Acclimating corals to LEDs

[ZachP]

I just got some nanobox lights for my nuvo 20. I have no coral at the moment but I'm very curious how all you experts acclimate new corals to the lights. My lfs uses mostly radions so it shouldn't be too crazy of a change. What is your acclimation process for new corals? What about corals that weren't previously under LEDs? Any tips are greatly appreciated

 

[ZachP]

I just realized this should probably be posted in the LED lighting sub forum. Sorry about that..

 

[Elementalj]

I haven't seen your fixture, but I'm sure someone can help soon. [emoji6]

 

[SteveSTL]

Depending upon the fixture, you can:

Move it up and lower it gradually

Dim it and ramp it back up over time

Run a "Cloud Program" if it has one

Put layers of fiberglass window screen over the tank and remove a layer at a time.

 

[nervousmonkey]

+1 to all of the info above.

To add to it, I learned from an old reefer to get some cheesecloth-like fabric, and either just cover it directly, or make a "tent" for the sand with some cheap acrylic rods and superglue the fabric to the top for the sandbed, and make a two pole tent with a removable third leg that can be adjusted to size for the rocks.

I just lay the cloth over the coral and it hasn't ever hurt anything. Two weeks like that and it is fine.

 

[ZachP]

+1 to all of the info above.

To add to it, I learned from an old reefer to get some cheesecloth-like fabric, and either just cover it directly, or make a "tent" for the sand with some cheap acrylic rods and superglue the fabric to the top for the sandbed, and make a two pole tent with a removable third leg that can be adjusted to size for the rocks.

I just lay the cloth over the coral and it hasn't ever hurt anything. Two weeks like that and it is fine.

Hmmm I like this idea

 

[ZachP]

I'm more curious how long to acclimate them. So say I turn my lights down to 50% of normal levels. Then what? Just go up 5% everyday till it's back to normal maybe. It seems like with a newer tank that I'll be adding corals to fairly often this might lead to my lights always being turned down lol

 

[nervousmonkey]

It works for me, but that's when I try to acclimate a light sensitive coral, like cyphastrea, that likes low light. Most of the time I don't acclimate if it's LED to LED. I just ask the store what their settings are. MH to LED I acclimate, and then ask the store, online or local, what spectrum bulbs they are using, 10K, 14K, 20K, just want to know so I can adjust my LED's if the coral is expensive, otherwise just put it in my tank...

 

[Elementalj]

I'm more curious how long to acclimate them. So say I turn my lights down to 50% of normal levels. Then what? Just go up 5% everyday till it's back to normal maybe. It seems like with a newer tank that I'll be adding corals to fairly often this might lead to my lights always being turned down lol

Days should be weeks, remember this. I've burned a few corals ramping them up too quickly. They can survive low light conditions much better than burning.

 

[nervousmonkey]

Days should be weeks, remember this. I've burned a few corals ramping them up too quickly. They can survive low light conditions much better than burning.

Very good advice. If I acclimate at all, I do it for 2 weeks. The coral may turn a little brown as it increases the number of zooxanthellae (if it is a light loving coral, most medium light will be fine and they'll change back to original color), but it will not kill your coral. Too much light, as Elemental said, will kill a coral, and quickly.

I'd be more worried about salinity, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, NO3, PO4 and what they feed the coral... Get that information and you'll be fine.

 

[ZachP]

Ok thanks everyone. I'm going to talk to the lfs and see what they run their lights at

 

[nervousmonkey]

BTW, I acclimate for two weeks and slowly raise the cloth, or I put it in the shade of some rocks, and keep it there for a couple of weeks before moving it out in the tank.

I am going to start keeping corals in QT for a month or so, as that'll be enough time for 95% of most diseases. I have been hearing a lot of stories lately of people getting ich, velvet and some other weird diseases, when only adding new coral. I can't say for certain that velvet and ich are spreading in some non-US, or even US distribution companies that provide a majority of our corals (most of the corals that are purchased in the US come from S. Florida). Anyway, I'm going to have to start changing the way I acclimate my corals since I'm going to QT them...

 

[ZachP]

BTW, I acclimate for two weeks and slowly raise the cloth, or I put it in the shade of some rocks, and keep it there for a couple of weeks before moving it out in the tank.

I am going to start keeping corals in QT for a month or so, as that'll be enough time for 95% of most diseases. I have been hearing a lot of stories lately of people getting ich, velvet and some other weird diseases, when only adding new coral. I can't say for certain that velvet and ich are spreading in some non-US, or even US distribution companies that provide a majority of our corals (most of the corals that are purchased in the US come from S. Florida). Anyway, I'm going to have to start changing the way I acclimate my corals since I'm going to QT them...

Thanks for the help. And I really wish I had a QT tank right now [emoji22] but all I have is the 20 gallon. I'm hoping to eventually get a bigger tank for the reef and use the 20 as a QT