Importance of dipping

[Blndbunny]

Today I learned the importance of ALWAYS dipping new corals. My husband and I were out running errands and decided to stop in a local fish store and see if anything needed to follow us home. Sure enough we found two acros, and a branching montipora that we needed. I managed to talk the owner into giving me the frags for $10 a piece cause they were browned out. I've had fantastic luck with other corals from them, they color up very quickly in my system.

Anyways I always start my corals by dipping them first in coral RX, a rinse then drip acclimation before placing them I to my tank. Typically this results in the decimation of a bunch of pods, the occasional flat worm and occasionally a nudi from new zoas. Well today I found dreaded Acro eating flat worms, 8 of them to be precise, then I saw were some orange/red colored tiny pods (red bugs??).

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]

Thank goodness for the hardware store at the end of my street! Picked up a bottle of bayer advanced and promptly gave those frags a 20 min soak. Now to remove the corals from the plugs, and get them placed onto new pieces of rubble rock. My awesome deal on corals could have easily brought death to my tank. Once again I'm glad I'm so careful about putting anything in my tank

 

[DianaKay]

Awesome that you shared your experience!! Thanks for the reminder to dip corals

 

[Blndbunny]

Some days it really seems like it would be easier to not dip. When it seems like all you are ever doing is killing pods and not seeing the big bad uglies. But it only takes once, my Stoney's are really staring to take off. This could have been the end

 

[goma]

Good lesson for everyone.

 

[Tru2nr]

I would remember to check for AEFW eggs...Bayer does not kill the eggs n they can take up to a week to hatch

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[PSU4ME]

That's nasty, did you see any eggs? I wouldn't put them right in your tank, set up a quick 10g and dip 2 more times after you remount. You can't be assured that you removed all of the aefw.

 

[andan]

Great Blndbunny, thanks for your shared...

 

[Blndbunny]

I remounted and cut the corals well above their base. I very carefully scoured them looking for anything that looked "not right". One of them I only kept just over half, it was beautifully encrusted, but I didn't want to risk it. Right now I only have one other acro in the tank. I wish I had the space to set up a coral quarantine, but right now I don't have lights or an empty tank. The corals will be dipped again, a few more times. If anything looks at all distressed I will figure out setting up a quick quarantine (likely in a 5galon bucket)

 

[reeferman]

the eggs will only be on the plugs or dead tissue/skeleton.if you removed all that,you probably dont have eggs.personally,if i found 8 aefw on bargain bin acros,i woulda just threw them out taking no chances.
great reminder to always dip new additions.

 

[Choff]

I never thought of remounting my frags as a standard practice but it's a great idea. A step I doubt I will do out of laziness, but I love it. I would certainty do it if I saw issues like in this case, but I was reading another thread about standard practices that folks do when that get new corals and more than a few chimed in saying that they remount every coral no matter what.

...stupid auto correct

 

[Tru2nr]

I never thought of remounting my frags as a standard practice but it's a great idea. A step I doubt I will do out of laziness, but I love it. I would certainty do it if I saw issues like in this case, but I was reading another thread about standard practices that folks do when that get new corals and more than a few chimed in saying that they remount every coral no matter what.

...stupid auto correct

Until you lose an entire tank of acro's...unless I know who's tank it came out of I will remount no questions asked...even than if I see anything that remotely looks like eggs I'm remounting

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[Mike Johnson]

I go a step further. Anything new (after acclimation and dipping) is put into a observation tank for a couple weeks. I also closely inspect everything with a jewelers loop. Frag plugs are great for introducing an invasive algae, not just aefw, red bugs, nudibranch eggs, and etc.

 

[Blndbunny]

Frag plugs are scary things! I also really don't care for how they look, I'd much rather remount onto small pieces or rubble.

I've read enough on people losing tanks, that it made the decision to remount everything when I decided to get into sps. I often lose some amount of the coral, since I'd rather cut into healthy tissue then transfer superglue. I really hate hitchhikers.

After seeing the bad hitchhiker I would have considered just pitching the frags, if i wasn't so find if them. The LFS owner gave me a good deal because I'm in regularly. The branching monti is a good size colony, 8 branches stemming from a trunk and 4.5"-5" tall, one acro is 6 main branches and about 3.5" tall, and the smallest has three branches and is nearly three inches tall. I fely goid about them after doing two dips, trimming, remounting and a very close inspection with a magnifying glass.

Today all three are showing very nice polyp extention and appear happy, no slimming. Right now I can't see any signs of anything on them. I will continue closely monitoring and if I see anything all the sps will be dipped

 

[Choff]

I'm on board.

...stupid auto correct

 

[reeferman]

they are probably doing MUCH better after you getting them parasites off them.

 

[Blndbunny]

I will share a pic a little bit later, I was cleaning and messing with the tank and they are closed up

 

[Blndbunny]

As promised here are the corals
Montipora digitata, orange polyps glow under blue/violet led

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]

Unknown acr(I'm pretty sure), Has a fluorescent green cast

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]

Unknown acro, entirely browned out except fir magenta growth tips, pale blue polyps. In this puck the white area us actually tan, it's not a dead spot

[/url] image by jessica_haering, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[iamafish3]

Wow I never heard of dipping them. (I'm still new to this ) so glad I read this! Thank you!

 

[Tru2nr]

Wow I never heard of dipping them. (I'm still new to this ) so glad I read this! Thank you!

Trust me learn early in the hobby to dip...ive lost a bunch or corals through my time because of not dipping

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