Dipping corals
- Thread starter kevindub
- Start date
I dip. My method is VERY unscientific. I drop Lugol's Iodine into the bag or acclimation container until the water is tinted yellow 
I leave the coral/clam in the solution for 10-20 minutes. I swish the coral around a bit in the holding water, remove, and place coral into my tank.
I know this is a really haphazzard procedure, but it's worked fine for me for years. I have been blessed to never have gotten any coral pests. This method makes any crustaceans and worms pop off the coral/rocks pretty much upon contact. This means that some xanthid acro crabs might die or scamper off the colony. You may want to extract them first before dipping.
Note: I experimented on a fish once. Suffice it to say, NEVER add Lugol's to bag with a fish
I leave the coral/clam in the solution for 10-20 minutes. I swish the coral around a bit in the holding water, remove, and place coral into my tank.I know this is a really haphazzard procedure, but it's worked fine for me for years. I have been blessed to never have gotten any coral pests. This method makes any crustaceans and worms pop off the coral/rocks pretty much upon contact. This means that some xanthid acro crabs might die or scamper off the colony. You may want to extract them first before dipping.
Note: I experimented on a fish once. Suffice it to say, NEVER add Lugol's to bag with a fish
Lately, I've been asking those I trade with if their tanks are coral pest free. If I sense any inkling of doubt, I do an iodine dip.
Basically, I start with a very dark soup of Seachem's Coral Dip for about 10-15 minutes. Just enough so I can barely see the coral in the container. If there are any pests, they will more than likely have fallen off the coral after getting stunned by the dip. I'll also use a toothbrush to remove any debris, egg mass, etc., from the coral and base. If I find anything on the coral in the container, I then proceed accordingly to the next dip (i.e. Interceptor for red bugs, etc.).
If I find nothing, I slowly start replacing the dip with new water, so it becomes clearer. I then inspect every millimeter of the piece with a flashlight and tweezers (sometimes a magnifying glass if needed). If I still find nothing, it goes straight to the display.
So far, I've never come across anything from those that have given me a very confident guarantee (knock on wood). If I did, I'd rip them a new one all over the boards.
HTH :wink:
Basically, I start with a very dark soup of Seachem's Coral Dip for about 10-15 minutes. Just enough so I can barely see the coral in the container. If there are any pests, they will more than likely have fallen off the coral after getting stunned by the dip. I'll also use a toothbrush to remove any debris, egg mass, etc., from the coral and base. If I find anything on the coral in the container, I then proceed accordingly to the next dip (i.e. Interceptor for red bugs, etc.).
If I find nothing, I slowly start replacing the dip with new water, so it becomes clearer. I then inspect every millimeter of the piece with a flashlight and tweezers (sometimes a magnifying glass if needed). If I still find nothing, it goes straight to the display.
So far, I've never come across anything from those that have given me a very confident guarantee (knock on wood). If I did, I'd rip them a new one all over the boards.
HTH :wink:
Guess one would ask what type of corals and what are you dipping for.
I was burned with a acro frag that came with red bugs. I followed the Interceptor whole tank treatment from this board but since have found this article ( http://www.melevsreef.com/redbugs.html ) for a Interceptor dip that I think I'll be using if I ever get brave enough for another piece of acro.
Not sure if there's a dip for for monti flatworms
I was burned with a acro frag that came with red bugs. I followed the Interceptor whole tank treatment from this board but since have found this article ( http://www.melevsreef.com/redbugs.html ) for a Interceptor dip that I think I'll be using if I ever get brave enough for another piece of acro.
Not sure if there's a dip for for monti flatworms
I think it's a good idea to dip your corals whether or not you think they come from a pest free source. Just because the source tank doesn't appear to have pests today doesn't mean there aren't larvae, eggs, etc. floating around that will cause problems later on. I've been using the Kent coral dip (I believe it's called Tech D) for awhile now with no issues. The directions are very specific, so there's no guesswork involved. I also know for a fact that it's effective against flatworms. I dipped a coral I believed came from a very pest free tank, and sure enough, there are two of the guys lying dead or nearly dead on the bottom of the dip container.
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