Thank you for purchasing from WWC Fish Direct.

Newly acquired fish are susceptible to rapid changes in salinity, pH, temperature and ammonia. They need to be acclimated to existing aquarium conditions to reduce stress from shipping, handling, and any other water parameter changes that occur during transport. A quarantine tank is strongly recommended to observe fish before placing them in the main display aquarium.

These are a few steps to ensure that your new fish acclimates to their new home as stress free as possible.

• When first receiving your fish, visually inspect the fish and condition of transport bag for the following. 

  1) Water clarity and color. (Water should be clear with no haze or discoloration).
  2) Inspect the fish; The fish should be free of any blemishes such as raised scales or torn fins. In the event that there are concerns with the fish please be sure to photograph, document, and please promptly email WWC customer service at contact@worldwidecorals.com
  

• Float the bag in the aquarium for at least 30 minutes to regulate the temperature between the bag water and aquarium.
• Before continuing to the next step, it is important to understand what has been happening inside the fish shipping bag in regards to water chemistry and why the use of an ammonia detoxifier is important. ( see explanation below).
• Open the bag and test the salinity and pH. Remember you are trying to match the parameters between new fish water and existing aquarium; it's good to have a starting point of reference.
• Place fish in a clean container of appropriate size with a lid. Then add the recommended dose of a commercially available ammonia detoxifier such as (Dr. Tims Prime - Ammo Lock) to the container. The use of an air stone is also recommended during the acclimation process to help oxygenate the water and raise pH. If acclimating several new fish, please be mindful of compatibility and size. Multiple containers may need to be used.
• Start a drip acclimation from the aquarium to the container housing the fish. A length of airline hose with a control valve works best. A drip rate of 4-6 drops per second should be done for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove half of the water and repeat the drip process for 30 more minutes. This process cannot be rushed! (Remember to check the temperature in the container. Several factors can affect water temperature during acclimation, such as too slow of a drip rate, placement of container and air flow.)
• Before placing fish into the aquarium, test the water parameters in the acclimation container (pH and salinity). They should match closely to the display or quarantine aquarium. If not, continue acclimating until they are very close or match.
• pH stable aquarium water will gradually raise the low level pH water that the fish has been in as a result of its transit from our facility.
• Turn off your aquarium lights for 24 hours. This will help reduce stress from acclimation and help subside any aggression from existing tank mates. Remove new fish from the acclimation container with a net or specimen container (specimen container recommended) and place into the aquarium. Discard all water used in the process.
• We at WWC Fish Direct cannot stress enough the importance of a quarantine/isolation aquarium. This simple setup can most importantly save the life of your new fish and the lives of their future tank mates. Not to mention countless dollars wasted and unnecessary stress on you and your aquarium. 
  
  (The importance of using an ammonia detoxifier. Your new fish could be in transport for an extended period of time depending on your location, 12 to 24 hours, possibly longer. During this time the fish is carrying on with it’s life processes, i.e respiration and producing waste (ammonia). When a fish is transported there is also excess carbon dioxide (CO2) present. The presence of CO2 will over time lower the pH slowly and will convert any toxic ammonia to a non toxic form called ammonium. All is well at this point until the bag is opened. Upon opening the bag the CO2 gas escapes and can dramatically raise the pH and at the same time convert the harmless ammonium into toxic ammonia which can severely damage the fish's gills and skin. This process is called off gassing. This does not happen instantaneously, and may take up to 30 minutes, but must be addressed.

Quarantine Tank Setup and Procedure

1. For best results purchase a 10 to 20 gallon all-in-one Tank to set up for quarantine.
2.  Add water with a salinity of 1.018 to assist with fighting off parasites.
3. Add a cycling nitrifying bacteria or a similar alternative to jump start and stabilize the bacteria levels in your quarantine tank.
4. Acclimate your fish to this tank as detailed above.
5. After 24 hours treat your fish with Cupramine and Prazipro. Treat as directed and DO NOT add any new fish, unless you are willing to extend the quarantine process.
6.  Feed your fish a very small amount of high quality food 2x daily. This is also a good time to check them for any signs of infection. If there are signs of disease / parasites, then react accordingly with proper research and education.
7. If there’s signs of disease / parasites you will then need to extend the quarantine process until they have fully gone through treatment.
8. Please keep new fish isolated for at least 6 to 8 weeks and then carefully inspect your new additions prior to adding them to your main display.
9. Once you release your latest additions to your aquarium it is recommended to fully drain and completely dry out your quarantine tank (sump / side chambers) before quarantining your next batch of fish.