sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
I was reading earlier today that dipping some corals with iodine, like Green Star polyps, can actually hurt them. Anybody seen adverse reactions with iodine dips?
When not to dip
- Thread starter sen5241b
- Start date
yote
In Memoriam
I havnt and I dip ALL new corals before they go in my tank.At times I'll even rinse them off under the tap in the kitchen depending on what I find after the dip.
LBFish
Reefing newb
Dipping corals is totally new to me. I haven't done it with the few corals I have so far. So what is it, how do I do it and why is it important?
darren0311
Reefing newb
it's perfectly fine to dip them in Iodine, just make sure the mixeture is correct.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
You can dip corals in an iodine dip or some in freshwater. It kills diseases, parasites and pests that may come with the coral. For example, a lot of times, zoanthid colonies will be carrying zoanthid-eating snails or nudibranchs. You don't know about it until a couple months later when all your zoas start mysteriously disappearing... Doing a freshwater or iodine dip before you introduce the corals to the tank will cause those snails and nudis to drop right off.
darren0311
Reefing newb
+1 :-)
dcantucson
Reef pro
Yote if you put them under the facet, do you then just plop them into the tank? :shock:
Why acclimate then?
yote
In Memoriam
He's my process David.
#1 Rinse under tap.ONLY if I see flatworms or coral predators.
#2 20 minute soak in Lugols.
#3 acclimate and place on the sand bed.
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
I'm dipping everything form now on.
Sunshine
Reef enthusiast
I'm lost .... I thought the acclimating was to get the temp and salinity from what they were in to what you have in your tank. If I do the faucet water and the lugols, doesn't that just wipe out the reason for acclimating them ?
dcantucson
Reef pro
That's what I'm saying Sunshine. :shock:
yote
In Memoriam
When you touch the coral,they close up right?So the freshwater is only going to rinse whatever is on the outside off.Things like flatworms,red bugs,zoo eating nudibranches and stuff like that.Plus you only rinse the corals in freshwater for a couple of seconds at the most and even then,ONLY if you see the predators.
The lugols is mixed in a container of water that you take from the tank or in my case the water in the bag I brought the coral home in.Just the iodine is much higher.
The lugols is mixed in a container of water that you take from the tank or in my case the water in the bag I brought the coral home in.Just the iodine is much higher.
Rcpilot
Reef enthusiast
If I dip in freshwater, it's RO water at the same temp as my tank. 80F
I've dipped corals up to 2 minutes in fresh water, but I don't believe it's necessary anymore. 20-30 seconds is enough to drive out most worms and bugs. Most of the pests will be inverts. Not many of them can take fresh water more than 10 seconds before they are going crazy swimming away from the coral and starting to die.
I've only dipped a few corals in iodine and that was because they had not been healed up all the way before the seller shipped them to me. Iodine seams to help remove dead flesh and promotes healing. It sure pisses the corals off though.
I've dipped corals up to 2 minutes in fresh water, but I don't believe it's necessary anymore. 20-30 seconds is enough to drive out most worms and bugs. Most of the pests will be inverts. Not many of them can take fresh water more than 10 seconds before they are going crazy swimming away from the coral and starting to die.
I've only dipped a few corals in iodine and that was because they had not been healed up all the way before the seller shipped them to me. Iodine seams to help remove dead flesh and promotes healing. It sure pisses the corals off though.
Sunshine
Reef enthusiast
I've only dipped my torch when it started to die. And that was after it was in my tank for awhile. I was just thinking with all the freshwater or RO water, that itself would take away the salinity they were in, and after it sits for awhile in iodine, the temp wouldn't stay at whatever it was to begin with, so that's why I asked about the acclimating, seems kinds useless to acclimate after that.
Rcpilot
Reef enthusiast
I'm ashamed to admit it, but I've tossed corals in my tank without an acclimation. I've only done that once. I was in a hurry to leave and knew I would not be returning for about 12hrs. Couldn't leave them in the bag that long - so I tossed them in the tank with no acclimation.
I got lucky - they opened up the very next morning when the lights came on.
Don't EVER do that with any kind of invert or fish. :faint:
I got lucky - they opened up the very next morning when the lights came on.
Don't EVER do that with any kind of invert or fish. :faint:
Bifferwine
I am a girl
I've had to do this with fish and snails before. And they definitely have a worse survival rate if they are not acclimated properly.
Rarely do I ever acclimate corals. I just toss them in my tank. Inverts and fish though -- you're asking for trouble if you don't acclimate them.
Sunshine
Reef enthusiast
I always acclimate everything for 2 hours now. Use to only do it for 15 minutes till I found this very knowledgeable forum. Surprised I didn't lose any fish doing it that way.
Rcpilot
Reef enthusiast
I acclimate all inverts for at least 3hrs now.
Corals usually about 1 or 2 hrs - if they start opening up in the bag - I turn them loose.
I don't buy fish - but if I did they would probably get a 2hr acclimation. My grand total of water between both tanks is about 80g. I have 2 fish (1 per tank)................ and a TON of corals :mrgreen:
Corals usually about 1 or 2 hrs - if they start opening up in the bag - I turn them loose.
I don't buy fish - but if I did they would probably get a 2hr acclimation. My grand total of water between both tanks is about 80g. I have 2 fish (1 per tank)................ and a TON of corals :mrgreen:
Sunshine
Reef enthusiast
I'm trying to get some Anthias. My LFS guy is seeing if he can get me some. They will be my last fish. That will make 8. He said I should have at least 3. I want the Lyretail. After those are added, I will just buy coral. I'm just never sure of what coral to get. What I think is pretty, may not be suitable for me. Like that Torch I had so much trouble with. I'm not experienced enough to handle anything too demanding. But, I didn't know you could acclimate corals in a short time frame. Good to know.
