Do we really need to acclimate new fish?

[confusion]

I agree that can be true in some instances, but some times conventionally held beliefs, are conventionally held for a reason. In any event, I won't argue this any longer, but in case you are interested, here are some maybe more palitable sources than me.


The author of that page goes on...

Perhaps at this stage I should clarify what is meant by metabolic ammonia. This is ammonia produced in the fish's body as a result of breaking down amino acids for use as an energy source. This involves a process called deamination, taking place in the liver, during which the amine chemical is removed from amino acids. All animals produce metabolic ammonia but, as it is such a toxic compound, virtually all other animals, including humans, immediately convert it into a less toxic substance before it is excreted. Humans convert ammonia into urea, which is passed out of the body as urine.

More than 50% of waste produced by fish is in the form of ammonia, the majority of which is secreted through the gills. The remainder of the waste, excreted as fecal matter, undergoes a process called mineralization. Mineralization occurs when heterotrophic bacteria consume fish waste, decaying plant matter and uneaten food, converting all three to ammonia.

source: http://aquatropics.com/filtration.htm

Ammonia is a major metabolic waste product from fish. It is excreted across the gill membranes and in the urine. The primary source of ammonia in aquaculture systems is fish feed. When feed is eaten by fish it is metabolized into the energy, nutrients, and proteins used for survival and growth. As with all animals, there is waste produced by these normal metabolic processes. Ammonia is the principal waste product excreted by fish. In trace amounts, ammonia is odorless and colorless, so the only way for an aquaculturist to know if it is there is to test the water.

source: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA031

Skeletor, like all fish, excretes nitrogenous wastes like ammonia into the water around him. But unlike fish in rivers, lakes, and oceans, he lives in very small amount of water. Because the fish to water ratio in a fish tank is so low compared with a natural setting, the buildup of waste is a particularly pressing problem and can lead to a life threatening situation quickly. The old saying that you shouldn't...um..."go" where you live just doesn't apply to him. He can't help himself. So how can knowledge of fish tank chemistry help us to help him to survive?

Source: http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/feature_ent.html?id=5687af4ee5c611d5ed864fd8fe800100

 

[PDX-PLT]

- Aside from angels (which are picky buggers, IMO), the only water parameter that has a statiscally significant impact on survival of fish is GH. (Assuming sane values for the nitrogen compounds)

How so? What about KH (I'm one with somewhat unusual water with medium GH readings but high KH, like some well-water users do)?

Thanks for the post, BTW; I forgot about the isuse of dissolved CO2.

I ran across this article which seems to sum up the considerations pretty well:

http://www.bestfish.com/floatdip.html

 

[12 Volt Man]

my acclimation process for bringing a fish home from the LFS is about 20 minutes



However, when you are dealing with the acclimation process at local fish stores for new shipments, that is a little longer for a several reasons, including low pH in the bag, and often much more drastic temperature differences between the big bag of fish and the tank water.

 

[Visualeyes2]

i put them in the tank still in the bag, let it float a few minutes, then add some water and let stand a few minutes, then add some more a few minutes later, and let it sit another few, all in all i probably let the fish sit in the bag six or eight minutes, then i dump all the contents of the bag into the tank. as far as worrying about stuff from store tanks getting into my tank.....well, if i am that worried about a store tank's cleanliness, i'm not buying fish there. the only ich or illness i've introduced in 10 plus years of doing this hobby from something from a lfs was from feeder fish, and i just don't do feeder fish any more because of that. that actually happened several times, until i finally just don't do feeder fish any more.

 

[Firebelly__girl]

i put them in the tank still in the bag, let it float a few minutes, then add some water and let stand a few minutes, then add some more a few minutes later, and let it sit another few, all in all i probably let the fish sit in the bag six or eight minutes, then i dump all the contents of the bag into the tank. as far as worrying about stuff from store tanks getting into my tank.....well, if i am that worried about a store tank's cleanliness, i'm not buying fish there. the only ich or illness i've introduced in 10 plus years of doing this hobby from something from a lfs was from feeder fish, and i just don't do feeder fish any more because of that. that actually happened several times, until i finally just don't do feeder fish any more.

I pretty much do what you do, but I net them out. A friend of mine made me realize that if theres a disease in the water, most likely the fish already has it, and will spread it to the other fish anyways, so I dont worry if the pet stores fish water gets in the tank, but I net them anyways just because of poo

 

[denial727]

:iagree: Show them a little care. I don't see any reason to go all ocd unless you've got some real pricey fishies or just your really attached to them. But, to each his own. I think that's how that phrase goes.

 

[j_chicago]

I don't use a QT becuase I want to enjoy my fish. If I Qt'ed them for 3 weeks they would be dead before I got them into my display tank. I just dump them straight into the tank. Fish, water, poo, and all. But, all my fish die after two weeks so I don't think I need to QT.....








Just kidding


I QT my fish with my glow lights in my 10g. What about QT shrimp and other inverts? Those go straight to my display tank.

 

[echoofformless]

I'm no chemist so I'm just going on instinct here. But this is how I see the acclimation process vs. the immediate dump:

When I empty the bag into a bucket I'm immediately causing gas exchange via agitation. The fish gets fresh oxygen right away. If left in the bag to float in still water, that will not occur.

By running an airline tube of tank water into the bucket, the volume begins to increase - diluting whatever ammonia is present. A floating bag will not get this slow, continual stream of relatively fresh water. Thus the ammonia will not only stay the same, but also increase as the fish continues to breathe, urinate, defecate, etc.


Then comes the fact that while fresh water is coming into the bucket, I am repeatedly scooping water out of the bucket. That means over the period of 20mins or so I will have changed over the water in the bucket several times; that means the water is 100% tank water now. All ammonia, nitrite, etc that may have come with the bag has been washed away completely. The fish is also 100% ready to be plopped right into the tank. And I usually do this simply by emptying the bucket back into the tank. That saves the effort of netting, as well as the stress to the fish that chasing and netting can be.


I just find it far more reassuring to acclimate. And the fact that many agree about the notion of delicate fish needing the acclimation more than others, just goes to show that it is beneficial.

After all, if for example an angel is said to do better with acclimation than why wouldn't a zebra danio? That would be like saying since one person can take a punch better than another, it's okay to punch them.

I guess I'm just convinced that anything we can do to have it so the fish hardly notice the changes in their environment is beneficial to them.