Acclimatizing Your FH When It Arrives

Acclimatization Procedure

1.Newly arrived fish may suffer severe stress or trauma resulting from sudden exposure to bright light, so be sure to switch off the aquarium lights, and dim the room's surrounding lighting where you open the shipping box. Do not open the box in bright light.

2.Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for 15-20 minutes. Do not open the shipping bag yet.  You need to allow the water in the shipping bag to adjust slowly to the temperature in the aquarium, while maintaining a high level of dissolved oxygen.

3.Remove or cut the tied bands at the top of the bag while it is still afloat in the aquarium. Roll the top edge of the bag down one inch to create an air pocket within the lip of the bag. This will enable the bag to float on the surface of the water.

4.Add 1/2 cup of aquarium water to the shipping bag, and repeat the process every 5 minutes until the shipping bag is full.

5.Lift the shipping bag from the aquarium and discard half the water from the bag.

6.Float the shipping bag in the aquarium again, and proceed to add 1/2 cup of aquarium water to the shipping bag every five minutes until the bag is full.

7.Now your fish is ready to be released into the aquarium. Submerge the bag in the aquarium, and slowly allow the fish to swim out from the bag into its new home.

8.Remove the filled shipping bag from the aquarium and discard the water. Try not to release the shipping water directly into the aquarium.