How do you approach coral placement?

[dcal1985]

I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on how they select locations for their new corals and how long they give them to adjust before moving? Do you move them at the first signs of stress? Give a certain amount of time? Something else?

 

[blaxsun]

I try to place them where they look good, and then move them based on how much the fish knock the, around.

 

[blaxsun]

I try to place them where they look good, and then move them based on how much the fish knock them around.

 

[Pico bam]

Generally I start them out on the bottom and work them up. Constantly judging if the look happy or not. I dont likea turning down the lights to acclimate one frag.

 

[Woodyman]

I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on how they select locations for their new corals and how long they give them to adjust before moving? Do you move them at the first signs of stress? Give a certain amount of time? Something else?

After my corals are moved from my QT tank I typically place them on a frag rack that is an area of low flow/light and let them adjust to the DT for a few days. Then I move them to an area that is suited for what they require and fine tune placement over time.

Sometimes a low light/low flow coral wants more, sometimes you run into a high light or high flow coral that needs less.

Observation over time is key to fine tuning the proper placement.

 

[dcal1985]

Generally I start them out on the bottom and work them up. Constantly judging if the look happy or not. I dont likea turning down the lights to acclimate one frag.

Do you find that you can tell pretty quickly? I had one hammer that came from the LFS pretty brown and bleached in even a medium light part of my tank. I move it even further into the shade and it took a couple weeks to really thrive.

 

[Woodyman]

Do you find that you can tell pretty quickly? I had one hammer that came from the LFS pretty brown and bleached in even a medium light part of my tank. I move it even further into the shade and it took a couple weeks to really thrive.

Hammers and torches can be finicky in my experience. What works for one doesn't always work for another, even when they are purchased from the same tank at the LFS.

 

[dcal1985]

Hammers and torches can be finicky in my experience. What works for one doesn't always work for another, even when they are purchased from the same tank at the LFS.

Do you use any particular guideline for time or is it really based more on experience/intuition?

 

[Pico bam]

Do you find that you can tell pretty quickly? I had one hammer that came from the LFS pretty brown and bleached in even a medium light part of my tank. I move it even further into the shade and it took a couple weeks to really thrive.

They will likely vary from day to day. Its all about developing a nack for it. It sounds like your well on your way, I like to check on new arrivals a few times a day. I'm sure you know things can go down hill quickly. That being said the majority of coral I buy do well and get moved up and closer to the light and more flow. Its really the tortoise and the hair.

 

[Woodyman]

Do you use any particular guideline for time or is it really based more on experience/intuition?

I base it off behavior, if it is staying fully retracted after a day something is wrong in my experience. So if I notice that I will move it, I typically start everything with the low light/flow and move up. So if I go from low to medium and it gets ticked I will move it back.

I typically try to give things at least a week to see how they react. As long as they seem to be opening up and extending more I will leave them be and/or move them to more light/flow over time.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Do you use any particular guideline for time or is it really based more on experience/intuition?

It’s difficult to get time periods but give it weeks.
I have an ORA Laura’s Purple Polyp that had great polyp extension at the bottom of my tank. After 2 weeks I moved it to the middle and still had good PE ( but in retrospect maybe not as good?) then after a month put it high up. Then no PE. After another month I dropped it back to the bottom. Now after about 2 months since being placed back on the bottom I saw one polyp extended this morning!!! It’s staying there. Similar timelines for an ORA Pearlberry. Just moved down a pink millepora (BC Sex Feast) a few days ago after being high up since June! (Of course this is for SPS/acropora)

 

[Dburr1014]

Hammers and torches can be finicky in my experience. What works for one doesn't always work for another, even when they are purchased from the same tank at the LFS.

I've always found they like more of a constant flow with no sharp breaks. I place them next to a rock so they don't get any sharp break from a powerhead.

In general, all my new coral start at the bottom of the tank for 2 weeks before I move them.

 

[Snitch]

I'll usually put it down low, depending on the type, it might be in full light, shaded, higher flow, etc. After a couple of weeks, I try to find its permanent spot.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

After light acclimation, I will put a coral in its place for 3 months up to a year before deciding to try a different spot. I dont move them really unless I've made a big mistake with the placement.

Some corals take a long time to acclimate to a tank, as long as its not dying or melting I just leave things alone.