Acclimating New Fish

 

We recommend that all new animals are properly acclimated as soon as possible to reduce stress and increase survivability when moving into a quarantine tank or aquarium.

Animals sold through BRS are captive-bred in bio-controlled systems with standard aquarium water parameters. All animals are shipped within the continental US and have been in transit for less than 24 hours. The following acclimation guidelines may differ from those for internationally shipped livestock or animals from other sources, such as your local fish store.

DOWNLOAD FISH ACCLIMATION GUIDE .PDF

 

Temperature Acclimation

Acclimation Step #1

1. Turn Off The Lights & ATO

Turn off aquarium lights to reduce stress on the animal. If you have an Auto Top Off (ATO), switch this off before starting the acclimation process.

Acclimation Step #2

2. Float The Bag

Float the sealed bag containing your animal in the aquarium for 15-20 minutes. This allows the temperature in the bag to equalize with the tank. Proceed to Step #3a ADD FISH next. If your aquarium's parameters are non-standard, your animal is known to be sensitive, or it looks stressed, you may proceed to Step #3b and follow the parameter acclimation process instead. 

Acclimation Step #3

3A. Add Fish

Once temperature acclimation is complete, use a net to gently transfer the animal from the bag to the aquarium. Discard the water from the bag. Do not dump shipping water into your aquarium.

You're all set! It's normal for a new fish to not eat right away when settling into a new environment. Observe your new pet closely for the first 48 hours.

 

Parameter Acclimation

This optional parameter acclimation technique is only recommended if the fish looks stressed upon arrival, if it is a sensitive species, or if your water parameters are non-standard. This gradual acclimation process accounts for water temperature and slowly introduces the fish to your aquarium's water chemistry.  

Acclimation Step #3B

3b. Open Bag, Add Fish To Container

After floating the sealed bag in your aquarium to equalize the water temperature, carefully open the bag and transfer the animal and its water into a clean bucket or container.

Acclimation Step #4

4. Acclimate Using Tank Water

Add a 1/4 cup of tank water to the bucket or container every 5 minutes for 40 minutes. For extra sensitive species including shrimp, consider using a drip acclimator. 

Acclimation Step #5

5. Transfer Fish To Aquarium

Once the acclimation process is complete, use a net to gently transfer the animal from the bucket to the aquarium. Discard the water from the bucket. Do not dump shipping water into your aquarium.

Acclimation Step #6

6. Refill the Aquarium With Water

You will likely need to add more fresh dechlorinated water to your aquarium after completing this process due to the water that has been removed through the acclimation process.