Acclimating Neos without a Drip Kit

[Jennifer V]

Hi Nerms! 

I've been patiently waiting an entire year to get some neos for my 5g. Ironically, I decided to pull the trigger and forgot to order a drip acclimation kit. 🤦 Any prayer that I can successfully acclimate them without one? 

My parameters:

Ph: 7.6

Ammonia, Nitrite: 0

Nitrates: 5

Gh: 12

Kh: 4

Temp: 78

 

Tank parameters coming from:

Ph: 7.4

Ammonia, Nitrite: 0

Nitrates: 20

Gh: 9

Kh: 5

Temp: 74

Edited March 22, 2022 by Jennifer V

[ange]

If you have an air valve (they'll look something like this) you can very easily DIY a drip kit with airline tubing. Dip one end of the tubing into the tank they're going into and secure it either with a suction cup or around another piece of tubing (or pinching it under the lid if it absolutely won't stay). Adjust the valve to the drip rate that you desire and you've successfully made a drip.

Another method that requires only a piece of airline tubing would be to gently knot it and adjust it instead of using the valve to determine the rate.

[CT_]

I've also pipetted a little water every couple of minutes over a few hours while watching TV.  It's easy to do if you bring a cup of tank water and a cup of shrimp on the couch (or end table) next to you.

[Odd Duck]

It’s easy to make drip acclimation set up with nothing more than an airline and a bucket.  If you want to get fancy, you can add a bulldog style clip like the pic below to hold the airline siphon in place.  Just attach a long piece of airline to the eventual tank with a clip or wedged under the lid like @angesuggested, and tie a knot in the other end just tight enough to make the line slowly drip.  You can get fancy by adding a single airline valve or a drip valve like is used for drip irrigation, but a knot is all you really need.

If there is only a little water in with the shrimp (typical), I will dump the shrimp into a container or bowl inside a bucket, and drip into the bowl.  It will overflow and keep diluting but that’s the goal.  Dumping shrimp directly in the bucket is fine, too, it just leaves the shrimp in very shallow water.  The bowl leaves them more water depth.  They will eventually overflow the bowl and just be in the bucket and that’s OK.  Remove the bowl and net the shrimp into the tank after a couple hours of dripping.  Don’t forget to top off the tank.

 

[JettsPapa]

On 3/22/2022 at 3:47 AM, CT_ said:

I've also pipetted a little water every couple of minutes over a few hours while watching TV.  It's easy to do if you bring a cup of tank water and a cup of shrimp on the couch (or end table) next to you.

I do something similar, but I use one of the syringes you get at the pharmacy for giving liquid medicine to toddlers.

[Gumbo99]

On 3/22/2022 at 3:47 AM, CT_ said:

I've also pipetted a little water every couple of minutes over a few hours while watching TV.  It's easy to do if you bring a cup of tank water and a cup of shrimp on the couch (or end table) next to you.

I've done it this way based on the sellers recommendation, just dump the bag in a large enough bowl and add a teaspoon or so at a time for an hour or so.

[H.K.Luterman]

How exciting! I just use some airline tubing tied in a knot and it works just fine. 

[Choogie]

If you know someone in the medical field ask them to bring you a used iv setup. My wife was a nurse and I have several. They throw them away after they are used and just rinse/flush them out before using. They have a nice adjustment for controlling drip rate. 

[Jennifer V]

Thank you so much everyone! I kind of panicked when I realized I hadn't equipped myself with anything to acclimate the little guys. Now I'm excited to go full steam ahead and welcome the shrimpies to their new home. Yay!! 

[Patrick_G]

On 3/22/2022 at 8:26 AM, H.K.Luterman said:

How exciting! I just use some airline tubing tied in a knot and it works just fine. 

Me too, I learned it from one of @Irene’s videos. 
Good luck with the shrimp, they’re super fun!