reeffirstaid
Active Member
While browsing forums, it doesn’t take long, till you realize that reef keepers are dabbling with products, never meant for the marine aquarium. My initial reaction is a knee jerk, “Wow, this is bad!†Then, I take a few moments, reminding myself that it’s this type of experimentation, which led to the bevy of products formulated for our reefs, which help tackle some of the major challenges reefers face. The most recent trend I’ve noticed, the use of insecticides as coral dips. Now I could probably write an entire small book about why this is different than say, using baking soda to adjust alkalinity. For many, the negative implications are obvious, and perhaps for some, the benefits of insecticide dipping outweigh the risks. I am going to breakdown a few reasons why this is a bad idea, and suggest a solution, for aquarists who want their corals of pests, at a moment’s notice and with products readily available.
How reef products are made:
Several years I was working on an article for publisher Bow Tie Inc. They publish Aquarium Fish International, and several aquarium industry insider magazines. The purpose of the article was to find the flagship product, from several aquarium product companies. To do this, I interviewed a variety of chemists, all working for companies we know and love, such as Red Sea, Seachem and API.
The products we purchase for use in reef aquariums, typically aren’t created by a home aquarist, dabbling around, even if their intentions are good. All of these companies employ marine biologists, bio-chemists, micro-biologists, etc. Needless to say, these folks understand chemistry and how it applies to reef organisms. When a product hits the shelf, it’s undergone rigorous testing, both in a lab and in a reef aquarium. Sure, hobbyists may be able to build a great protein skimmer, aquarium, or overflow box, but when it comes to chemistry, and how various compounds effect marine life; that is best left to the experts.
The reason these products are so expensive, is because chemists and biologists, often don’t work for cheap. My point is simple, reef specific products are created by professionals, and tested by professionals. Often something that is used in say, drinking water filtration, is picked up by reef aquarium scientists, and tweaked to become a tool for reef aquarists.
During my series of interviews for Bow Tie Inc., I learned that many of the aquarium products we love, such as Bio Chem Zorb by API, are created after years of research, trial and error, and experimentation by skilled scientists. These experts have access to tools, which even an advanced aquarist wouldn’t have a clue how to operate. Typically, these companies are approached by a public aquarium, who is trying to solve a specific problem, and requires a new product that can perform under the rigorous conditions presented with keeping a large number of challenging species.
This deep level of commitment and science, is found in everything from specialty blend phosphate removers, on down to reef aquarium specific foods. Yes, there are products that perform well, created by hobbyists through experimentation. Most of the time, they don’t risk dabbling with the poisons found in insecticide.
Products for reef aquariums are developed in a lab environment, often using the same precautions implemented by the pharmaceutical industry
The risks:
Coral is one of the most sensitive life forms on planet Earth. Over millions of years, they have adapted to nutrient free water conditions. Corals accept zoxanthalle algae into their tissues, which expedites growth, in nutrient free environments. When we place them in the aquarium, already we are taking risks. First, they won’t be exposed to natural sunlight. A closed system cannot reproduce the natural flow cycles of the ocean, and pests that wouldn’t be of much concern on the wild reef, where the food chain is operating full swing, can decimate captive coral colonies. It’s only natural that as aquarists, we would want to take precautions.
When you dip a coral into insecticide, you really aren’t sure what you’re getting. Insecticides are formulated with a variety of chemicals, all aimed at killing pests that infect our yards, homes, or ornamental plants. While dedicated science often goes into the creation of insecticides, the thought of a coral reef never entered the minds of the people working to create it. Furthermore, we know the use of fertilizers, insecticides and other products, has had a detrimental effect on coral reefs and marine ecosystems worldwide. This alone is a major red flag.
Short term risks are obvious, rapid tissue narcosis, stunted growth, tissues recession, etc. Though, for me, it’s the long term risks, that are really scary, mainly because they remain unknown. We don’t know how long people have been dipping corals in insecticide, and we don’t know what the outcome, for a dipped colony may be, in say five years. Does the coral absorb some of the poison? Can this somehow be released into the aquarium? Will fish or invertebrates that feed off the coral ingest it? These questions remain largely unanswered, simply because we don’t have enough information, enough hard scientific research, to answer them. Corals are still, in many ways, a biological mystery. It was only several years ago, that scientists learned how coral animals acquire zoxanthellae algae. So for me, the biggest risk, the scariest factor of using insecticide to dip corals, is the unknown.
