What to expect when your expecting...SPS

AquaCox · Feb 3, 2014

So I have always been more of a fish guy...never had a tank crammed full of coral, just a few corals here and there...random zoas, shrooms, leathers, LPS...but after lurking around this site for years and seeing everyones amazingly beautiful tanks with tons of coral I have finally gotten a desire to get coral crazy and actually have beautiful piece of reef myself...So I have decided am wanting to get more into SPS and have been learning as much as i can. I have a couple random SPS already, what I think is a green slimer and also a green monti digi I think, both small frags, but they were both purchased in person from someone local. Thats were this post comes in...

I'd like some more info on what to expect when ordering SPS from online vendors, such as:

1) Coloration - I've heard sometimes sps can brown out during shipping, is this always the case?, how long is normal before color comes back? what can be done to help speed up re-coloration?

2) Lighting - I've heard some people place new frags in the sand on the bottom or dim the lights at first, How long is this suggested until you can put them in there final place? what is the point of this? I would assume the coral came from someone using intense lighting?

3) Also this applies to anytime not just when getting sps shipped but, Acclimation - How do you normally acclimate your new SPS, float bag for equal temp and dump in or drip acclimate for a length of time

I'm sure there are a few other things I was curious about but can't think of atm. Anyways, SPS keepers lend me your opinions, suggestions, and info on what you do. Many Thanks!!

Dashiki · Feb 3, 2014

1. Coloration sometime they brown during shipping sometimes they brown once in the tank for a day. Not all sps just some. Dose Acropower to get colors back quicker. Assuming the coral is getting everything else it needs. Most will hold color though.

2. The shipping in a dark container and using different lighting is why you light acclimate them. I keep them on the sand for two weeks then put them where I want them.

3. Drip acclimate like a fish

KoleTang · Feb 3, 2014

They can also brown out from too little light, too low Kelvin light (like 10,000K and lower), and too much nutrients. They can bleach from Alkalinity swings, too much light (or just new light too fast), and not enough nutrients.

It's always a good idea to start from the sand and move them up. Let them tell you where they like to be in the tank.

Coral acclimation: Acclimating corals, how most home hobbyists should do it (video)

evolved · Feb 4, 2014

1) Sure, loss of color can happen during shipping or just from shock transitioning to a new system. There's not much you can do about it; only time, good water quality/flow, proper lighting, and a bit of patience will bring it back.

2) It's a matter of light acclimation. The spectrum and intensity of your system is likely different from where the coral came from. If you photo-shock it with too much lighting (or different spectrum from what it was accustomed), it will bleach (expel it's zoox). Recovering a bleached coral is far more difficult than just properly light acclimating it in the first place. This usually takes a couple weeks or so.

3) There's different schools of thought on this, but personally I've never done anything more than temperature acclimate a coral (then dip and inspect, at a minimum), and I don't feel as though I've ever lost a coral to bad acclimation. The link above is a good read.

AquaCox · Feb 4, 2014

Thank you all for the info!

Chameleon · Feb 5, 2014

3. Ill just comment on this one...for me acclimation is as simple as floating the bag for 15-30min, adding a slight pour of the bayer insecticide to the bag of coral, letting it sit 5-10 minutes in the bag(not in the tank), pulling it out of the bag for a and leaving it high and dry for a few minutes, then putting it in the tank.
The high and dry step gives it a slime coat that I feel lets it acclimate itself to the new water.
My corals sitting in dip pinned up to the raters in the basement:

revhtree · Feb 5, 2014

Love the thread title! HA!

cmaxwell39 · Feb 5, 2014

1. As I am sure you know (and if you don't you will find out through experience with SPS) some corals just don't like something in your tank, and browning is one of the ways they show that they are not "happy". This is sometimes due to stress (shipping would qualify as a stressor on corals, as would fragging which often precedes shipping by a few days to a few weeks). As others have mentioned, there are other things that can cause browning or bleaching in your corals that have nothing to do with shipping.

2. Light acclimation not only gives a coral a chance to get used to your lights on your tank, but keep in mind that this coral is getting used to a whole lot of newness. It's adjusting to your water parameters, your flow patterns, the unique stressors that are individual to your tank, as well as your lighting and lighting schedule. It just gives the coral a chance to adjust to all of that without having more light energy than it can deal with. Always a good idea.

3. The one thing I will add to what has already been said, is that while dipping new SPS is a necessity, I would suggest a full QT regimen. Hopefully you will get good quality corals and never have to deal with pests like red bugs or AEFW, but if you happen to bring some corals that gave these pests and don't catch it, it can wreak tremendous havoc on a SPS reef.

Welcome to the SPS addiction. It is challenging, but very rewarding as well.

Rob&Gab · Feb 5, 2014

Chameleon said:
3. Ill just comment on this one...for me acclimation is as simple as floating the bag for 15-30min, adding a slight pour of the bayer insecticide to the bag of coral, letting it sit 5-10 minutes in the bag(not in the tank), pulling it out of the bag for a and leaving it high and dry for a few minutes, then putting it in the tank.
The high and dry step gives it a slime coat that I feel lets it acclimate itself to the new water.
My corals sitting in dip pinned up to the raters in the basement:

one thing is when your dipping you want water moving around, not them just sitting in the bagg with it. you want to make sure you blow off any pesky critters or little holes that are filled with are on the mari cultured rock it comes on. ive found a mantis shrimp once in one of the rocks. was the most creepy things in the world cause i was not expecting it lol.

