1.3 Acclimation Guide for Starfish and Shrimps

1.3 Acclimation Guide for Starfish and Shrimps

  1. No need to set up aeration if you are acclimating only starfish, but if you have shrimps then it’s better to set up aeration.
  2. Empty out the Starfish/Shrimp bags into the acclimation bucket.
  3. Syphon the water from your main tank (where the Starfish/Shrimp are going to go in) and let the water flow in your acclimation bucket. Tie a knot or pinch the tube with a clip in such a way that only two drops per second drips inside the acclimation bucket. The specimens need to be acclimated for an hour or two. We recommend Drip Acclimation for starfish and shrimps as they are very sensitive to water parameter changes.
  4. Now your Starfish/Shrimp are ready to be placed in the main tank.
  5. The entire process of acclimation cannot be less than 45 minutes for drip acclimation. It can be anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.

 

FAQ

  1. Why is acclimation needed for Starfish/Shrimp?

The water parameters of your main tank may be different from that of the water in the shipping bags. For example, the temperature, pH, Salinity, Alkalinity, Calcium, Nitrates, Phosphates, and other parameters of the main tank water will be somewhat different from that of shipping bag water. Starfish/Shrimp need to go from shipping water parameters to your main tank water parameters. and this process cannot be sudden or abrupt. Corals need to get used to the main tank water parameters slowly so that the corals are not shocked. Starfish and shrimps are the most sensitive among invertebrates, and we recommend Long Drip Acclimation which should take about 45 minutes to two hours. 

  1. What type of acclimation is needed for Starfish/Shrimp??

We recommend Long Drip Acclimation which should take about 45 minutes to two hours. 

  1. Can I acclimate fish, corals and invertebrates together?

It is not a good practice to acclimate fish, corals and invertebrates together. Let’s say the supplier ships fish with some level of copper, other unknown medications that could kill corals and invertebrates or let’s say the supplier ships with hypo salinity water (we don’t ship like that, but we just want to give you some assumptive situations). Also keep in mind that fish needs different types of acclimations from corals and invertebrates, it is always good to separate fish from corals and invertebrates.

  1. Can I acclimate corals and invertebrates together?

Usually yes, however there are some exceptions. We don’t recommend acclimating shrimp or starfish along with corals. Shrimps and Starfish are so sensitive that you need to set up a separate acclimation bucket for them and need to drip acclimate them for at least 45 minutes (should not Flow Acclimate Starfish or Shrimps)

  1. Can I put heater inside the acclimation container when acclimating?

Heater should never be used inside the acclimation bucket as water temperature has inverse relation with the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water. Oxygen concentration is inversely proportional to water temperature. Also, Starfish/Shrimp can get burns when they touch the heater tube, so we don’t recommend heaters inside the acclimation bucket.

  1. Is longer acclimation usually better than shorter acclimation?

Yes, in this case, the longer the better but it should not last more than 2 hours.

  1. What are the Pros and cons of acclimating Starfish/Shrimp??

Pros:

  • minimizes the shock that the Starfish/Shrimp go through. Simply prevents Starfish/Shrimp death.

 

Cons:

  • It’s needed. Acclimation is necessary and you shouldn’t skip acclimation
  • So many hobbyists kill Starfish/Shrimp by very short flow acclimation or no acclimation at all.
  • It is very easy to set up the acclimation incorrectly and kill Starfish/Shrimp.
  • Often confusing as different suppliers may recommend different acclimation methods.

 

  1. Can I float the bags in my main tank for 10 minutes before emptying out in the acclimation bucket so that the bag water temperature is same as main tank. In other words, can I temperature acclimate by floating the fish bags in my main tank?

Yes, in this case you may.