Wild Caught Acros

[Huskymaniac]

Thinking about grabbing a few peices on DD. What is the best way to acclimate them. Shoukd I dip them as soon as they come in should I let them settle at the bottom of the tank and than dip a few days later?

 

[ScottR]

Are you adding them to your display or QT before dipping? If adding to your display, it makes no sense to dip after as whatever you’re trying to avoid will already be introduced to your tank. If these are indeed wild caught, acros from the wild tend to not do so well compared to aquacultured types types. I’ve kept many types of SPS that were cut straight from the ocean, there are lots of parasites and they are more susceptible to RTN/STN for some reason.

 

[Huskymaniac]

Are you adding them to your display or QT before dipping? If adding to your display, it makes no sense to dip after as whatever you’re trying to avoid will already be introduced to your tank. If these are indeed wild caught, acros from the wild tend to not do so well compared to aquacultured types types. I’ve kept many types of SPS that were cut straight from the ocean, there are lots of parasites and they are more susceptible to RTN/STN for some reason.

Was going to put directly in display. Was going to follow the protocol WWC recommends for their acros which was to not dip right away.

 

[ScottR]

You can follow it if you want. At least visually check for parasites beforehand. If you see small specks on it, not sure you’d want that to stay in there for a few days.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Wilds do much better if not dipped right out of the bag. This is one reason they catch such a bad wrap. They are not pest magnets like people also want you to believe. You can find pests sure but ime the main reason pests are transferred is from people who don’t even know what they look like or have not red up on them who are collecting acropora and selling or trading.
If you know what to look for and are willing and able to treat acros for pests in your display then there is nothing to worry about. Divers den has been great to me but I understand which corals are going to be healthy and which ones are very hard to keep by looking at their pictures. If your not experience in any of this it might be tough, but gotta learn sometime if you want to have fun in this hobby.
Ime if I am constantly worrying about pests then I am not having fun.

 

[jsvand5]

Definitely a bad idea to introduce acros from DD without dipping immediately. I’ve had very poor luck with DD acros surviving recently. I have done much better with ones from Aqua Locker.

 

[Huskymaniac]

Definitely a bad idea to introduce acros from DD without dipping immediately. I’ve had very poor luck with DD acros surviving recently. I have done much better with ones from Aqua Locker.

I have gotten black bugs from them twice, lol.

 

[C. Eymann]

DD at least stabilizes them for a short bit (I think) before shipping them out again so Id agree with dipping them before they enter your tank.
Sealing up any non living substrate/skeleton on the coral with super glue is also a good idea in addition to dipping.
Disclaimer is -the condition they arrive in, if they come in super hot/cold, or was delayed for whatever reason, the added stress of dipping maybe the nail in the coffin for a already stressed colony from transit.
So its up to you to weigh the risks.

If you were getting transhipped colonies from halfway across the world, Id be pretty reluctant to dip immediately, QT/stabilize first instead, esp if they come in rough.

Just my .02