DIY Drip acclimation

[Wild Turkey]

Easy Easy Easy.

Supplies:
One air line control valve
1'+ air line
1 Air line holder suction cup (not even really needed just makes it easier)

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Take the 3 and hook them together like so.

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Stick the suction cup the inside of the tank, under the water. Close the air valve but not incredibly tightly. This way when you suck this water up the hose it stays there after u take your mouth away. This way you wont get any water in your mouth. See below

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Now drop the end of the airline next to the tank.

Thats it, put your tupperware or whatever you use under the drip with your fish + bag water, then slightly open the valve, and you have your drip, as fast or slow as you like pretty much. The drip in the video is kind of fast, but it makes it easier to see, i used a red cup for the same reason.

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[Cameron]

wow looks nice and easy, not sure if im going to use it, maybe on neon tetras who knows, GREAT JOB either way, it was nicely done!

[Wild Turkey]

Thanks a lot trigun. Though i think it would have been probably more appropriately posted in the DIY section...DOH! im usually so good about that. Sorry hobbs!:hmm3grin2orange:

[Ellen4God]

I haven't used the drip acclimation before. I have done a long, drawn out acclimation, but not drip......


Sooo - if you were acclimating fish with the drips that slow, how long would you let it do that? And would you take water out of the cup too?

[Wild Turkey]

Sooo - if you were acclimating fish with the drips that slow, how long would you let it do that? And would you take water out of the cup too?

How long depends on how sensitive the fish is, how large the difference in water parameters is, how careful you want to be etc. Anywhere from an hour or so to probably a quarter of a day depending. Of course, doing it this way over 30 minutes is better than 30 minutes with any other method, floating, bucket, whatever...since this method is the most gradual by far. The time period is completely up to you.

Yes you will have to take water out periodically, just like the bucket method.

When i finish, i still pour the fish into a net and then place them in, rather than dump the water into the tank.

[korith]

Nice writeup. I use this exact method for acclimating my shrimp, a nice slow drip over a very hours.

[PUNISHER VETTE]

Great idea. Never thought about the valve before and i even have one laying around.

Last time i used it i just tied a knot in the tubing and it wasn't very good.

How slow can you get it to drip? i'm kinda wondering if i can water my plant that's next to my tank with this technique.

[Wild Turkey]

Great idea. Never thought about the valve before and i even have one laying around.

Last time i used it i just tied a knot in the tubing and it wasn't very good.

How slow can you get it to drip? i'm kinda wondering if i can water my plant that's next to my tank with this technique.

Easily half as slow as the video or slower. Pretty much as slow as you want if you sit there and fidget with it for a minute.

[Heliwyr]

Cool. A bit cleaner than tying a couple of knots in it that's for sure.

[hideandseek]

Nice fry you have there, and great tutorial.

[Wild Turkey]

Nice fry you have there, and great tutorial.

Thanks! Actually those are my cherry shrimp swimming around and breeding like crazy:shappy:

[korith]

Great idea. Never thought about the valve before and i even have one laying around.

Last time i used it i just tied a knot in the tubing and it wasn't very good.

How slow can you get it to drip? i'm kinda wondering if i can water my plant that's next to my tank with this technique.

I've gotten it down to about 5 drops a minute. Really depends how air tight that valve you have is. The cheap ones still let the air leak through when they are fully closed, so you'll still get enough drops going through.

[Wild Turkey]

I've gotten it down to about 5 drops a minute. Really depends how air tight that valve you have is. The cheap ones still let the air leak through when they are fully closed, so you'll still get enough drops going through.

Lol at that rate it might take a week to fill up that cup :D

that is a pretty neat idea, i know i have had ones that leak just a little tiny bit of air, and i throw them out. I will keep them from now on

[ChromeLibrarian]

Thanks. This will be very useful when I go to add crabs to my new tank.

[chipper]

Thanks that is great. I use the float the bag then put some of my water in then let it sit there then add more water the so on.

[Crispy]

good little DIY writeup WT! Will come in handy for alot of people I'm sure. thumbs2:

[Northernguy]

Well written Turk!:22:
I like the pics too!thumbs2: Another helpful thread.Good idea!

[Wild Turkey]

Thanks guys, im glad people are bumping this: the more people that get introduced to the softer side of acclimation the betterthumbs2:

[robflanker]

Nice write up WT - thanks

Ok I have a dumb/obvious question. The fish/crabs/shrimp/target that you are trying to add is in a container where the drip is going. Is bucket got the LFS water and the fish just swimming freely in the bucket and tank water is being dripped in?
I'm confused on the state (in-bag, not-in-bag, etc) in which the fish are for the drip-method to work best

[Wild Turkey]

Nice write up WT - thanks

Ok I have a dumb/obvious question. The fish/crabs/shrimp/target that you are trying to add is in a container where the drip is going. Is bucket got the LFS water and the fish just swimming freely in the bucket and tank water is being dripped in?
I'm confused on the state (in-bag, not-in-bag, etc) in which the fish are for the drip-method to work best

You empty the fish with the lfs water into your container, that would be the red cup. Wait til it fills and then dump some out, repeat that process until the parameters in the cup (in theory) match the parameters in the tank. You are slowing adding tank water and removing both until you have just tank water. Then net them out and in they go.thumbs2:

[lobsternoob]

Very nice, very simple drip acclimation method. I used to use the color coded tips used for plant irrigation systems, but this is way better because i have the materials on hand, adjustable on the fly... Nice DIY writeup. Also those stupid things would stop the siphon a lot if you didn't watch them carefully. Just tried this out for the heck of it in a cup seems way more reliable. Thanks

[_Shea_]

bump. Great write up!

[Wild Turkey]

This write-up from amazingH is also great, and easier to do multiple drips if need be (fish that cant be together in the bucket, or fish from different sources)

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Gj H!thumbs2:

[admael]

I have a good LFS. When I first started this hobby he would not sell me any fish until he tested me water. He gave me a sponge to seed my tank and three weeks later I was back with a water sample and he sold me my first fish and gave me this cup.

No losses since 2005 and almost as easy as floating the bag.
I've always wanted to post this, everyone's style seem so complicated.

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[superbsite]

thanks. i used to tie multiple knots in the whole length of the tubing. didnt think of using the airline regulator. ive asked a nurse at a hospital to give me one of those clips they attach on the tubes to reduce the flow of saline in to your body which would be good to use.

[lobsternoob]

That's funny you mention that Superbsite, most of my co2 setup is made from an IV from my last hospital visit. Theres a buncha nice little valves on
IV's including nice check valves with filters, those clips, roller clips, and more, if you can get a hold of a cheap IV administration kit, you get, a check valve, a bubble counter, a stop clip like that, a roller valve, and more depending on the setup. It all takes a little modification, and for god's sake make sure it's clean, but...

[superbsite]

no worries. im only using the roller clip where the tube fits in and then you can roller pinch it. i dont want my fish to die of AIDS :)

[Surfdog]

:goodpost: and that gives me an idea on using your method with an empty saline bag! and LOL Admael on your good use of a Blizzard product, as a placemat for your drip cup!

[Ashurbarnipal]

The video no longer works. Could someone repost it?