How Necessary is Dipping New Corals?

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Any advice for diping euphilias? Torch and frogspawn...

Tnx!

Depending on the source (frag from someone's tank, lfs, shipped), I dip with Bayer and then with iodide. If they were shipped and look questionable, I'd put them in an observation tank for a day first to let them recover a bit. If there is visible algae, try to scrape/brush it off the skeleton or plug (or remove the plug), and inspect for any vermatids, etc and manually remove outside of the tank.

 

[trsmith18]

I understand that dipping new corals is a good practice to follow but just how necessary is it? I know the risk of hitchhikers is higher if you don't dip but what are the other benefits of dipping and how risky is it to skip?

Dipping is super easy, takes 10-20 min. Worth it and no reason not to.

 

[Koh23]

I have only betadine....will it work?

How much is needed, i trust the source, but just in case.....

 

[Duncan62]

Any advice for diping euphilias? Torch and frogspawn...

Tnx!

Clean the skeleton with peroxide. Maybe scrape some. I don't dip unless a condition requires it.

 

[Duncan62]

I have only betadine....will it work?

How much is needed, i trust the source, but just in case.....

Lugouls is 40 drops per gallon I think.

 

[areefer01]

Almost 20 years in the hobby, never dipped a coral. Never had a problem.

But there is always a first....

 

[Dom]

But there is always a first....

I'll take my chances.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

That sounds great update this with some pictures when you get it home id love to see that orange and blue from another angle, great piece, good luck

Well got it home this morning at 8 and put it in a QT for 4 hours in an effort to help it acclimate to parameters close to my tanks without stressing it any more than necessary...then dipped in KCl for 10 minutes (I hope at a high enough concentration and long enough, I did 2 grams in 1 liter of water)...here it is in the tank about 5 hours after dipping. Polyps have started to extend but only a little, not fully yet. Sorry the pics don't due it justice because I don't have a lens to filter some of the blue out with my phone

 

[Duncan62]

Well got it home this morning at 8 and put it in a QT for 4 hours in an effort to help it acclimate to parameters close to my tanks without stressing it any more than necessary...then dipped in KCl for 10 minutes (I hope at a high enough concentration and long enough, I did 2 grams in 1 liter of water)...here it is in the tank about 5 hours after dipping. Polyps have started to extend but only a little, not fully yet. Sorry the pics don't due it justice because I don't have a lens to filter some of the blue out with my phone

Nice coral. I hope it makes it. Good luck!

 

[Reefahholic]

That is a tough one unless you have a dog or a VERY open-minded veterinarian. I placed a dozen calls, and even though my pitch was decent and the vet people were mostly pleasant, I was unsuccessful. Someone recommended this fish veterinarian and he set me up. Very nice and competent guy. It was expensive though, FYI.

Stephen Frattini
[email protected]

How expensive are we talking here?

 

[ScottB]

How expensive are we talking here?

Been a while, but I wanna say $200-250 for the consult and then the cost of the meds. But now if I need more, I have a source.

 

[Reefahholic]

Been a while, but I wanna say $200-250 for the consult and then the cost of the meds. But now if I need more, I have a source.

Ouch, but worth it.

 

[ScottB]

Ouch, but worth it.

Yup. But if you know you have the bugs, the break even is 2-3 pieces of high end frags.
I really did call 8-10 veterinarians and no one would prescribe. Finally one of them suggested that guy. He was a good guy to deal with. He was super curious and inquisitive. He even tracked down the guy who came up with this treatment and spoke with him. I forget that guy's name, but he also breeds fish.

 

[fushi]

How expensive are we talking here?

My family vet was super understanding and wrote an interceptor a prescription for my dog for free, he didn't stock the medication so I just filled it through chewy.com for $60. It doesn't hurt to ask, especially if you have been using their practice for a while.

 

[fushi]

I understand that dipping new corals is a good practice to follow but just how necessary is it? I know the risk of hitchhikers is higher if you don't dip but what are the other benefits of dipping and how risky is it to skip?

I feel like It's one of those things most people don't put a lot of effort into until you have a terrible experience. Having a well running tank get infested with flatworms and red bugs from one frag I got from a new vendor changed the way I get new corals forever. I also got spirorbid worms from not dipping and rebasing corals from WWC which were a pain.


I like Bayer (now BioAdvanced), I think it kills almost everything.

I buy from a well known vender, then bayer dip, cut plugs off, rinse, KCL or Iodine dip, rinse, glue on new plugs, rinse, than into tank. I also wipe with peroxide and superglue over any exposed skeleton I can't cut off.

But its important to read around the forum and come up with a qt/dip plan that suits you.

 

[old salt reefer]

Dipping won’t stop aiptasia, bubble algae, bryopsis, or zoa spiders.

Or eggs of pests

 

[Graffiti Spot]

The benefit of dipping other than killing pests would be using lugols, iodine which helps kill off any bacterial issues a coral may be hiding. A lot of good cultivators use it in a bath for every fragment they cut to cut back on random rtn or stn issues.

 

[Reefahholic]

Yup. But if you know you have the bugs, the break even is 2-3 pieces of high end frags.
I really did call 8-10 veterinarians and no one would prescribe. Finally one of them suggested that guy. He was a good guy to deal with. He was super curious and inquisitive. He even tracked down the guy who came up with this treatment and spoke with him. I forget that guy's name, but he also breeds fish.

Wow, that’s interesting. Sounds like a great vet.