Invert acclimation: need suggestions from cheap & lazy, but successful

[Roks-Sharky]

I haven't had much success acclimating inverts lately. I lost a star, 5peppermint shrimp, even two tiny skunk cleaner shrimp.

I float the bag, and set the oven timer. Every 10-15 minutes for an hour or two I squirt in some tank water with a turkey baster. Then I dump. This used to work for me.

I have a shelf FULL of books. I know I'm not supposed to dump in the bag water. I know I'm supposed to quarrantine, etc.

I don't have the time to do it by the book.

I know there has got to be some ways ideas to make this easier.

How do you do it?

Exactly how do you get the water to drip slowly and the temperature to be the same? And NOT get bag water mixed in tank?

Should I buy some kind of acclimation contraption? I'll forgoe cheap if I can remain lazy.

 

[InLimbo87]

IMO that is wayy too long to be acclimating invertebrates. And losing all of those recently, it sounds like there may be issues with your tank water, and not just your acclimation procedures.

In order to not get bag water into tank, use a net. Seriously, you never know what the LFS have in their water.

 

[michael_cb_125]

I use the drip acclimation for sea stars, cucumbers, and anemoes. Shrimp, I do what you do. I bag acclimate. But I do it very carefully. I dont let ANY water from the bag get into the tank. And I do it over a shorter timespan that you do. I add tank water every 6 minutes. Only a little. I do this until the bag is full, then empty half the water and repeat the addition of tank water. Until full, then I release the shrimp. I have never lost any inverts, due to acclimation. The only time I loose them is when they are eaten by hungry fish.

 

[BigAl07]

I don't know that it's your "acclimation" that's your woes. Sounds like you may have some water parameters off the charts.

What are your current water test results?

As for "Drip Acclimation" I made my own but you can buy one from Drs Foster & Smith for about the same money and not spend much time on it. Here's what I have..

6' Clear Air line
Air Valve (used to control air flow to an air toy)

I cut the line into a 4' and 2' section. Hang the air valve on the front of the tank and connect the 2' section to the inlet side and drop it into the water. Attach the 4' section to the outlet side and open the valve fully. Start siphon and once it starts hold tubing over drip acclimation chamber (clean bucket actually). I then adjust the flow with the valve to where it's a drip every second or so depending on how LONG I want the acclimation to take. Just don't forget about the process. then I "net" the critters from the back and discard ALL of the water. If it's a starfish I risk it and release them with the bag under water but I've only done that twice.