Q&A for How to Acclimate a Fish

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How long should I leave my fish in the bag before putting it in the tank?

Craig Morton
Aquarium Specialist, Aquarium Doctor Inc.
Craig Morton is the CEO of Aquarium Doctor Inc. based in Huntington Beach California and servicing Orange County, Los Angeles County, and the Inland Empire. With over 30 years of aquarium experience, Craig specializes in creating custom aquarium designs along with aquarium installation, service, and maintenance.

Craig Morton

Aquarium Specialist, Aquarium Doctor Inc.

Expert Answer

I would recommend floating your fish's bag in the aquarium water for at least 15-30 minutes. This way, your fish will have enough time to acclimate to the water temperature of the tank.

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Question

How does the cycling function and how can I accelerate the process?

Community Answer

If you mean the nitrogen cycle, it is basically making the beneficial bacteria build up so they can remove ammonia, which can burn your fish. In order to speed this up, you could get Tetra SafeStart or something similar.

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Question

I already have a beta fish in a 2.5 gallon bowl and want to add a heater to it. It is a preset heater so I don't have to do anything with it. If it is heating up slowly, can I leave my fish in his bowl?

Community Answer

Check with your local pet store. You may want to wait until the water is heated and acclimate your beta, but you need to know a safe temperature for a beta fish first.

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Question

Is there an easier way to do this?

Community Answer

When you buy a fish, it usually comes in a bag. Let the bag float in the tank for a few hours, and then put the fish in the water and get rid of the bag.

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