Acclimating your corals ...what do you do for SPS, LPS, etc?

[Len]

Topic says it all Louey reminded me to ask the question.

 

[Anonymous]

I drip acclimate everything wether it needs it or not.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not recommending my method, but it's what I do.

Float the bag in the refugium for 15 minutes then start adding tank water to the bag every 5 minutes for 20 - 30 minutes.

I check the PH and salinity before I start so that I have an idea how fast or slow to do the acclimation procedure.

Louey

 

[Len]

I guess in particular .... do people do anything special to make sure they don't get nasties like nudibranchs, worms, bugs, etc.?

 

[Unarce]

For coral fragments, I basically do a combo dip/acclimation. I start off with a quarter cup of bag water and about 10-15% iodine. If there are any pests, they'll start doing their little dance within the first few minutes, and I bring the iodine percentage to 25%.

If there are no pests, I'll add a quarter cup of my tank water every 5 minutes, until it's a full cup. Than in it goes.

If there are pests, than I just let it sit for several hours until I'm certain they are all dead. Than I'll add my tank water at the same rate above. You just never know, even when your familiar with the other person tank, so I always examine the frag carefully.

 

[cygnus]

I float the bags for about 10 minutes, then i just pull them out and put them into the tank. Most times i submerge the bag and pull it out and place it in the tank. I dont worry about mixing transport water with tank water. For snails,crabs, fish and shrimps I float the bag for 10 minutes then net them out of the bag and drop them into the tank. I have yet to lose one. It seems these animals are better able the handle acute stress of being dropped into the tank rather than slow long stressful exspoure of acclimation. I would rather be dropped into a tank of cold water once than to be slowly lowered into it over a period of hours. It works for me it may not work for others. ya go with what ya know and what works. as far as unwanted guest/hitchhikers it is a roll of the dice. Most pest are microscopic larvea and will not make themselves known until much later.

 

[Anonymous]

I usually drip acclimate, with the bag hanging in my sump so it gets to the same temp and doesn't get too cold, but have been known to do the "float and toss in a few cups of tank water" method here and there if it is something very hardy.

I never dip or Q tank corals, but I think I might start given my new little friends. :?

 

[Anonymous]

Acclimate?

 

[MartinE]

I drip acclimate everything. As far as nasties I just give them a once over with my eyes and if its to small to see it will show itself soon enuff.

 

[Anonymous]

I add a bit of tank water every 5 min or so until the bag is full. Ditch the water and add the frag.

 

[Rob Top]

drip, drip, drip.
Depending on where the pcs is coming from I may act differantly. For pcs stright out of God's tank to mine I useually check ph, temp and salinity, then replace 100% shipped water with my water. Any shock is off set by the fact that the water is pretty nasty after a trip from fiji to mid america.

otherwise it is drip, drip, drip

 

[Anonymous]

I add 1/2 cup at a time every few minutes. Honestly I don't think most corals care much.

The important thing is DO NOT glue the frag the day you get it, if it's unmounted. Give it a day or two.

Also two-part putty epoxy is harmful to corals and it shouldn't contact their tissues.

 

[Maximus1]

I would definitely do an interceptor dip on all of them.

 

[the7ferret]

Shot acclimate...

Basicly I float the bag and after 20 min I add 1 shot glass full of tank water into the bag every 5 min up to an hr.

No problems ever, all the corals, fish, inverts, sea stars are doing great.

 

[Anonymous]

Shot acclimate...

Basicly I float the bag and after 20 min I add 1 shot glass full of tank water into the bag every 5 min up to an hr.

No problems ever, all the corals, fish, inverts, sea stars are doing great.

I have tried that method before, it never worked....

I don't think corals like my brand of whiskey


:lol:




















I myself just float them for about a half hour to get the temp the same and then add water to the bag at the rate of about a half cup every 5 minutes. Then I pull the coral out of the bag and stick it in the tank.

Course I have only done that 3-4 times......

 

[Mihai]

For SPS I do what Wade taught me to do: let them out of water for 2-5 minutes (to slime) then pop them in the tank. He said that as long as the water in the receiving tank is excellent (like mine ) they should be OK.
Never lost a SPS to acclimatization yet.

For LPS I drip acclimate. Softies... you can't really harm a mushroom a leather or a zoanthid so I skip it.

M.

 

[Anonymous]

For all corals... Nothing. Pop em in. In all 1+ years I have had corals ( :lol: :lol: ) I have never lost a coral to acclimation.

Chris->looks about furiously for a wood surface...

I do have about 30-40 species/morphs in my collection though.

I shot/cup/whatever scoop I have available acclimate all motile life while floating in the tank. Depending on the type of life it either lasts 1/2 hour or an hour or more.

 

[Ben1]

I use Loueys method also.

If it is SPS I plan to use a 10 gal tank and do a lugols/interceptor/levistomal (sp?) 6 hour dip. Although it may not kill eggs, I wont have to worry about RB or AFW for the most part again. Really I should do a 6 hour dip, then keep them in the 10 for a week or two and do it again. This way I would be sure not to introduce those nasty AEFW's

 

[brandon4291]

I also do not acclimate. I know it's rather haphazard but really I have never acclimated a single coral or shrimp I've ever owned. When mine die it's months later due to something lame like a home A/C issue, heat issue due to a fan I forgot to turn on, or a powerhead that gets loose/aims down and blows the head off some unwilling specimen... since this is posted publicly I'd at least add that slowly matching salinity should ease the transition somewhat. My LFS runs low usually where I get my corals, maybe around .022 and mine are at .024 instant jump in the thousandths never hurt my guys any I'm just meaning my lack of discipline hasn't killed any yet

 

[Anonymous]

For SPS I do what Wade taught me to do: let them out of water for 2-5 minutes (to slime) then pop them in the tank. He said that as long as the water in the receiving tank is excellent (like mine ) they should be OK.

Ditto, except I do it for all corals.