Why You MUST Dip Your Corals

[mfrumkin]

For those that are new to this wonderful, addictive hobby. 10 years ago when I was young and foolish I did not dip my corals, and I paid a price with an infestation of green button polyps that took over my tank. 2 years ago I still did not dip and I paid a price with a MAJOR bubble algae outbreak.

Now I dip, and while 99.5% of the time it is not necessary, yesterday I dipped a zoa colony and 2 NASTY looking "spiders" crawled off. So now I A. DIP EVERYTHING and B. Try to take everything off the plug. I don't QT, I don't have the tank or patience. I probably should. BUT IF YOU ARE NEW PLEASE DIP EVERYTHING!!

 

[P-Dub]

For those that are new to this wonderful, addictive hobby. 10 years ago when I was young and foolish I did not dip my corals, and I paid a price with an infestation of green button polyps that took over my tank. 2 years ago I still did not dip and I paid a price with a MAJOR bubble algae outbreak.

Now I dip, and while 99.5% of the time it is not necessary, yesterday I dipped a zoa colony and 2 NASTY looking "spiders" crawled off. So now I A. DIP EVERYTHING and B. Try to take everything off the plug. I don't QT, I don't have the tank or patience. I probably should. BUT IF YOU ARE NEW PLEASE DIP EVERYTHING!!

As a caveat to the above. Know what you are dipping for or rather what your dip will eliminate. I know of no dip that would have eliminated the button polyps or the bubble algae without killing the coral. The dips are great to treat damage to the coral and some critters such as the "spiders". If you want to eliminate the hitchhikers remove the coral from the plug and then dip. That would have been the only way to not transfer the button polyps or the algae. Sage advice, BTW.

 

[reef lover]

Zoa spiders reproduce inside the polyp so either qt for a loooong time or discard the frag.

 

[P-Dub]

@reef lover good point and a friendly reminder about these nasties... https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/a-r2r-care-spotlight-zoanthid-eating-spiders.7861/

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

YES! It's very important to dip!

 

[flchamp89]

The remove from frag plug I think helps too. Less surface area.

 

[Rscott]

Pics?

I’m starting to think about my first corals and a box just showed up at my house with Coral RX in it and revive. Will also try Bayer

And I have a qt tank setup!

 

[GK3]

For those that are new to this wonderful, addictive hobby. 10 years ago when I was young and foolish I did not dip my corals, and I paid a price with an infestation of green button polyps that took over my tank. 2 years ago I still did not dip and I paid a price with a MAJOR bubble algae outbreak.

Now I dip, and while 99.5% of the time it is not necessary, yesterday I dipped a zoa colony and 2 NASTY looking "spiders" crawled off. So now I A. DIP EVERYTHING and B. Try to take everything off the plug. I don't QT, I don't have the tank or patience. I probably should. BUT IF YOU ARE NEW PLEASE DIP EVERYTHING!!

I just started dipping my corals. Set up a new tank and everything has been pretty dipped. A lot of the plugs now have white stringy stuff off of them, but it’s only the plugs. Is that dead organics from the dipping or something else?