In search of answers to the long term effects of using insecticide to dip corals, I contacted my friend Natascia Tamburello, a reef scientist. She told me, that even today, scientists are working to understand what chemicals and commonly used compounds, effect coral reefs, in an effort to understand why reef degradation is taking place around the world. While environmental factors, such as ocean warming and acidification play a large role, there is a large body of unknowns, when it comes to understanding how common chemicals effect coral reefs. We know corals form a symbiotic relationship with zoxanthellae algae, but we don’t know what role different strains of bacteria may play. Also, we don’t fully understand how an insecticide might effect a coral’s natural physiological functions, such as generating slime to remove unwanted debris. Some species of corals may possibly consume some poison, from an insecticide, later expelling it into aquarium water. On natural reefs, island runoff laden with traces of insecticide from farming, has decimated reef systems.
Reef scientists use underwater, "fish bowl" labs, to study the health of coral reefs
The benefits:
The only benefit I can imagine, is a cheap and readily available way to treat our corals of unwanted pests. Reality is that coral dips exist, they are expensive, and depending on where you are located, may be difficult to get. Running to your local Home Depot, and grabbing a bottle of Bayer Advanced, is an easier solution to dealing with reef pests, then say ordering a $ 30 or 40 dollar bottle of Brightwell Aquatics Coral RX, and waiting for several days until it arrives. Sometimes in the reef aquarium hobby, we are in a pinch, and watching red bugs crawl across your prize acropora colony is tough, not having a dip on hand to kill them, is a nightmare. The prospect of waiting two, or three days for a shipment of coral dip, sometimes seems like the worst option. Though, before tossing your beloved colony into a container of insecticide, a full evaluation of the situation might be a better approach.
It works great in the garden, but in your reef aquarium?
Your coral is sick, you don’t have a dip, now what?
The scenario I described above, is a reality. Even if we purchase corals from the best vendors, under the strictest circumstances, occasionally we get a specimen, infected with one of the plethora of coral pests. The easiest answer to the above question is simply, keep coral dip on hand. Though, in the real world, it seems like there is always a time, when what you need, isn't close at hand. When we consider that copepods and amphipods, along with crabs and shrimp, come from a scientific family that includes insects, it’s easy to see why an insecticide might be a good choice, for combating pests. The reality is, the biological functions that make up a terrestrial insect, are different from the biological functions that make up one of the many coral pests. All of this includes the fact, that long term, we have no clue how this effects corals, or the zoxanthellae algae in their tissues.
We know that iodine is a natural element in sea water. We also know that corals and other invertebrates use iodine to heal damaged tissue, and aid in the production of new skeleton. Mammals use iodine in the case of an injury, to kill bacteria that could cause an infection. Iodine, at the proper concentration kills coral pests, and doesn't harm the coral. Since most of the coral dips on the market, are basically high concentrations of iodine, it seems like a natural fit.
The iodine concentration in your aquarium, should be close to natural sea water levels, around .06 ppm. When testing a coral dip, using Brightwell Aquatics Coral RX, iodine concentrations are around .18 ppm. Using over the counter iodine from a local pharmacy, an iodine test kit, and one gallon of tank water, this dip environment is easily created. Allowing an SPS coral to soak, for roughly 10-12 minutes, and an LPS coral to soak for 7 minutes, works as a successful way to dip corals. While it may not kill all pests with one dip, it can be repeated, daily, if needed, until the coral is all clear. Also, I have found most coral species will tolerate an iodine concentration of around .24 ppm, without any long term ill effects.
This method has been used for many years, and we know that done correctly, iodine dipping doesn't damage coral tissue, or symbiotic zooxanthellae algae, and it doesn't appear to harm the physiological workings of the coral animal.
Final Thought:
Progress has been the engine of the reef aquarium hobby, since its inception. Progress is a wonderful thing, and in the hobby, we have LED lighting, improved circulation pumps, controllers and cameras, and a host of others, all made up of a progressive movement, integrating technology with reef aquariums. While it would seem like experimenting with insecticide, as a coral dip, would be a branch on the tree of progress, it may be the other way around. It has taken reef scientists, and aquarists, decades to arrive at the understanding we have now, about corals both in the wild and in the aquarium. To me, it seems like putting corals in an environment, that ecologically, has been shown to expedite their demise, is a step backwards.
How reef products are made:
Several years I was working on an article for publisher Bow Tie Inc. They publish Aquarium Fish International, and several aquarium industry insider magazines. The purpose of the article was to find the flagship product, from several aquarium product companies. To do this, I interviewed a variety of chemists, all working for companies we know and love, such as Red Sea, Seachem and API.
The products we purchase for use in reef aquariums, typically aren’t created by a home aquarist, dabbling around, even if their intentions are good. All of these companies employ marine biologists, bio-chemists, micro-biologists, etc. Needless to say, these folks understand chemistry and how it applies to reef organisms. When a product hits the shelf, it’s undergone rigorous testing, both in a lab and in a reef aquarium. Sure, hobbyists may be able to build a great protein skimmer, aquarium, or overflow box, but when it comes to chemistry, and how various compounds effect marine life; that is best left to the experts.
The reason these products are so expensive, is because chemists and biologists, often don’t work for cheap. My point is simple, reef specific products are created by professionals, and tested by professionals. Often something that is used in say, drinking water filtration, is picked up by reef aquarium scientists, and tweaked to become a tool for reef aquarists.
During my series of interviews for Bow Tie Inc., I learned that many of the aquarium products we love, such as Bio Chem Zorb by API, are created after years of research, trial and error, and experimentation by skilled scientists. These experts have access to tools, which even an advanced aquarist wouldn’t have a clue how to operate. Typically, these companies are approached by a public aquarium, who is trying to solve a specific problem, and requires a new product that can perform under the rigorous conditions presented with keeping a large number of challenging species.
This deep level of commitment and science, is found in everything from specialty blend phosphate removers, on down to reef aquarium specific foods. Yes, there are products that perform well, created by hobbyists through experimentation. Most of the time, they don’t risk dabbling with the poisons found in insecticide.
Products for reef aquariums are developed in a lab environment, often using the same precautions implemented by the pharmaceutical industry
The risks:
Coral is one of the most sensitive life forms on planet Earth. Over millions of years, they have adapted to nutrient free water conditions. Corals accept zoxanthalle algae into their tissues, which expedites growth, in nutrient free environments. When we place them in the aquarium, already we are taking risks. First, they won’t be exposed to natural sunlight. A closed system cannot reproduce the natural flow cycles of the ocean, and pests that wouldn’t be of much concern on the wild reef, where the food chain is operating full swing, can decimate captive coral colonies. It’s only natural that as aquarists, we would want to take precautions.
When you dip a coral into insecticide, you really aren’t sure what you’re getting. Insecticides are formulated with a variety of chemicals, all aimed at killing pests that infect our yards, homes, or ornamental plants. While dedicated science often goes into the creation of insecticides, the thought of a coral reef never entered the minds of the people working to create it. Furthermore, we know the use of fertilizers, insecticides and other products, has had a detrimental effect on coral reefs and marine ecosystems worldwide. This alone is a major red flag.
Short term risks are obvious, rapid tissue narcosis, stunted growth, tissues recession, etc. Though, for me, it’s the long term risks, that are really scary, mainly because they remain unknown. We don’t know how long people have been dipping corals in insecticide, and we don’t know what the outcome, for a dipped colony may be, in say five years. Does the coral absorb some of the poison? Can this somehow be released into the aquarium? Will fish or invertebrates that feed off the coral ingest it? These questions remain largely unanswered, simply because we don’t have enough information, enough hard scientific research, to answer them. Corals are still, in many ways, a biological mystery. It was only several years ago, that scientists learned how coral animals acquire zoxanthellae algae. So for me, the biggest risk, the scariest factor of using insecticide to dip corals, is the unknown.
In search of answers to the long term effects of using insecticide to dip corals, I contacted my friend Natascia Tamburello, a reef scientist. She told me, that even today, scientists are working to understand what chemicals and commonly used compounds, effect coral reefs, in an effort to understand why reef degradation is taking place around the world. While environmental factors, such as ocean warming and acidification play a large role, there is a large body of unknowns, when it comes to understanding how common chemicals effect coral reefs. We know corals form a symbiotic relationship with zoxanthellae algae, but we don’t know what role different strains of bacteria may play. Also, we don’t fully understand how an insecticide might effect a coral’s natural physiological functions, such as generating slime to remove unwanted debris. Some species of corals may possibly consume some poison, from an insecticide, later expelling it into aquarium water. On natural reefs, island runoff laden with traces of insecticide from farming, has decimated reef systems.
Reef scientists use underwater, "fish bowl" labs, to study the health of coral reefs
The benefits:
The only benefit I can imagine, is a cheap and readily available way to treat our corals of unwanted pests. Reality is that coral dips exist, they are expensive, and depending on where you are located, may be difficult to get. Running to your local Home Depot, and grabbing a bottle of Bayer Advanced, is an easier solution to dealing with reef pests, then say ordering a $ 30 or 40 dollar bottle of Brightwell Aquatics Coral RX, and waiting for several days until it arrives. Sometimes in the reef aquarium hobby, we are in a pinch, and watching red bugs crawl across your prize acropora colony is tough, not having a dip on hand to kill them, is a nightmare. The prospect of waiting two, or three days for a shipment of coral dip, sometimes seems like the worst option. Though, before tossing your beloved colony into a container of insecticide, a full evaluation of the situation might be a better approach.
It works great in the garden, but in your reef aquarium?
Your coral is sick, you don’t have a dip, now what?
The scenario I described above, is a reality. Even if we purchase corals from the best vendors, under the strictest circumstances, occasionally we get a specimen, infected with one of the plethora of coral pests. The easiest answer to the above question is simply, keep coral dip on hand. Though, in the real world, it seems like there is always a time, when what you need, isn't close at hand. When we consider that copepods and amphipods, along with crabs and shrimp, come from a scientific family that includes insects, it’s easy to see why an insecticide might be a good choice, for combating pests. The reality is, the biological functions that make up a terrestrial insect, are different from the biological functions that make up one of the many coral pests. All of this includes the fact, that long term, we have no clue how this effects corals, or the zoxanthellae algae in their tissues.
We know that iodine is a natural element in sea water. We also know that corals and other invertebrates use iodine to heal damaged tissue, and aid in the production of new skeleton. Mammals use iodine in the case of an injury, to kill bacteria that could cause an infection. Iodine, at the proper concentration kills coral pests, and doesn't harm the coral. Since most of the coral dips on the market, are basically high concentrations of iodine, it seems like a natural fit.
The iodine concentration in your aquarium, should be close to natural sea water levels, around .06 ppm. When testing a coral dip, using Brightwell Aquatics Coral RX, iodine concentrations are around .18 ppm. Using over the counter iodine from a local pharmacy, an iodine test kit, and one gallon of tank water, this dip environment is easily created. Allowing an SPS coral to soak, for roughly 10-12 minutes, and an LPS coral to soak for 7 minutes, works as a successful way to dip corals. While it may not kill all pests with one dip, it can be repeated, daily, if needed, until the coral is all clear. Also, I have found most coral species will tolerate an iodine concentration of around .24 ppm, without any long term ill effects.
This method has been used for many years, and we know that done correctly, iodine dipping doesn't damage coral tissue, or symbiotic zooxanthellae algae, and it doesn't appear to harm the physiological workings of the coral animal.
Final Thought:
Progress has been the engine of the reef aquarium hobby, since its inception. Progress is a wonderful thing, and in the hobby, we have LED lighting, improved circulation pumps, controllers and cameras, and a host of others, all made up of a progressive movement, integrating technology with reef aquariums. While it would seem like experimenting with insecticide, as a coral dip, would be a branch on the tree of progress, it may be the other way around. It has taken reef scientists, and aquarists, decades to arrive at the understanding we have now, about corals both in the wild and in the aquarium. To me, it seems like putting corals in an environment, that ecologically, has been shown to expedite their demise, is a step backwards.
