Acclimating New Saltwater Fish

Here are some easy acclimation procedures for newly arrived saltwater fish. To reduce any additional stress on your saltwater fish you should turn off all the lights on the tank before introducing the new fish. The following quick steps need to be followed and completed within one hour of delivery..

Float the unopened bag in the display or quarantine tank for fifteen minutes to equalize the water temperature in the shipping bag.

Drip Method
This method is considered more advanced. It is by far one of the best method to accumate your livestock.  You will need airline tubing and must be willing to monitor the entire process. Gather a clean, 3 or 5-gallon bucket designated for aquarium use only. If acclimating both fish and invertebrates, use a separate bucket for each.

1. Start with floating your bag(s) to acclimate water temperature.
   
   
2. Carefully empty the contents of the bags (including the water) into the buckets, making sure not to expose sensitive invertebrates to the air. Depending on the amount of water in each bag, this may require tilting the bucket at a 45 degree angle to make sure the animals are fully submerged
   
   
3. Using airline tubing, set up and run a siphon drip line from the main aquarium to each bucket. You’ll need separate airline tubing for each bucket used. Tie several loose knots in the airline tubing, or use a plastic or other non-metal airline control value to regulate flow from the aquarium.
   
   
4. Begin a siphon by sucking on the end of the airline tubing you'll be placing into each of the buckets. When water begins flowing through the tubing, adjust the drip (by tightening one of the knots or adjusting the control valve) to a rate of about 2-4 drips per second.
   
   
5. When the water volume in the bucket doubles, discard half and begin the drip again until the volume doubles once more – about one hour for each incidence of doubling the quanity of water volume.
   
   
6. Once this is accomplished, the specimens can be transferred to the aquarium. Sponges, clams, and gorgonias should never be directly exposed to air.  Gently scoop them out of the drip bucket with the specimen bag, making sure they’re fully covered in water.  Submerge the bag underwater in the aquarium and gently remove the specimen from the bag. Next, seal off the bag underwater by twisting the opening, and remove it from the aquarium. Also, to avoid damage, please remember never to touch the "fleshy" part of live coral when handling.

You can find related video(s) on youtube.

NOTE: Most invertebrates and marine plants are more sensitive than fish to changes in specific gravity. It is imperative to acclimate invertebrates to a specific gravity of 1.023-1.025 or severe stress or trauma may result.