Acclimation of wilds question

[Aznman1]

Hi guys I am receiving wilds from snookn next thursday, and I am just wondering how to acclimate them? Should I just take them out of the bag immediately, and plop them in my tank? Thanks for the advice in advance

[Darrell Ward]

Float the unopened bag in the tank for about 30 mins. Remove the fish, and plop in the tank. Discard the bag water.

[Aznman1]

Thanks Darrell Ward I will do that. The open and plop just sounds like it could add stress to the fish

[Larry Bugg]

I plop and drop. John's wilds have always arrived in great shape for me.

[Aznman1]

I know John does a quality job with shipping. I'm not saying he doesn't, but the fish will still be stressed after the long trek it doesn't help that I live in Buffalo lol. Anyway I just wanna minimize stress

[Darrell Ward]

They'll be fine. I've been doing it for years.

[Apistomaster]

Equalizing the temperature then plop and drop is the preferred method.
Fish in barrier bags build up ammonia but the water also accumulates CO2 which keeps the Ammonia in a low pH range. If you leave the bags or fish in an opened stage then CO2 can off gas, this will cause the pH to rise enough to cause ammonia burns.
It is best to match your receiving tanks condition to those of the seller. If that happens to be harder and more alkaline water than you plan to use in the long run adjust it in stages over one or two weeks to the desired conditions.
The Greens and Heckels prefer softer water and lower pH Blue/Brown S. haraldi. They often need very little if any messing with their water chemistry. They are able to thrive and breed in water with a TDS of 75 to 150 ppm and a pH between 6.4 and 7.6. 100 ppm TDS and a pH of 6.8 is a good all around set of parameter for S. haraldi. Well within what they can breed in successfully.
I have had many wild S. haraldi pairs raise spawns in tap water which had an TDS of> 450 ppm and a pH of 7.2 to 7.6. Greens and Heckels need much softer water and a low pH to thrive.

[sergeyal]

But if the fish was 48 h in the bag how can one know what PH he needs to adjust without openning it?

[Aznman1]

My plan is to float the bags for 20 minutes, and then slowly add my tank water to it until the bag has doubled in water then pour the water into a bucket fish into net and then into my tank. I will just pour the water in the bucket down the sink

[Discus Origins]

There will be ammonia buildup and water in shipping bags always drop in ph. Adding your tank water to the bags to double the volume will actually cause ammonia burns and raise toxicity if your tank ph is higher than the bag water. Unless your tank water is lower in ph I would recommend floating to acclimate temp and then remove the fish from bag immediately into tank without adding tank water.

[Aznman1]

Thanks Discus Origins I'll use your way then. That makes sense. This is my first time ever having fish shipped to me. My other wild I got from the LFS. btw do any of you guys use blackwater extract? I do and my discus love it!

[alfred3]

But if the fish was 48 h in the bag how can one know what PH he needs to adjust without openning it?
:confused: what to do if the ph in the qt is higher than the ph in the bag ?

[Discus Origins]

Then plop and drop after temperature acclimation is the way to go.

[Apistomaster]

But if the fish was 48 h in the bag how can one know what PH he needs to adjust without openning it?

You ask what the chemistry seller is keeping the Discus in before you buy.
Adjust your tank close to those values.
Disregard what changes have occurred during shipping. Allow temps to equalize.
Plop and drop your fish into the new home.
Slow acclimation really is counter productive when it comes to Discus and wild Angelfish.
I don't know anyone I consider to be advanced wild Discus keepers or breeders who doesn't use the plop and drop method.
You just need to have water similar to what they have been living in before they were bagged and match it fair closely. It doesn't have to exact.
Near enuff is good enuff.
Discus are not as delicate as perhaps you imagine to many things but the way ammonia becomes toxic when the pH in the bag rises above a pH 6.8 during a gradual acclimation is to be avoided.

[alfred3]

OK

thank you for your response.

alfred

[sergeyal]

You ask what the chemistry seller is keeping the Discus in before you buy.
Adjust your tank close to those values.
Disregard what changes have occurred during shipping. Allow temps to equalize.
Plop and drop your fish into the new home.....



Thanks Larry
Another question ,
What if they were already packed in acidic whater , ph ~ 6.5 , i still have to plop and drop or just slowly put more water in the bags?

[Apistomaster]

Plop and drop works even better if the Discus are already coming in soft acid water.
Get them out of that shipping water as soon as the temperatures have equalized.