# Hoping to dodge a rookie error re shrimp acclimation



## Jack B (23 Apr 2020)

Hi everyone,

My new tank is cycled, and being all excited I ordered some amano and red cherry shrimp which will arrive tomorrow. 

I was all set to 'plop and drop' as per Rachel O'Leary et al, but having read more on here last night, most people seem to do some kind of acclimation...which I've not really prepared for

I have hard water, and a tank pH that has settled out at 7.2

I have dechlorinator ready to go, but nothing like Prime to combat ammonia in the bag they come in. I do also have a length of air pipe, net, and plenty of buckets/containers if I need to go down that route.

I'm aware there are varied opinions on acclimation, but if anyone has experience/knowledge of doing this with similar water parameters I'd be grateful for any comment, being a total newbie.

Thanks!!


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## alto (23 Apr 2020)

Contact the seller for current shrimp conditions, if they aren’t too different you can just net and transfer
(this technique works well for commercial shipments as there are many shrimp/fish that have travelled 1-3 days in a small volume of water - setting up a drip acclimation in this situation is impractical and often leads to higher losses for various reasons)



What are you using for water conditioner/dechlorinator?


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## alto (23 Apr 2020)

Green Aqua video shows the shrimp in bag acclimation starting ~11min



Note these fish came from a (relatively) local wholesaler and water conditions have likely been discussed during order process
Some fish were netted, others were released along with bag water - I rarely add shop water to my tanks, there just isn’t much of a reason to do so


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## jameson_uk (23 Apr 2020)

I have always acclimated amano by floating and slowing adding a cup of tank water every so often for an hour.
For my other shrimp I have drip acclimated them

Put the contents of the bag into a jug
Removed a big cup of water
Use airline with a tap on so siphon water a drip or two a second
wait until TDS an temperature is about the same as tank
For amanos though I have found them pretty hardy


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## Aqua sobriquet (23 Apr 2020)

I admit I’ve had a fatality before but I open the bag and float it in the tank and as jameson does I add a small amount of tank water at intervals over about an hour before adding them to the tank. I used to do this with fish as well many years ago and never had any problems at all.


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## Jack B (23 Apr 2020)

alto said:


> Contact the seller for current shrimp conditions, if they aren’t too different you can just net and transfer
> (this technique works well for commercial shipments as there are many shrimp/fish that have travelled 1-3 days in a small volume of water - setting up a drip acclimation in this situation is impractical and often leads to higher losses for various reasons)
> 
> 
> ...




Thanks Alto - I've just got some basic King British Dechlorinator, along with some Seachem pristine that came with the tank (not planning to use the latter til my tank matures). Am planning to get a tub of Seachem Safe to use going forward - will arrive later next week I expect


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## alto (23 Apr 2020)

For any slow acclimation, add some moss or plant trimmings etc for the shrimp (hopefully the shipper has included some sort of netting for shrimp to cling to) 

If i have test strips, I’ll check bag vs tank water

If you use CO2, this and lighting should be reduced for adding new inhabitants 

https://www.kingbritish.co.uk/product/king-british-de-chlorinator
had a laugh when I clicked on the FAQ


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## Jack B (23 Apr 2020)

https://www.kingbritish.co.uk/product/king-british-de-chlorinator
had a laugh when I clicked on the FAQ 
[/QUOTE]

Yeah I saw that too haha!

I do have test strips so that should work.

What are plant trimmings for?


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## alto (23 Apr 2020)

Shrimp are stressed by bagging/shipping etc - they’re just a bit harder to read (than fish)

eg, if you add a frond of Limnophila sessiliflora to a container with shrimp, soon most will be clinging (hiding perhaps) to the plant 

If you don’t have any plant material, a decent sized fish net seems acceptable- I’ve an old square cut green Eheim net that I use for shrimp, even after being placed in the tank, shrimp often remain clinging to that net - I leave the net leaning against whatever so that net is “open”, and remove several hours later


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## Jack B (23 Apr 2020)

Really grateful Alto - and everyone. Will deploy the advice tmw, incl the net. Supplier pH is apparently the same, and hardness is 12dH compared with my 15...so I could probably plop and drop, but have set up my drip acclimaton kit now so kinda want to use it!


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## alto (23 Apr 2020)

If you’re doing drip acclimation from aquarium to floor- beware of vibrations and “looming” (Predator Alert), dim light, shallow broad container is better re oxygen exchange at surface (unless you’ve an air sponge running - note any flow should be (very) gentle)

Given the relatively small difference, I’d plan to drip acclimate only for an hour or so - shrimp/fish are usually much more stressed during this process than once in the tank


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## Aqua360 (24 Apr 2020)

Since doing the drip method with shrimp, I've never lost a single one in new tanks; this includes acclimating shrimp from wildly different TDS. 

Slow and steady pays off


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## Jack B (24 Apr 2020)

Aqua360 said:


> Since doing the drip method with shrimp, I've never lost a single one in new tanks; this includes acclimating shrimp from wildly different TDS.
> 
> Slow and steady pays off



My task is clear! Thanks both, that's great.


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## Jack B (24 Apr 2020)

Well they're in! And very much alive so far...

The Amanos are so lively in fact that they're scrabbling up the glass and almost getting out - despite a 4cm gap from the water. 

The water here is 15dH...wonder if they're unimpressed with that. Maybe they'll settle down...? I've put clingfilm over the tank for now!


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## Aqua360 (24 Apr 2020)

Jack B said:


> Well they're in! And very much alive so far...
> 
> The Amanos are so lively in fact that they're scrabbling up the glass and almost getting out - despite a 4cm gap from the water.
> 
> The water here is 15dH...wonder if they're unimpressed with that. Maybe they'll settle down...? I've put clingfilm over the tank for now!



They're infamous escape artists, beware lol 

They also scuttle like insects on the floor, it's quite disconcerting


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## Jack B (24 Apr 2020)

I bet! 

Don't want to cover the tank permanently so it may have to be survival of the laziest...can't really drop the water lower - the tank's drilled


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