Mr. Saltwater Tank TV Friday Am Quick Tip: Cheap, Easy And Effective Drip Acclimation
I don’t always drip acclimate, but when I do, I ALWAYS use this tip.
If you’re looking for the a valve like the one in the video, here’s where to get it
Browse the Store! Questions?
I’ve always used a small “C” clamp on the side of a bucket to hold the airline tubing in place on the “drip” end and to regulate the flow. Handy if you don’t have any ball valves laying around and cheaper.
sometimes I think im more addicted to getting new toys for my system than anything else. but hey my reef never looked better. thanks marc
Great tip!
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Lol
Keep em coming Mark!
I’ve given up drip acclimating anything in favour of a long quarantine in a separate tank no stress and no nasties make it in my display tank and the best bonus no drip draining my tank when I forget about it
chris…drip acclimating doesn’t replace quarantining. Once the fish clears QT, then drip acclimate it to your DT.
If you do not have c clamp and you have old metal cloth hanger. Cut a straight part of it that long enough for the hook you need then place it in the rodi line and bend it the hook shape you need. Hope this helps. After a time need to replace the wire from rust pull out and replace with new wire.
Or you could put an air ‘stone’ on one end of the line, add a plastic air line valve, and run the drip line to the acclimation bucket.
The air stone has enough weight to hole the line under water, and the valve does what valves do best.
Hi Mark,
I use a airline suction cup that holds the air line hose in the tank, that never comes off. And a air line ball valve with close knob to control the drip on the fish side. This work great. I have two set up’s for multiable drips.
I use a piece of blue air line that is more rubbery than stiff. I have a simple air valve on it and a suction cup. Stick the end with the suction up in the water and adjust to whatever drip rate I want using the valve on the other end. One thing I do is leave water in the line after I’m done. Next time I use it I don’t have to start the drip by sucking on it. I just open the valve over my waste water bucket I use for water changes and adjust the flow while flushing the old water out.
This is a handy hint but does not take into consideration the temperature assimilation needed, so I put the bag of fish or whatever being acclimated into my sump not allowing water from bagged new animal to overflow into the sump.
A good idea is to start the process off with as little water in the bag as possible without stressing the new captive pet placing it in the sump provided this is where you are going to release the new purchase, otherwise start the process in the hospital- Quarantine tank to match PH etc.