Essential Reef Acclimation Guide

Essential Reef Acclimation Guide

For all fish, corals, clams, and invertebrates


We pack every order with care, plenty of oxygen, and water conditioned with stress-reducing and ammonia-neutralizing additives so livestock can handle extended transit if needed. Even if something looks lethargic or unresponsive, please follow this guide—darkness during shipping can cause temporary inactivity.


⚠ Important: Do not drip acclimate fish shipped directly from Essential Reef. This will void our guarantee.


Steps for Fish, Coral, Clams, and Inverts

  1. Inspect upon arrival – Open the box and check livestock condition right away.
  2. Turn off tank lights – Keep them off to reduce stress.
  3. Temperature acclimation – Float the sealed bags in your aquarium for 10–15 minutes. Avoid blocking overflows or filtration. Do not add tank water to the bag.
  4. Transfer livestock – Open each bag and use a net to move livestock into the tank. Avoid high-flow areas and watch smaller animals to ensure they aren’t harassed by tankmates.
  5. Discard bag water – Never pour shipping water into your aquarium.
  6. Keep lights off – Leave lights off for at least another 20–30 minutes, ideally overnight.
  7. For coral & clams – Follow the same steps plus your preferred light-acclimation process.

If a fish arrives in a mesh tube, place the entire tube into your aquarium—do not try to remove the fish by hand. An acrylic acclimation box is also a great option to safely introduce new fish and monitor them before release.

Feeding: Do not feed immediately. Offer food the next morning after lights come on. Most new arrivals will begin eating pellets or frozen foods within a day or two.

 

Why We Don’t Recommend Drip Acclimation

Our fish are shipped in full-strength seawater. During transit, ammonia builds up in the bag, lowering the pH, which converts toxic ammonia into a less harmful form (ammonium). Adding higher-pH tank water reverses this process and can cause an immediate ammonia spike—damaging gills and internal tissues, and sometimes leading to death within hours or days.


It’s safer for fish to adjust to a small salinity difference than to risk ammonia poisoning. If drip acclimation or bag-water mixing has already occurred, methylene blue treatment can sometimes help in emergencies.

Quarantine Recommendation

We practice strict biosecurity, but we recommend quarantining all new livestock regardless of source. A quarantine period lets you monitor health, ensure feeding, and condition livestock before adding to your display. Avoid harsh treatments unless absolutely necessary, as some animals are sensitive.



📧 Questions or Concerns?

Email us at info@essentialreef.com and we’ll be happy to help.