Molly Acclimation
Things you’ll need:
Two 5 gallon water jugs
One 1 gallon bucket
Heater (recommended)
Small airline tubing
control valve
Fish
A rock or object where the fish can hide and feel safe
Air stone or power head, just want to create surface agitation for oxygen
A way to raise one jug, (that will be full of water) and the bucket that should be slightly lower than the jug, (it will also be full of water) a sturdy chair or stool will work great. One will need to be up higher than the other.
A drill bit, (slightly smaller than the airline tubing)
Fish food, (they still gotta eat during acclimating lol)
Aquarium safe silicone (optional)
And of course, patience, this process takes several days and should not be rushed. The slower the better.
Step 1: drill a hole in the 1 gallon bucket at least 2” below the rim (make sure the hole is slightly smaller than tubing or else it’ll leak) only drill one hole.
Then insert tubing into the hole angled upward, you want it to stick out the water but not past the rim. The water may go about a half inch above the tube before it starts to drain. Leave about an inch between the end of the tube and the rim of the buck or else it may overflow.
Do this step before starting incase the tube doesn’t form a seal and which then you may need silicone. Which will need time to dry before you start the process.
Step 2: fill one jug with 5 gallons of saltwater. I recommend from your tank during a water change. That way they can also acclimate to you water chemistry as well as salinity.
Step 3: place the jug on the highest object or structure of what you chose, then place the bucket on the lower object. And the empty jug will sit on the floor, this is where the access water will drain to. (full jug highest, bucket middle, empty jug lowest).
Step 4: once the bucket and jugs are in place, cut the line coming out of the bucket to the proper length so it goes into the bottom jug. Keep the access lining, you’ll use it in the next step.
Step 5: with the lining you cut from the previous step, put one end into the top jug, and the other end in the bucket. The attach the control valve to end in the bucket.
Step 6: You may have guessed, the bucket is what’s going to hold your fish while acclimating. Empty the fish and the water into the bucket. You may or may not need to add more fresh water to the bucket. You want to water level to be just below the end of the drain tube. Then place the object along with your air stone or power head into your bucket and turn it on.
Step 7: once the air stone or power is running, you can now start the syphon from the full jug. Once that gets going. Adjust the valve down till it’s one drop per second. Like mentioned earlier the slower you go the better.
Step 8: keep an eye on your system, for the first few hours. look for leaks and make sure the tubing is secured. Make sure the drain tube in the bucket is angled upwards so the water can flow downward into it. As the saltwater slowly drips into the bucket. The water in the bucket will began to rise. And the fresh water in the bucket will drain out the other tube. It may have to go about a half inch above the angled end before it can start.
Once your sure the system is working properly. You can now let it run and let it work it’s magic. Be sure to check the salinity periodically. And adjust the valve as needed. The salinity shouldn’t go up more than two points per three hours, ex. 1.000 to 1.002 in three hours. Time to acclimate may vary from three days to seven days or may longer. Depends on the setup, fish species, and conditions.
Things you’ll need:
Two 5 gallon water jugs
One 1 gallon bucket
Heater (recommended)
Small airline tubing
control valve
Fish
A rock or object where the fish can hide and feel safe
Air stone or power head, just want to create surface agitation for oxygen
A way to raise one jug, (that will be full of water) and the bucket that should be slightly lower than the jug, (it will also be full of water) a sturdy chair or stool will work great. One will need to be up higher than the other.
A drill bit, (slightly smaller than the airline tubing)
Fish food, (they still gotta eat during acclimating lol)
Aquarium safe silicone (optional)
And of course, patience, this process takes several days and should not be rushed. The slower the better.
Step 1: drill a hole in the 1 gallon bucket at least 2” below the rim (make sure the hole is slightly smaller than tubing or else it’ll leak) only drill one hole.
Then insert tubing into the hole angled upward, you want it to stick out the water but not past the rim. The water may go about a half inch above the tube before it starts to drain. Leave about an inch between the end of the tube and the rim of the buck or else it may overflow.
Do this step before starting incase the tube doesn’t form a seal and which then you may need silicone. Which will need time to dry before you start the process.
Step 2: fill one jug with 5 gallons of saltwater. I recommend from your tank during a water change. That way they can also acclimate to you water chemistry as well as salinity.
Step 3: place the jug on the highest object or structure of what you chose, then place the bucket on the lower object. And the empty jug will sit on the floor, this is where the access water will drain to. (full jug highest, bucket middle, empty jug lowest).
Step 4: once the bucket and jugs are in place, cut the line coming out of the bucket to the proper length so it goes into the bottom jug. Keep the access lining, you’ll use it in the next step.
Step 5: with the lining you cut from the previous step, put one end into the top jug, and the other end in the bucket. The attach the control valve to end in the bucket.
Step 6: You may have guessed, the bucket is what’s going to hold your fish while acclimating. Empty the fish and the water into the bucket. You may or may not need to add more fresh water to the bucket. You want to water level to be just below the end of the drain tube. Then place the object along with your air stone or power head into your bucket and turn it on.
Step 7: once the air stone or power is running, you can now start the syphon from the full jug. Once that gets going. Adjust the valve down till it’s one drop per second. Like mentioned earlier the slower you go the better.
Step 8: keep an eye on your system, for the first few hours. look for leaks and make sure the tubing is secured. Make sure the drain tube in the bucket is angled upwards so the water can flow downward into it. As the saltwater slowly drips into the bucket. The water in the bucket will began to rise. And the fresh water in the bucket will drain out the other tube. It may have to go about a half inch above the angled end before it can start.
Once your sure the system is working properly. You can now let it run and let it work it’s magic. Be sure to check the salinity periodically. And adjust the valve as needed. The salinity shouldn’t go up more than two points per three hours, ex. 1.000 to 1.002 in three hours. Time to acclimate may vary from three days to seven days or may longer. Depends on the setup, fish species, and conditions.
