is attached to. A pair of Aqua Gloves is highly recommended in handling all corals, and will reduce the possibility of irritating the coral when handling it.
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Acclimating New Corals to Your Lighting System
Among the many species of corals available to the hobbyist, there are many differences in where they grow in nature and the corresponding lighting conditions they need in order to survive. Corals are highly adaptive to different lighting conditions, but some are more sensitive to change than others. It takes time for a coral to acclimate to its new environment, and care must be taken to help the organism adjust. This is especially important with some of the very intense lighting systems, like metal halides and T-5 fluorescents.
Some corals, when not acclimated properly, can actually be “sunburned” by the artificial lighting, which opens the door to infection and possible demise. Place your new coral on the bottom of the aquarium in the substrate until the coral adjusts to the new lighting. A good sign that the coral has adjusted to the new system is when they appear fully expanded and display full coloration. Now the coral can be moved to the desired location. Continue to monitor the coral’s response to its new location, and if its coloration and expansion appear to decrease, relocate the coral to a lower position.
Proper Placement of Corals
When determining the final placement for your new coral, research its lighting and water flow requirements, and especially the coral’s aggression toward other inhabitants within the aquarium. With all of this in mind, and an open space within the rockwork that affords room for future growth, gently move the coral to its new position. Since the coral may get knocked over by snails, sea urchins or large hermit crabs, we recommend that you use a reef-safe underwater epoxy or Epoxy Putty.
Steps for Coral Acclimation are as follows:
- To help reduce the additioanl stress added to the corals we should turn off the saltwater aquarium lighting so that they can slowly acclimate to the lighting environment.
- Float the bag inside your saltwater aquarium, for approx 15minutes to allow both the bag water and the saltwater aquarium water to e the same.
- Cut open the bag and tie it against the side of the aquarium with a clothes clip or other device.
- Now add about 1/4 cup of tank water into the bag and wait 10mins.
- Repeat step 4 again.
- Now scoop about 1/2 cup of tank water and add to the bag and wait 10mins.
- Repeat step 7 again.
- You may find the coral is coated in slime, hold the rock that the corals attached and gently shake the coral in the bag to remove the slime. Never touch the fleshy part of the coral.
- Place the coral in the saltwater aquarium near the bottom (see above for more details) and keep the lighting off for the next 3 hours.
- Discard the bag water
- Over next two weeks gradually move the coral to the corrct position by slowly moving it up the aquarium nearer to the lighting.
Strange Behaviour of Acclimating Creature’s
“My fish is dying! he’s laying on bottom of the bag…”
Many fish will end up in this situation, so don’t worry it’s not dying, its just stressed! The fish is gill heavy and is a the bottom of the bag, take time to successfully fish acclimation so be patient.
The following are some common characteristics before, during and after acclimation:
Marine Fish: The fish may start to breathe rapidly during acclimation, this is common and species like the Angelfish, Triggerfish, & Tangs will lay on their side when in the bag or acclimating
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Wrasse: They may lay on their side when in plastic bag or in the acclimating container and may spin harmless cotton substance in bag and even “play dead”.
Shrimp: May act motionless for up half a minute or so when first introduced into tank, so move them around
Crabs: May act motionless when first introduced into the saltwater aquarium, move them around
Starfish: May stay motionless or not move for days at a time, pick up and inspect for signs of disintegration
Snails & Conchs: May not open or move for days at a time, pick up and see if it smells rancid.
Puffers: Generally like to lay on bottom of the aquarium.
Corals & Anemones: May take hours or days to fully open or inflate to their true form
Anemones: If shipped in little or no water within the plastic bag they will inflate and shrink, but disintegration is only indicator of death.
Hope these points will put aside any fears or worries you may have.
Further reading:
Learn the important elements to do a Safe acclimation procedure
For more information click on Acclimation Guide
Acclimating Fish the “Drip Line Method”
The pros, cons and instructions to the drip line method.
