Acclimating new fish for salinity

[Reefmonkey]

Pretty much without exception the brackish fish species sold in LFS's are sold in pure fresh water. My aquarium is currently at 1.014. I don't have space for a cycled quarantine tank. What's the best way to acclimate new fish to my salinity.

[moganman]

Same way the lfs do. But just because a fish is brackish doesn't mean it was in brackish before the lfs acquired it. I would honestly do very slow acclimation (2-3 hours or even more). Dump fish in a bucket and add a half cup guve or take every ten min of your brackish water. Do it until you've dumped the water mostly out and your tank water is over 90% of the water in the bucket.

[mredman]

You are correct that the LFS generally does not have brackish water tanks but indeed have brackish fish. Some fish, such as mollies, can be acclimated over a course of two hours. They will thrive in the new environment. However, fish that are susceptible to ich may require a longer acclimation (e.g. scats). Many of the snail species will be very grateful for your efforts. You may have an ideal nerite spawning habitat.

While I miss out on some good deals, I like to buy fish that have already been acclimated to the LFS for several days. If I see no evidence of disease, it is time to buy.

Mike