Gadsby15 · Feb 5, 2014

What do you guys use to dip sps corals in before adding to your tank?

Rob&Gab · Feb 5, 2014

Gadsby15 said:
What do you guys use to dip sps corals in before adding to your tank?

coral Rx. One of the best dips to use. and highly effective. always make sure to inspect your coral closely before dipping for eggs and stuff like that cause the dip doesnt really kill the eggs so make sure to scrape them before dipping and get any of them off if there is any. then turkey baster them with the water they are in with the coral rx. then rinse off with fresh tank water and place in tank.

Gadsby15 · Feb 5, 2014

Great, thanks

AquaCox · Feb 5, 2014

So the bayer insecticide is just a cheap alternative for a coral dip?

Chameleon said:
3. Ill just comment on this one...for me acclimation is as simple as floating the bag for 15-30min, adding a slight pour of the bayer insecticide to the bag of coral, letting it sit 5-10 minutes in the bag(not in the tank), pulling it out of the bag for a and leaving it high and dry for a few minutes, then putting it in the tank.
The high and dry step gives it a slime coat that I feel lets it acclimate itself to the new water.
My corals sitting in dip pinned up to the raters in the basement:

KoleTang · Feb 5, 2014

AquaCox said:
So the bayer insecticide is just a cheap alternative for a coral dip?

No, it's a better alternative for SPS because it kills AEFW and Red bugs. Personally, I dip in bayer, then Revive before adding to the tank.

evolved · Feb 5, 2014

AquaCox said:
So the bayer insecticide is just a cheap alternative for a coral dip?

I'd argue it's superior.

As Lucas pointed out, it's known to kill all the problematic SPS pests, in their live form at least. Note there's not any dip with is known to kill AEFW eggs with 100% success.

The great thing about Bayer insecticide, it is doesn't effect the coral itself at all. Bayer works via targeting the nervous systems of pests (insects), and corals don't have a nervous system; they don't even "see" it in water.

The problem with most commercial coral dips is some SPS don't much like them. Most "deepwater" or smooth-skin SPS don't take well to them. Certain ones will always die if dipped; ORA Hawkins in Coral RX being a classic example.

AquaCox · Feb 5, 2014

Ah I see, thanks

KoleTang · Feb 5, 2014

evolved said:
I'd argue it's superior.

As Lucas pointed out, it's known to kill all the problematic SPS pests, in their live form at least. Note there's not any dip with is known to kill AEFW eggs with 100% success.

The great thing about Bayer insecticide, it is doesn't effect the coral itself at all. Bayer works via targeting the nervous systems of pests (insects), and corals don't have a nervous system; they don't even "see" it in water.

The problem with most commercial coral dips is some SPS don't much like them. Most "deepwater" or smooth-skin SPS don't take well to them. Certain ones will always die if dipped; ORA Hawkins in Coral RX being a classic example.

It was pretty crazy the first time I compared Revive (claims to be 100% natural) to Bayer. The corals in the Revive had closed polyps and were sliming. Corals in bayer had open polyps and no sliming. I'm now stocked up on Bayer and swear by it.

Pete polyp · Feb 5, 2014

evolved said:
I'd argue it's superior.

As Lucas pointed out, it's known to kill all the problematic SPS pests, in their live form at least. Note there's not any dip with is known to kill AEFW eggs with 100% success.

The great thing about Bayer insecticide, it is doesn't effect the coral itself at all. Bayer works via targeting the nervous systems of pests (insects), and corals don't have a nervous system; they don't even "see" it in water.

The problem with most commercial coral dips is some SPS don't much like them. Most "deepwater" or smooth-skin SPS don't take well to them. Certain ones will always die if dipped; ORA Hawkins in Coral RX being a classic example.

I dipped a Hawkins in coral rx without any issues

ChuckFu · Feb 6, 2014

As posted earlier, best thing to do is have a coral QT. Whatever dip you use will work, but won't kill the eggs. Just dipping once will not kill everything. The AEFW eggs hatch every 3 days or so. I use Coral RX Pro, or Industrial, and dip every 3 days for at least a month. I also remove the coral from it's plug, and place them on new ones. Also yes, you want moving water in the dip, and blow the corals off with a turkey baster or something. A QT system works wonders.

When it's time to place in the display, you don't necessarily have to place it at the bottom of the tank. Anywhere lower with moderate flow will work.

As for browning, all of the issues are a factor, and only time will really help to color them up.
Water quality is key to everything in a reef tank, and stability is a must. Try to maintain your Alk, calcium, mag, PO4, and nitrates.

My system is a 12" cube, SPS tank. My Alk is 8, calcium 420, Mag 1380, Phosphate is .03, and nitrates around .25. I also spot feed Aminos like crazy.