Adding New Livestock: Coral, Fish & Invertebrates

When expanding your saltwater aquarium with new inhabitants like corals, fish, or invertebrates, careful consideration is key. For those without access to a local fish store, ordering livestock online is a common practice. However, this often involves overnight shipping costs, which can become expensive if you continually purchase one or two items at a time.

The 'Saltwater Aquarium Beginner's Guide: Episode 9' from the Bulk Reef Supply Learning Center, titled 'Adding More Coral, Fish & Inverts', addresses this aspect of reef keeping. The article suggests that due to the nature of online ordering and shipping expenses, many hobbyists opt to purchase multiple items simultaneously. This approach can be more cost-effective in terms of shipping per animal. While the article doesn't detail specific acclimatization procedures, it indirectly highlights the importance of planning your livestock additions. When receiving animals via online order, proper acclimatization is crucial to minimize stress and ensure their successful integration into your existing display tank. This includes matching water parameters, drip acclimating sensitive species, and providing a clean, stable environment for them to adjust. The decision to order multiple items at once also necessitates having adequate quarantine facilities or clear space within the display tank for these new arrivals to settle.

--- *Based on research from [Marine Depot](https://www.marinedepot.com/blog)*