Coral - March/April 2010

and hermit crabs become lethargic, lose limbs, and may die. Echinoderms such as starfishes and sea urchins re-act dramatically, too. But if the organism is slowly acclimated while still in the transportation bag, it can safely balance osmotic exchange processes.

THE DRIP METHOD

The drip method of introducing aquarium water into the transportation bag drop by drop with flexible airline tube is the simplest and best way to equalize water parameters. Drip rate is regulated by a clamp fitted to the tubing.

Essentially the procedure is as follows: once you have arrived home with the new acquisition, discard most of the transportation water. Invertebrates must remain completely covered by water and fishes able to swim upright in the transportation bag. Keep the animal in its original bag. Place the bag in an empty bucket and using silicone air tubing, drip water from the aquarium into it at a rate of about 60-80 drops per minute. Darkness reduces the stress to fishes and shrimps, so cover the bucket with a towel (there is no need to cover sessile invertebrates.)

Drip aquarium water into the bag so that the original
water volume is roughly tripled. The entire equalization
process should take around 2 to 3 hours. After a quick
check to see that the water temperature in the bag and
the aquarium are about the same, transfer the organism
into the tank, with system lights off. If the temperature
difference is more than 3. 5-7°F ( 2-4°C), float or sus-
pend the bag in the aquarium for a while.

INTRODUCING INVERTEBRATES

Invertebrates must be removed from the bag under water in the aquarium, as many sponges, starfishes, and sea urchins, for example, can be seriously damaged by direct contact with the air. To transfer a sessile invertebrate, hold the bag beneath the surface of the aquarium water with one hand and carefully remove the creature with the other and move it to the desired spot. This sounds more difficult than it actually is—just be careful not to squash corals or let them tumble off the rocky substrate. Non-sessile invertebrates can be tipped out of the bag under water near the substrate. When introducing shrimps, turn off the current pumps so that the newcomers aren’t swept around the aquarium, and can retire in peace into the décor. Shrimps drifting around in the water will awaken the interest of many fishes, and may promptly vanish into the stomach of a tank resident .

INTRODUCING FISHES The transfer of fishes can be faster but is slightly more involved, since transportation water should not be tipped into the aquarium, particularly in the case of reef aquaria. Residues of medications in the transportation water can cause disastrous consequences. I carefully remove the fish from the bag with a net, and then transfer it to the aquarium after acclimation to the new water parameters.

QUARANTINE OR NOT?

Quarantine makes sense only if an op-timally-run and fully-equipped second aquarium is available. In principle, quarantining new arrivals prevents the introduction of diseases or parasites into the aquarium. A disease that appears in new fishes as a result of transportation stress can be treated in a separate quarantine tank and parasites on corals detected and eliminated. The quarantine period must last for at least three weeks. Water parameters and equipment in the quarantine tank must equal those in the main