Why? SPS acclimation

[Jacksparrow]

Aloha all, I don't get this one. Got a great birdsnest and thought I did the right acclimation period but I don't know. After dipping in Iodine and keeping in my QT for a 2.5weeks or more I dropped this awesome beauty into my tank, right to the bottom. During the acclimation period there was no change in the coral. All its polyps where out and doing great. I have a 400w 12k and water parameters are right on, Ca 450 Mg 1400, Ph 8.2 Ni/Na/Phos/Amonia/ all zero,temp 79, I don't have a Ca reactor yet but will get on very soon,RODI only,trace elments added. I am new to sps and was wondering if anyone can tell me there acclimation procedure so I could compare.

Mahalo Eric

 

[SteveDola]

is the QT tank water the same as the display tanks? how long did you acclimate the coral?

usually I take the coral and put it in a tupperware container with existing water. Float the container and let it come to temp. Then every 10-15 minutes add a cup of tank water to the container. After a few cups Ill take a cup out first and then add a cup to the container. After bout 1hr 1/2 the piece is ready to be placed depending on the previous lighting and new lighting. With SPS I like to go slow when acclimating ( slower the better esp. when dealing with problematic difficult corals)...zoas and other softies Ill basically toss in.

 

[Scott]

If you don't mind, I'd like to jump in with a related question.

Once this starts, is it reversible? Can it recover?
Or is it a slippery slope that only has one outcome?

I've got an orange cap that's losing tissue. Probably due to poor acclimation. It was encrusted on a big rock that I couldn't acclimate well.

 

[coolwater]

what kind of lighting was it under in the qt tank it could be a big jump to 400wt or looks like it may have been blasted by a power head

 

[Aquadiva]

Alk??

or am I not seeing that number..

 

[Yaktop]

IMO, for sps. why stress the coral again. stressed during treatment (hopefully you treat for bugs) and then again from the qt to the tank? unnecessary IMO.

 

[Behrmon]

IMO, for sps. why stress the coral again. stressed during treatment (hopefully you treat for bugs) and then again from the qt to the tank? unnecessary IMO.

Ditto.

 

[chew*]

6 hour dip period is stress enough, I test the tank water it came from for alk, if it's close to mine in it goes.....if its not then i will aclimate it a bit. ALK is far more important than the rest when it comes to sps, I keep mine at 7.7-7.9......

 

[SteveDola]

more a salinity/alk adjustment when I acclimate.

yeh dont see a reason to QT a sps when you dose interceptor. check for AEFWs and dip for Redbugs...by then, no need to QT.

 

[cobraz]

Birds nest also can be very touchy, leave the frag in the tank mid light and see if it comes back.
They are know to re-polyp over the dead structure. Mine have done this twice.

 

[SteveDola]

I dont find many people that run their alk at 8 mostly 10-11 and that means acclimation and I think its important to slowly adjust the water so it doesnt start to rtn.

 

[RayD]

I dont find many people that run their alk at 8 mostly 10-11 and that means acclimation and I think its important to slowly adjust the water so it doesnt start to rtn.

I have to agree with Steve. Most run around 11. Some LFS's will even suggest running at 12. If you run a CA reactor you could see levels at 12 easily.

Mine runs between 10-11 (Elos) or 12-13 (Salifert).

As Jerry said, Birdsnest can be touchy. I never had any luck with Birdsnest until recently when I placed it in high light/high flow.

 

[chew*]

more a salinity/alk adjustment when I acclimate.

yea dont see a reason to QT a sps when you dose interceptor. check for AEFWs and dip for Redbugs...by then, no need to QT.

steve interceptor has an 80% kill rate.....however providing you buy frags in fellow members tanks and you know what your looking for they are easy to spot......Only way to not get them is dip them then place in a QT tank and inspect them thouroughly before adding to display, I got them by just dipping and no QT, but thats another topic.....

 

[chew*]

I dont find many people that run their alk at 8 mostly 10-11 and that means acclimation and I think its important to slowly adjust the water so it doesnt start to rtn.

aquaman 68, casino, cobra1858, I believe calcium buff, me, thats 5 just off the top of my head that run low alk sps tanks.......I know 3 of those 5 run calcium reactors............................

Not sure why those guys are running low but i'm running low so i don't "burn" them..........Usually starts from the tips down, not the base up........easily confused with rtn however......just like that coral in the above pic is doing.....note the base still has flesh......

 

[MikeG]

steve interceptor has an 80% kill rate.....however providing you buy frags in fellow members tanks and you know what your looking for they are easy to spot......Only way to not get them is dip them then place in a QT tank and inspect them thouroughly before adding to display, I got them by just dipping and no QT, but thats another topic.....

Hey Brian, you keep referencing an 80% kill rate for intercepter, is this documented anywhere? I have never had less than a 100% kill rate from what I have seen treating infected corals.

 

[chew*]

Hey Brian, you keep referencing an 80% kill rate for intercepter, is this documented anywhere? I have never had less than a 100% kill rate from what I have seen treating infected corals.

Yes it is......I can pull it up if you want.......Its in the original cure finding thread, which is the reason why its required to do 3 treatments for a 100% erradication......

 

[MikeG]

Yes it is......I can pull it up if you want.......Its in the original cure finding thread, which is the reason why its required to do 3 treatments for a 100% erradication......

The origional cure finding thread based 3 treatments on the assumption that there were eggs I thought? I don't remember seeing anything reguarding a mortality rate. I will have to reread it and see.

 

[chew*]

nah because they are live bearers.....I'm trying to find the thread now, I also found another study done that confirmed that its wasn't a 100% kill rate. I researched it alot once they got through the dips........That study was done to see if anything else worked against them.......It ranged from iodine, betadine, levamisol, heartguard, peroxide, interceptor......They survived everything but interceptor and some managed to make it through that....

 

[MikeG]

the fact that they were live bearers didn't come out for some time after the original treatment protocol was in place about 5 years ago.

 

[Jacksparrow]

mahalo

Aloha, Sorry for the missed info guys, Alk is 10 and salinity is 1.025. The lightening on the qt is 2 150w 10k, It was only in the qt for 2 weeks at the most and the water is the same as display. I do water changes all together qt and display and the water comes from the same batches. I did dip for bugs with interceptor and like to observe for any changes in the coral after that ( I don't want undesirables in the tank). As for acclimation, I floated the coral in a container until temp was close and then started a fairly good paced drip line where I was changing 1/4 of the containers every 20minutes or so for a totally water change time of about 2.5hours then find nice shady spot in display tank and down it goes. The coral looked great in the am but by the late pm you see what happened. The flow was mod was moderate at best.
Mahalo Eric