Drip Acclimation vs Float Method: Best Practices for New Fish

Proper acclimation reduces stress and prevents osmotic shock when introducing new fish.\n\nDrip Acclimation (Recommended):\n1. Float sealed bag for 15 minutes to equalize temperature\n2. Open bag and pour fish + water into a clean bucket\n3. Start a siphon from your tank with airline tubing\n4. Tie a loose knot in the tubing to control flow (2-4 drips/sec)\n5. Drip for 45-60 minutes until volume doubles\n6. Net fish into display tank—discard bag water\n7. NEVER pour store water into your tank\n\nFloat Method (Quick but less thorough):\n1. Float sealed bag 15-20 minutes\n2. Add 1/4 cup tank water every 5 minutes for 30 minutes\n3. Net fish into tank\n\nSpecial cases:\n- Wrasses: Release near sand so they can bury immediately\n- Shrimp/invertebrates: ALWAYS drip acclimate (very sensitive to salinity changes)\n- Corals: Brief dip + placement, minimal acclimation needed