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Acclimating Marine InvertebratesSnails, Anemones and Other Invertebrates Need Slow Acclimitization
Many invertebrates, including shrimp and anemones, are particularly sensitive to changes in water chemistry, making slow drip acclimitization essential.
Many invertebrates are particularly sensitive to changes in water chemistry, and so proper acclimatization is particularly essential when it comes to snails, corals, starfish, shrimp, anemones, and the like. A separate article deals with acclimating marine fish. Just as with acclimating fish, temperature, salinity and pH are the critical factors to consider when acclimating a new invertebrate. Given many invertebrates extreme sensitivity to even small differences in water chemistry, the differences between your system's water chemistry and the water chemistry in the dealer's holding tank could prove fatal without proper acclimatization. The goal of acclimatization is to slowly familiarize your new invertebrate with your system’s water. First you will need to bring the water temperature in the shipping water to the same temperature as your system water. To do this, float the unopened bag in your tank or sump for 15-30 minutes. Be sure to leave your aquarium lights off during the entire acclimatization process. Remove the bag from the tank, and carefully open the top of the bag with scissors. Place the bag upright inside a plastic bucket. Alternatively, you can empty invertebrates that came from the same system water at the dealer’s into a single bucket so long as they will not bother each other (e.g. two starfish would be fine in the same bucket, but an anemone and an urchin should not be acclimated together). While it is often recommended to drip acclimate all new marine animals, it is essential with invertebrates. Drip acclimatization is easily accomplished with minimal equipment, but it does take time. To set-up the acclimatization station, run a plastic tube from the top of the tank into each bag or holding container. Tie two loose overhand knots in each plastic line. Begin a siphon by sucking on the end of the tube and then adjust the flow rate by tightening or loosening the knots. Adjust the drip rate to no more than one drip per second. Allow the water volume to double, remove half of the water, and repeat the process. With especially sensitive invertebrates, test the water for both pH and salinity, and if there is still a difference, repeat for a third cycle. Once the invertebrate is acclimated, it can be moved by hand directly into the tank. In the case of sponges and other invertebrates that should not be removed from the water, pour out as much water as possible from the bag and then gently slip the entire bag into the tank and remove the invertebrate underwater. Some acclimatization water will mix with your system water, but not enough to be a concern. One final note, it is recommended that all invertebrates (just like fish) be quarantined. Click here to see all of Ret's marine aquarium articles.
The copyright of the article Acclimating Marine Invertebrates in Aquariums is owned by Ret Talbot. Permission to republish Acclimating Marine Invertebrates in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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