Products for dipping and feeding corals
- Thread starter Hyolee
- Start date
I'm a paranoid reefer these days 
, so here is what I do:
I do the following dip/QT procedures for corals:
Some people also have an Interceptor stage as well as a Fluke Tab stage. I’ve never used Interceptor, but I’ve used Fluke medication. I don’t bother with this stage anymore because I find there’s nothing left after ReVive. Also, instead of TMPCC, you can try Warner’s Dip or Lugol’s … all of which are iodine based dips. Some people prefer CoralRX over FWE, which was demonstrated to work very well against flatworms in a http://www.advancedaquarist.com article.
If the coral is mounted, I will often remove it from the mount and remount it on my own frag plugs. If it isn’t practical, I’ll be extra careful to inspect the existing plug for pests. I’ll often scrap off as much as I can (coralline too) with a razor.
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As for fish …
You really should QT your fish and add medication as necessary. IMO, the “must have” medications for all marine fish enthusiast are:
I'm a big fan of Diver's Den fish because they QT and medicate (as necessary) their fishes. If you can't QT your fish (and there really should be no reason you can't ), buy from DD.
Freshwater dips can help against a range of external parasites and is tolerated by nearly all fishes. The best way to do freshwater dips is to use three containers (dark containers are best to mitigate stress) and a big colander that fits the containers.
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For clams, freshwater dips work very well and clams tolerate FW dips without a problem. I’ve also dipped clams the same way I dip corals (but for shorter periods of time). However, I find clams really do not like iodine based dips nor Revive. They don’t seem to mind FWE though. During all the dips, I will constantly agitate the clams to keep them shut tight. And of course, inspect and scrub the mantle for pests. A toothbrush and razor come in handy. Scrub and scape vigorously, but avoid damaging the clam's foot. Rinse in clean water (FW or SW is fine) afterwards.
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The problematic organisms to dip are inverts such as snails, sea cucumbers, crabs, worms, and echinoderms (starfish and urchins). They just don’t deal with any dipping solutions well. Iodine, FW, FWE, Revive, fluke tabs, etc. all either irritate them like no one’s business or outright kill them. QT and manual cleaning is the only solution I know for invert “sanitization.”
, so here is what I do:I do the following dip/QT procedures for corals:
- 1. New corals are bathed in Salifert Flatworm Exit for 15 to 30 minutes at 5-10x the recommended dosage. If I have a lot of corals to dip, I’ll move them into a dipping container to administer the FWE. Otherwise, I just add the medication directly to the shipping bag and swirl. I find all corals tolerate FWE for indefinite periods of time and at very high (up to 25X recommended) doses.
2. I then move my coral to a Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure bath for 10 to 15 minutes. I do 1-2x the recommended dosage of TMPCC.
3. The corals are removed from the dip and visually inspected for worms, eggs, crabs, etc. I remove everything I find. None of these dips will take care of eggs, so this step is crucial.
4. Next, the corals are moved over to a Two Little Fishes Revive solution (at its recommended dosage) for no more than 5 minutes. I use a baster to blast the coral every minute. I find ReVive is rather harsh if the corals are dipped too long, so I would not advise long baths.
5. The corals are then rinsed in clean saltwater, then placed into my QT tank for 24-48 hours. Some people just put corals directly into their display tank instead.
Some people also have an Interceptor stage as well as a Fluke Tab stage. I’ve never used Interceptor, but I’ve used Fluke medication. I don’t bother with this stage anymore because I find there’s nothing left after ReVive. Also, instead of TMPCC, you can try Warner’s Dip or Lugol’s … all of which are iodine based dips. Some people prefer CoralRX over FWE, which was demonstrated to work very well against flatworms in a http://www.advancedaquarist.com article.
If the coral is mounted, I will often remove it from the mount and remount it on my own frag plugs. If it isn’t practical, I’ll be extra careful to inspect the existing plug for pests. I’ll often scrap off as much as I can (coralline too) with a razor.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As for fish …
You really should QT your fish and add medication as necessary. IMO, the “must have” medications for all marine fish enthusiast are:
- 1. Cupramine (for Ich and a wide range of parasites)
2. Prazipro (deworming and flukes)
3. Marcyn Two (bacteria)
I'm a big fan of Diver's Den fish because they QT and medicate (as necessary) their fishes. If you can't QT your fish (and there really should be no reason you can't
), buy from DD.Freshwater dips can help against a range of external parasites and is tolerated by nearly all fishes. The best way to do freshwater dips is to use three containers (dark containers are best to mitigate stress) and a big colander that fits the containers.
- 1. Before you begin, first acclimate your fish to your QT/display water (slow drip or adding small amounts of QT/display water to the shipping bag).
2. Next, place the colander into one container and fill the container with QT/display water.
3. Remove the fish from the bag to the filled container. I recommend you cover the container since some fish will jump.
4. Fill the next container with freshwater. Adjust the temp (with heater or adding hot freshwater) so that it matches or is a few degrees above the temp of the first container. Some people add baking soda to match the pH as well, though IMO a fish suffering from the osmotic shock won’t really care too much about the pH difference.
5. Remove the colander (with fish) from the first container and place it into the second freshwater container. Cover the container and let the fish bath for 3-15 minutes in freshwater. The longer the bath, the more parasites will pop off the fish. However, it does put the fish under more stress, so find a good balance. I’ve heard SW fish can last for upwards of 30 minutes in FW. Periodically check in on the fish to make sure it’s not seriously stressed. A lot of SW fish will initially act listless/lifeless in FW (sometimes laying on its side). Gently prod it to get it snapped out of its shock. The fish should act normally after that. If it’s behaving very erratic or panting very heavily, it’s time to remove the fish ASAP.
6. While you wait, fill the third container with display/QT water.
7. After the bath time has elapsed, remove the colander (with fish) from the second to the third container (with display/QT water).
8. Transfer your fish from the third container to your QT or display tank.
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For clams, freshwater dips work very well and clams tolerate FW dips without a problem. I’ve also dipped clams the same way I dip corals (but for shorter periods of time). However, I find clams really do not like iodine based dips nor Revive. They don’t seem to mind FWE though. During all the dips, I will constantly agitate the clams to keep them shut tight. And of course, inspect and scrub the mantle for pests. A toothbrush and razor come in handy. Scrub and scape vigorously, but avoid damaging the clam's foot. Rinse in clean water (FW or SW is fine) afterwards.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The problematic organisms to dip are inverts such as snails, sea cucumbers, crabs, worms, and echinoderms (starfish and urchins). They just don’t deal with any dipping solutions well. Iodine, FW, FWE, Revive, fluke tabs, etc. all either irritate them like no one’s business or outright kill them. QT and manual cleaning is the only solution I know for invert “sanitization.”
Oh, I've fed Coral Frenzy, Reef Chili, and Oyster Feast to the water column (at night), but I've stopped "broadcast" feeding because I'm fighting dinos and cyano right now. I've also target fed hikari and PE mysis and arctipods to acans, chalices, scolys, dendros, and brains.
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