Procedures for Acclimation

Please follow the instructions below for acclimation. It is critically important to minimize stress and shock of your new arrivals. We have found through research and experimentation, the method below works best.

***IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ISSUES, PLEASE CALL US IMMEDIATELY!***
423-475-7183

1. When your order arrives, take the box to the room where you will be doing the acclimation process.
2. Dim the lights in the room if possible and turn off the aquarium lights. (It is very dark in the box and bright light can cause stress on your new specimens).
3. Carefully open the box and remove the plastic bag(s) containing your new specimens and the small bottle of nitrifying bacteria.

***DO NOT OPEN THE BAG(S) AT THIS TIME.
ALLOW THE TEMPERATURES TO EQUALIZE BEFORE OPENNING!***

1. Without opening the bag, check the temperature of the water. If there is a difference of more than 5 degrees F, let the bag sit out for a while to let the temperature slowly adjust.
2. Next, float the bag in the quarantine tank for 20 minutes or longer to equalize the temperature.
3. Once the temperatures have equalized, open the bag containing the seahorses and carefully lift them out of the bag and place them in the quarantine tank. (Seahorses should never be netted. You should thoroughly wash your hands and use your hand to gently enclose the body of the seahorse to lift them out and gently place the seahorse in the new aquarium).
4. Discard the shipping bag and water.
5. Add a small amount of frozen mysis and observe feeding behavior. Some seahorses will eat right away, others will adjust to the new environment before feeding. If you do not observe the seahorses eating within 24 hours, please call us.
6. Keep the lights dim for the first day to allow your specimens to settle in to the new environment.
7. The bottle of nitrifying bacteria is enclosed to help prevent a spike in ammonia and nitrites when adding you new seahorses to the aquarium. If you are quarantining in a bare bottom tank without filtration and relying on water changes, save it for when you add the seahorses to the display aquarium. If you are adding the seahorses to a tank with biological filtration, add the bacteria to the tank. (UV and Ozone should be turned off for 24 hours when adding bacteria). The bacteria are safe for all aquariums and there is no danger of overdosing it.
8. If you have any issues or questions, please contact us!