SneakyOwner
Member
I drip acclimate for an hour and add some lugols while its dripping.
Do the dip?
- Thread starter lcstorc
- Start date
So, today I went to a new fish store I have really been wanting to go to but it is tooo far way. They had such beautiful corals I couldn't leave empty handed. So, the owner started talking to me about dipping. Me being new and all I had the "stupid" look on my face and he was determined to get me on the dipping board. I got a bottle of Reef dip coral disinfectant by Seachem. I didn't even know bugs and things could be on your corals. I am an idiot I know. So, then I told him I put a few zoa frags in last week and I was scared now. So, I decided to come home pull them out place them in a bag with a few drops of this dip and see if some stuff fell off. He had told me to hope the things stayed on if there were any on to begin with. After a few minutes I saw some worm looking things swimming around. I about died. After about 10 minutes I probally had 15 in there. I had put 5 frags in the bag. Man I can't imagine what is in my tank.
JT101
Member
I was unaware that it was that easy to introduce corals, I have always dripped for a long long time
Jeremy,
You are not alone in your frustration. I'm no expert at this (having had a stab at fish-only marine tanks about 30 years ago - no LR back then - and then establishing my reef tank in June 2007) but I've slowly come to realize that there are very, very few hard-pressed "rules" in this hobby.
I, like you, have always been anal when it comes to acclimating anything I put in my reef tank. Then we read about others who have successfully stocked quite impressive systems with exotic corals that got the bum's rush into the tank. It seems like anything goes when it comes to this. Case in point: My wife bought me a coral for my birthday and was going to let me take care of putting it in the tank but I had to work late that day so what does she do? Yep, she takes the bag, cuts it open and essentially dumps the coral straight into the tank (well, she actually DID lower it gently to the bottom but she did NOT in ANY way acclimate it). Ask me how well it's doing...!! It's one of the nicer specimens in my tank right now. Who knew?
I think as long as your tank isn't 86F and the bag of livestock isn't 72F, and the tanks SG isn't running at 1.026 while the water the bag contains isn't at 1.020 you could most likely get away with the "cut and dump" method. While would not ADVOCATE and CONDONE this methodology, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that many of us have done just that - and never had a single issue.
BarbMazz
Well-Known Member
It's important to remember that corals exude nasties when sitting in the bag water. Not good. A long acclimation has them sitting in the nasties for a longer period of time. Better to get them out of that and into better water conditions than sit in stagnant poisonous water.
On the reef corals are exposed to very harsh conditions and great swings in chemistry, and even exposure to air. They're tougher than you think!
On the reef corals are exposed to very harsh conditions and great swings in chemistry, and even exposure to air. They're tougher than you think!
yungreefer2410
Well-Known Member
i don't acclimate very long. i just try to get the sg almost the same then in they go.
Hey Lynn 
All my sps get the Lugols treatment and a thorough look over prior to going into my system.
First I float the bag for a few minutes to get the temp close to the tank I am putting the coral in, then I mix 40-80 drops of the Lugols to one gallon of tank water. Yeah, the directions say 40 but I have not had any negative results from doubling it. And I do that with some pretty delicate corals.
After 20-30mins. I add them to the tank. Done
During the dip I do like to use my turkey baster, (don't tell the wife! ) and blast the corals a bit. It always amazes me how dirty the water is after a dip compared to how the water looked in the bag when the coral arrived. Detritus really hides in the corals and on the bases.
All my sps get the Lugols treatment and a thorough look over prior to going into my system.
First I float the bag for a few minutes to get the temp close to the tank I am putting the coral in, then I mix 40-80 drops of the Lugols to one gallon of tank water. Yeah, the directions say 40 but I have not had any negative results from doubling it. And I do that with some pretty delicate corals.
After 20-30mins. I add them to the tank. Done
During the dip I do like to use my turkey baster, (don't tell the wife! ) and blast the corals a bit. It always amazes me how dirty the water is after a dip compared to how the water looked in the bag when the coral arrived. Detritus really hides in the corals and on the bases.
When I bring home new corals, They first go in a 5g bucket, with a power head, heater, and 1/3 tablet of Interceptor. I leave them in the bucket overnite, which is generally 12 hours.
From there, I do a 15 minute dip in a 'Revive' solution. Swishing around looking for pests.
After the Revive, they go into a Quarantine tank, and a treatment of 'Flatworm Exit' is ran while they are watched closely for at least 1-2 weeks, (depending on the coral) which then, I do another Revive dip, swishing around again looking closely.
If all looks well, they then go to their appropriate tank.
I use this process for all new corals purchased, no matter where I get them. SPS, LPS, and polyps.
