Drip Acclimation in Sump
Picture taken December 1999
Pictured left are four bags of snails floating in my sump being drip acclimated. This shipment was during mid-winter with 20°F temperatures. After the drip acclimation no losses of any snails were noted.
Drip Acclimation Method I Use:
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After unpacking livestock and visual inspection for dead critters or leaking bags, rinse bag quickly under tap water to remove dust or other trace chemicals for holding tanks.
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Float bags in sump for at least 15 minutes before opening bag. This allows for the temperature to equalize. Opening bag right away can cause a rapid pH change in the bag as CO2 build up is released and oxygen enters the bag.
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Open bag and secure to sump wall or rim. I clean and dry a section of the sump rim and use black electrical tape to secure the floating bag. This is to reduce the risk of the bag falling over.
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Start a drip line using an IV dripper or use standard air-line tubing with a knot tied in it. If using the IV dripper, adjust drip rate with roller. If using air-line tubing adjust drip rate by how tight the knot is.
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I use a slow drip rate for almost all critters. Slow for me is a drip rate of 1 drop per second. For fish I use a quicker drip rate or 2 or 3 drops per second.
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Every 5 minutes I remove small amount of water from bag and discard water. I try to remove the same amount of water that was allowed to drip into the bag. The water is discarded and not allowed to enter the tank.
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Repeat the previous step for at least 1 hour. Sensitive inverts such as snails and starfish may take 2 or more hours depending on my free time. Longer is better. After about 30 minutes I increase the drip rate slightly.
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Once completed, stop the IV dripper, remove bag from sump, and use a net to capture critter. This is as simple as using a large pot, holding a fish net over it and dumping water & critter into the net. Discard the water when done. Add critter to display tank.
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Make note of new water level in sump. Replace with fresh salt water if needed.
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