Acclimation! How to, how long to drip, etc.

1. FOR A FISH: Ask your dealer what his Salinity is, and set your quarantine tank to that, precisely. The minute you open your bag, test the water to be sure he's right, and that you are, within .001 of a salinity-match; and a quick ph check is not a bad thing either---(if your ph should be bad (remember bag-water ph starts shifting the second the bag is opened) or if the salinity is not what you were told it was, a drip acclimation may be your only resort, especially if you have an especially fragile species at issue. Be sure and be done within 30 minutes!) If all ok, however, and salinity matches and ph is within acceptable range, put your new fish straight over into the qt tank with no drip, no delay at all. You may now adjust his salinity slowly over the next day or so to match the salinity of your display. PH will tend to take care of itself, but with fragile specimens, test and, once your fish is in qt, just go slowly with water-matching: the emergency is all about getting him out of that bag. Once in qt everything can proceed safely and slowly.

2. Keep your new fish in that quarantine for 4 weeks before putting him into your tank, and this applies to your very first fish---for the sake of that tank you so laboriously cycled. Because the ich parasite burrows under the skin and into the gills, this is not 100% guaranteed, but it's the best precaution you can take; and the stress of transport will likely cause it to break out in the next few weeks if it is going to do so.

3. do not buy from a tank that has ich. Do not pity-buy. A sick fish is not for a beginner.

4. never trade nets or wet hands or instruments between quarantine tank and your regular tank.

A) Setting up a quarantine tank: a completely bare tank with no sand, rock, or strong light, just a pvc elbow and an air-driven carbon floss filter, thermometer and heater. Mark your proper water level on the glass with tape, and keep the water there with freshwater topoff. Test daily for nitrate/ammonia, and do a 20% saltwater change once weekly, or sooner if you spot ammonia. Put a square of plastic lighting grid (Lowe's) or a finer mesh over the top to prevent your fish jumping out. [Some like to play in the bubbles---or spook and jump.]

B) IF YOU SEE DISEASE and need to treat: first identify the disease/parasite. Go to the "Fish Disease" forum and ask. Photos help. REMOVE THE CARBON IF YOU ARE GOING TO MEDICATE. Continue filtration. Medicate or use hyposalinity. "Fish Disease" has precise instructions for you, and help in identifying the pest. If you spot ich in your main tank, you need to withdraw all FISH to treatment immediately and leave the tank 8 weeks without fish. Inverts are ok. Part of the ich life cycle is in sand, but after 8 weeks, it dies out due to no fish for it to live on.

C) INVERTS: corals of any sort should be dipped. Ask your dealer, and prepare a dip. Use it. You may then put your coral into an observation tank (safer) for a week. Other inverts should be drip-acclimated (small amounts of your tank water mixed with the bag water until .001 match) but the process should be completed within 30 minutes. Ammonia starts to build the instant the bag is open. You want your new critter out of there in a balance between salinity match and speed. On no account leave any critter in an opened bag longer than 30 minutes.