The Pros
- Once the processs for the drip line is set up it will take care of its self
- This method can be used for all types of marine as well as be used for freshwater fish
The Cons
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- This method can take a long time to complete, and may run into hours depending what size acclimation container you use.
- Setting up is a little more invloved comparied to the likes of the cup method
- If acclimating more than one fish you can either put them together but may risk them fighting before they even reach the saltwater aquarium or set up individual acclimation tanks.
- Moving too fast and allowing time to acclimation.
Acclimation Instructions
- Place the fish with the water from the bag into a bucket or suitable container.
- Place the bucket near the saltwater aquarium that they be added to when the acclimation is complete.
- Using plastic tubing and an air gang valve, set up and run a siphon drip line from the aquarium into the bucket.
- Start the siphon slowly and allow the tank water to drip into the bucket, using the air gang valve to control the drip rate.
- When the water added the the bucket is roughly 2 or 3 times the original water you can test the ph,salinity and aquarium temperature of the bucket to compare against the aquarium readings
- If the reading are equal then we can move the fish to the aquarium.
- Genty move the fish by hand or net to the aquarium.
Tips
- Add some ammonia buffer or destoyer to the bucket, as ammonia build up may still occur while the fish is kpt in the bucket.
Click here for fish acclimation methods or acclimation guide
Acclimating Fish the “Measuring Cup Method”
Here’s the simple instructions for the Measuring cup method
- Open up the bag that the fish was transported in, if the bag is fairly full discard about 50% off the saltwater.
- foldover or remove excess bag material
- Place the bag within the saltwater aquarium and secure it to the side of the tank by means of clothes peg or other item, ensure no aquarium water can enter the bag.
- Place an airstone within the bag to re-oxgyenate the water for several minutes.
- Add an ammonia buffer or destroyer in the water.
- Now add about 1/4 cup of tank water into the bag and wait 10mins.
- Repeat step 6 again.
- Now scoop about 1/2 cup of tank water and add to the bag and wait 10mins.
- Repeat step 8 again.
- If you want you can test the pH, salinity, and aquarium temperature of the bag water to see if these parameters match that of your tank water at this point to check if acclimation is complete. If not, or you are concerned, repeat the last step again.
- Now if you are comfortable you can either hand scoop or fish out the fish and place it within your saltwater aquarium
- Discard the bag water.
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Tips
- Holding the measuring cup slightly above the bag and pour in the water provides re-oxygenation throughout the acclimation process.
- Using a very soft mesh net to remove the fish from the bag to place it into the tank is ok, but not recommended.
Click here for fish acclimation methods or acclimation guide
Saltwater Fish Acclimation Methods
Saltwater fish acclimation takes time but will reduce your disappointment of watching them struggle and stress or just sink to the bottom of your tank.
Proper acclimation helps reduce the chances of stress. This will make a huge difference in the health and beauty of your new fish.
There are few things to remember and to follow when you’re adding new fish to your aquarium. Try your best to follow these saltwater fish acclimation recommendations/procedure for the benefit of your new fish.
Remember…
- Don’t rush! Be patient in the during the acclimation process. It will take at least 30-40 minutes.
- Keep the lights off for at least about four hours after the procedure.
- Try dimming the lights in the room where your saltwater aquarium is. Bright lights will cause harmful stress to the saltwater fish.
- If you see your fish is not moving or at the bottom of the plastic bag, try no to worry. Your new fish is most like be stressed out. Once proper saltwater fish acclimation is finished, it will take awhile before they swim normally around the aquarium.
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Decide on anyone of these methods on how you would want to properly acclimate your new saltwater fish addition to your saltwater aquarium.
Which ever one you decide to use, each one will help your new fish to adjust to the things that causes them stress: lack of oxygen, drastic temperature and pH level differences and ammonia build up in the bag.
Here’s a list of acclimating methods you may want to consider:
For more information click on Acclimation Guide
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