It is also a good habit to get into removing a new frag from the plug or rock it comes on (of course depends on what kind of coral) and remounting it on your own material. This makes it alot easier to look for pests.
I have used a solution of Lugol's which works great, but it does seem that the Revive takes care of any crustaceans that the Interceptor missed... and it is a little more gentle on the coral itself....
From there, I do a 15 minute dip in a 'Revive' solution. Swishing around looking for pests.
After the Revive, they go into a Quarantine tank, and a treatment of 'Flatworm Exit' is ran while they are watched closely for at least 1-2 weeks, (depending on the coral) which then, I do another Revive dip, swishing around again looking closely.
If all looks well, they then go to their appropriate tank.
I use this process for all new corals purchased, no matter where I get them. SPS, LPS, and polyps.
It is also a good habit to get into removing a new frag from the plug or rock it comes on (of course depends on what kind of coral) and remounting it on your own material. This makes it alot easier to look for pests.
I have used a solution of Lugol's which works great, but it does seem that the Revive takes care of any crustaceans that the Interceptor missed... and it is a little more gentle on the coral itself....
newreefguy
Member
Good question... one id like to know as well
I used to dip in lugol's all the time,Now I use a product called REVIVE smells like pine-sol. Had a friend intenionally buy infected corals redbugs,flatworms...
tried lugol's and the revive. REVIVE KICKED A$$!! after dipping in lugols we dipped in the revive more dead critters. I've dipped softies,lps,sps&zoas No problems yet.
tried lugol's and the revive. REVIVE KICKED A$$!! after dipping in lugols we dipped in the revive more dead critters. I've dipped softies,lps,sps&zoas No problems yet.
tex5620
Member
Back when I had my tank running I would just acclimate for 30minutes then drop intank. Never had any problems with any corals except zoas but I think I had zoa nudibranches. When I get tank running soon this is what I plan to do. acclimate, revive dip, flatworm exit dip, rinse off and then into QT tank for bout 1-2 weeks. Then off into display tank. What ya'll think. will this work on most corals as well, frankie do you QT your corals or just into DT.
lcstorc
Well-Known Member
Yet another stupid question on the topic.
Is the dip just to kill off any critters or does it help a frag heal etc?
Reading this thread it seems that it is primarily for the bug killing.
Hubby promised to make the stand for my frag tank finally this weekend and I will be fragging a bunch of softies. I was thinking about dipping half and not dipping half. I know it wouldn't be scientific or anything but do you think it is worth testing? I already have the Lugols and actually another coral dip that I forgot I had.
Is the dip just to kill off any critters or does it help a frag heal etc?
Reading this thread it seems that it is primarily for the bug killing.
Hubby promised to make the stand for my frag tank finally this weekend and I will be fragging a bunch of softies. I was thinking about dipping half and not dipping half. I know it wouldn't be scientific or anything but do you think it is worth testing? I already have the Lugols and actually another coral dip that I forgot I had.
Interceptor (Dog heart worm medicine by prescript only) is what I'm planning to use as my SPS dip
After the recent "events" in my tank there will be NO corals going into any of my systems without some type of dip. I'm strongly thinking all SPS will get "Interceptor" dips and anything else will get a SW dip in Lugols. It's just to easy to do it in the beginning and NOT have to "Nuke the tank" like I'm about to do (once I get the MEDS that is).
lcstorc
Well-Known Member
What to dip in what.
I get that SPS go in Interceptor for Red bugs, but I am still not sure about my softies. I think I am going to do a little experiment and try some with nothing, some with lugol's and some with FW.
I'll see which grows best and fastest or if they are all the same.
Does the dip just kill bugs and critters or does it help the coral heal?
If it is bugs and such then I don't need to do it to my own frags which I think is what the FW does. I "think" the Lugol's might help in healing but I've talked myself in circles again.
I get that SPS go in Interceptor for Red bugs, but I am still not sure about my softies. I think I am going to do a little experiment and try some with nothing, some with lugol's and some with FW.
I'll see which grows best and fastest or if they are all the same.
Does the dip just kill bugs and critters or does it help the coral heal?
If it is bugs and such then I don't need to do it to my own frags which I think is what the FW does. I "think" the Lugol's might help in healing but I've talked myself in circles again.
Nervoustime
Active Member
I think that the following links might be worth reading.
Melevsreef.com - Interceptor | Red Bug treatment
Melevsreef.com - Avoid Those Pests!
Melevsreef.com - Interceptor | Red Bug treatment
Melevsreef.com - Avoid Those Pests!
tektite
Active Member
Very nice articles, thanks.