How to Acclimate Starfish
Add starfish to well-established tanks., Make sure the temperature is correct., Contact your supplier to determine the salinity of its tanks.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Add starfish to well-established tanks.
Do not place a starfish in a new aquarium or one that has not had time to reach a balance with the fish and the chemistry of the water.
Starfish are generally too fragile to accept the adjustments that a new tank needs.Even if your tank is well established, do not introduce a starfish to a tank where copper medication has been used recently.
Copper is toxic to starfish. -
Step 2: Make sure the temperature is correct.
Starfish need to be in water that is between 22ºC and 26ºC (71.6 to
78.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
Make sure that the water in your tank is this warm before starting the acclimation process.Most tropical fish tanks should be kept at between 25° to 27°C (76° to 80°F), so you should not have to adjust the temperature much to accommodate the starfish., Your starfish may have an easier time adapting to its new environment if your tank has salinity close to your supplier's.
If buying a starfish from your local aquarium store, this information will be easy to get when you make your purchase.
However, if you order a starfish online, you will need to contact the seller and ask them for the information.Keeping the starfish in the same salinity that it is used to will require that your other aquarium residents can thrive in that salinity as well.
If they can't, then you will need to adjust the starfish to a new salinity. -
Step 3: Contact your supplier to determine the salinity of its tanks.
Detailed Guide
Do not place a starfish in a new aquarium or one that has not had time to reach a balance with the fish and the chemistry of the water.
Starfish are generally too fragile to accept the adjustments that a new tank needs.Even if your tank is well established, do not introduce a starfish to a tank where copper medication has been used recently.
Copper is toxic to starfish.
Starfish need to be in water that is between 22ºC and 26ºC (71.6 to
78.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
Make sure that the water in your tank is this warm before starting the acclimation process.Most tropical fish tanks should be kept at between 25° to 27°C (76° to 80°F), so you should not have to adjust the temperature much to accommodate the starfish., Your starfish may have an easier time adapting to its new environment if your tank has salinity close to your supplier's.
If buying a starfish from your local aquarium store, this information will be easy to get when you make your purchase.
However, if you order a starfish online, you will need to contact the seller and ask them for the information.Keeping the starfish in the same salinity that it is used to will require that your other aquarium residents can thrive in that salinity as well.
If they can't, then you will need to adjust the starfish to a new salinity.
About the Author
Doris Richardson
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: