When to dip corals

[drblank1]

I do not have the equipment for a coral QT. I have my first corals coming today from WWC. WWC recommends not dipping corals for 10 days. They recommend acclimating for 15 minutes and then placing in tank. WWC discourages dipping for 10 days due to stress of shipping and suggest that pest MOST LIKELY would not be an issue in the first 10 days. I would think the chances that WWC animals have pests are low but you never know.

So I planned to dip before placing in DT but am unsure now. How many of you dip immediately? Do you lose corals by dipping immediately? For those of you who use WWC, do you see pests on their animals?

Thanks in advance
drblank1

 

[Zach B]

Although all of my frags come from good sources, I dip almost every one before it goes into my dt tank. I prefer to use Coral Rx & have yet to lose one from a dip. Certain corals/inverts do not tolerate some dips well though, so research your specific coral prior to dipping. Best of luck

 

[regionreef219]

Once the corals arrive, I would do the following. Remove from bag right away and put into a small container of your tank water. Add your dip solution (Coral Rx, Bayer, many options) and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. After that place at bottom of your tank and call it a day.

I have had no issues using this method, corals can handle the different water parameters better then fish/inverts can. You can always drip acclimate if you wish but they really need to get out of the shipping bag water and into display tank in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[OrchidMiss]

Once the corals arrive, I would do the following. Remove from bag right away and put into a small container of your tank water. Add your dip solution (Coral Rx, Bayer, many options) and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. After that place at bottom of your tank and call it a day.

I have had no issues using this method, corals can handle the different water parameters better then fish/inverts can. You can always drip acclimate if you wish but they really need to get out of the shipping bag water and into display tank in a reasonable amount of time.

+1 for this method.
This is exactly how I treat every new coral. I dip everything, regardless of where they came from.

 

[drblank1]

Thanks to all for the replies. I will follow your advice and dip right away.

 

[stephanjupillat]

Does anyone dip before they package and ship corals? I always dip corals I buy before they go in the DT, no matter where they are from, but dipping before shipping? I ship mostly zoa's and always wondered if I should, just in case.

 

[Jhoekstra84]

Once the corals arrive, I would do the following. Remove from bag right away and put into a small container of your tank water. Add your dip solution (Coral Rx, Bayer, many options) and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. After that place at bottom of your tank and call it a day.

I have had no issues using this method, corals can handle the different water parameters better then fish/inverts can. You can always drip acclimate if you wish but they really need to get out of the shipping bag water and into display tank in a reasonable amount of time.

I would go one step further. When placing corals in dip solution for 5-10 minutes, have a syringe that you can use to direct water at the coral and knock of hitchhikers.

I remember doing this for the first time - once I started hitting the corals with streams of water......wow the number of little critters that came off was astounding!

Also - I use Coral Rx as well - good stuff.

 

[mrpontiac80]

I also dip everything. I fill my container half way with my tank water and top it off with water that comes with the corals. I add revive and dip for 5 min while using a turkey baster to gently blow anything off. Then I rinse in another container of my tank water and place corals in the tank and refill the quantity of tank water I used with new salt water.
You will very likely see stuff come off of the WWC corals but all I’ve ever seen were pods and mini bristle stars. All good guys.
personally I’d rather loose the good guys than introduce a bad one.

 

[MoshJosh]

I dip all corals in Two Little Fishies Revive then rinse with saltwater prior to adding into my tank. A few times I have dipped corals in attempt to treat them, namely I had an acro with some weird fuzzy white parts that I dipped in betadine (or whatever SeaChem calls it), and it seemed to work.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

I also dip everything. I fill my container half way with my tank water and top it off with water that comes with the corals. I add revive and dip for 5 min while using a turkey baster to gently blow anything off. Then I rinse in another container of my tank water and place corals in the tank and refill the quantity of tank water I used with new salt water.
You will very likely see stuff come off of the WWC corals but all I’ve ever seen were pods and mini bristle stars. All good guys.
personally I’d rather loose the good guys than introduce a bad one.

I feel the same, would rather sacrifice the good guys than introduce a bad one. I felt SO bad one time though, when a micro brittle star came off a frag I was dipping. I was able to grab it and put it in tank water quickly though and it survived!
Unfortunately, the bad guys have also survived dipping in my experience... that's how I ended up with aiptasia in my tank. Dipped and scrubbed the heck out of a rock with a big leather on it, even though there was no visible aiptasia on it... then not long after I saw them start popping up all over that rock. DOH!!! I also have had bristleworms survive dip as well (maybe I didn't leave it long enough though... the rock those came in on had a rock flower nem on it so I was trying not to irritate the anemone). Hindsight is 20/20... lol.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

No need to drip just Dip in your product of choice, rinse in some fresh tank water and place in system