Acclimation/Receiving New Fish

What is Acclimation Process?

Acclimation is the process of introducing a fish to new water conditions without causing shock. The purpose of acclimation is to allow the fish to adjust to changes in pH, temperature, salinity, oxygen content, nutrient levels, sounds, and lighting.

 

Steps to Acclimate your fish:

1. Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for 15-25 minutes. You should not be opening the bag at this step. This will allow the water to adjust slowly to the temperature of the tank.

2. Open the bag (DO NOT release water inside the shipping bag directly into your tank water) after floating, check the temperature of the water inside the bag and your tank’s water. Make sure the temperature between the water in the bag and aquarium are similar.

3. Once you’ve reached the same water temperature, using clean hands, place your goldfish into your quarantine tank.

IMPORTANT: After removing the fish, dispose the bag AND water. DO NOT release bagged water into your aquarium.

4. Your fish will likely be stressed from the shipping. This is normal, but the fish generally recover easily and quickly. As part of the stress response, some fish will generate extra “slime-coat” and the eyes might even look a bit foggy. We don’t recommend any particular treatments arrival as the fish have been fully treated during quarantine and healthy when shipped. We do however recommend adding aquarium salt to the tank to 0.15% -0.2% and increasing the air during the first 72 hours as this will greatly assist in the acclimation process. The fish are generally lethargic and might sit on the bottom or hide for the first few hours or even days.

5. DONT FEED YOUR GOLDFISH, until they recover and are active. May take up to 48 hours. Start off with feeding very little, and gradually increase food.

 

Emergency Acclimation

The transportation of fish from our facilities can have varying outcomes, including delays, mishandled packages, or stress-related issues. If any of these issues occur, it is important to follow the instructions below to acclimate your fish using our safe and recommended emergency acclimation process:

In case the fish you received are lying on their sides or the bag has leaked during shipping, it is crucial to transfer them into fresh water immediately.

Increase the salinity of your water to 0.3% with the appropriate aquarium salt and increase the air flow in the tank for the first 72 hours.

Monitor your fish for the next several days.

To help fish acclimate and alleviate a wide spectrum of issues over time, it is recommended to use salt and provide plenty of air.