Ideally all corals, just as all fish, would be
put in a quarantine tank for an observation
period prior to placing in a permanent
"show tank" display. We realize
this is rarely done here in America, and
in fact, is quite the exception because
we want it all now!
Anything can come in on any coral or any fish.
They are from the wild. There are probably
bugs on them that have not been identified or
named for science. There can be a microscopic
spore of a mantis shrimp egg in a coral
rock base. You must accept and know this.
For the most seasoned experienced hobbyists,
it is exactly these "unknowns" that you
can't even order that are often the best
part of a piece of coral. Some black or
yellow ooze goo that lives great and no one
can guess even what phyla it is from.
Now THAT is exciting!!
So your corals are coming in, and what to do?
We'll start at picking them up at the airport.
If it is hot out, put them in the passenger
area with air conditioning, if at all possible.
If it is cold out, do the same, but use the heater
to keep them warm. Sit on them if you have to.
(Just kidding about that one.)
Don't be alarmed if your box is wet.
That's normal. Take a towel or something
for the box to sit on so it doesn't get
your seat wet. When the corals left
the West Coast, they were in water and any
punctured bag happened on the way and it
hasn't been long enough to be a problem.
When you get them home, you should have
a few items ready and waiting so you can
go to work immediately. A bucket for the
bags, a bucket for the water, and a bucket for
dipping are essential. You'll need a
single-edged razor blade or paring knife for
cutting open the bags or rubber bands.
Do not use your good pocket knife, for salt
will get in it. Have a separate "bag knife."
Rubber gloves are good, but the tight latex
ones so you have dexterity, like painter's gloves
or lab gloves.
Your dipping bucket should be prepared with
tank water, and kept aerated with an airstone.
Some type of dip should be put in it when you
get back with the corals and start dipping.
What you are doing is a sanitization as well
as an adrenilin shot by dipping. The SPS dips
are generally strong iodine solutions which
we know is a great sterilizer. Lugol's
solution, or any similar such "SPS" dip
is acceptable and will work. The iodine really
seems to be a shot in the arm to them
after shipping. It is critical you dip them.
In 30 years of keeping and shipping corals to
stores, I cannot under-estimate the value and
importance of this. It will make the
difference for a couple of your animals,
and you will not be able to tell which in
the majority of cases.
Open the box and if hot or cold there will
usually be heat packs or gel ice packs on top,
in paper plates, or newspaper (save if it is
gel ice, you can use them sometime probably.)
If heat packs, check and see if they are burnt
(hard single "rock") or burning (warm and still granular).
Pick up a coral bag and feel the temperature.
Is it hot or cold compared to the room and tank?
If there is a significant difference,
I use a rubbermaid tub and pull out some of
the corals (still in their bags) and make room
around them to allow them to adjust to
workable temps. Indonesia coral boxes will
have two layers of bags so this is important
to get the top layer spread out so the bottom
layer can adjust. Usually, 10 or 20 minutes
is enough. Just don't shock them with
temperature, as they've been through
a lot at this point.
Put those bags down, you're not supposed to be
looking at them all yet!
The general procedure is this ...
If it's a rubber-banded bag, pull the top tail
of the bag hard and it will pop the band off.
Or, you can cut the rubber band.
Or, you can just cut the top of the bag,
which you have to if the bag is metal clipped.
Although, cutting the bag is messier, as water
gets stuck at both ends, and so ends up more
places, and the bags don't stack well, which
makes throwing them away easier.
For hard corals, hold the bag from the bottom,
squeezing in until you are holding the coral
by the base underside only through the bag.
Turn the bag upside down and pour the water
into the "inbound water" bucket.
Never put any inbound water into your tanks.
Inbound water is outbound to the sewer,
but must be thoroughly checked for
critters first. That is done later.
Anyway, now you have a coral in a
waterless bag, so reach in with (your
latex gloved hand) and gently pull
the coral out ( hey quit gawkin'! )
and place it in the dipping bucket.
Some may have a loose plastic bag
around them which you can discard.
Throw the empty coral bag into your bag
bucket. Remember to check the bags
for critters later before throwing
the bags out.
You can put a few corals in the dipping
bucket together IF they are LIKE types,
and IF they DO NOT touch each other.
Most dips are used for 5-10 minutes ...
be sure to follow the instructions
on your dip of choice.
Ideally, you have ANOTHER small bucket
(gadzooks ... good thing! ...we're out of
bucket space!) with tank water that you
rinse the dipped coral in, just a slow twist
or two of the wrist before it can be placed
in your tank. You may want to have a
plastic bowl to hold under the coral for drips
as you move it to the tank. Don't worry
about where to put them in the tank at this
point, just get them in there and get a new
set dipping ASAP. You'll have plenty of
time to find the right place later.
Don't let any corals touch each other.
Work your way through the box ...
incoming water all into one bucket; used
bags in another; dip; little rinse bucket for
after the dip; put the coral in the tank.
If your incoming water bucket gets full,
pour some off the top, but remember to go
through the bottom for rubble, grunge, and
critters or bugs if you are lucky.
I've heard some folks say that there may
be or will be problems if certain corals hit
the air. I do not believe this to be all
of the only truth. For 30 years on
the wholesale level, almost all corals were
routinely air-exposed briefly, less than if
a tsunami hit, and lived fine. Stores received
these pieces and I personally kept them myself
throughout this period ... air being a problem
was the exception ...it was probably something
else for all but the most sensitive specialty
corals and sponges that I probably wouldn't advise
you to buy.
Some would say skip the dip on the soft
corals, just rinse them well in tank water
to get the old inbound shipping water off
of them, before putting them in the tank.
Others would say to give them a one or
two minute quick dip. I'd probably
go with the quick dip if I were putting
them directly into my display tank.
Zoanthids and other polyps should be rinsed
thoroughly (as they excrete much ammonia),
especially for the ones that are shipped "dry."
That means usually wrapped in wet saltwater
newspaper inside a plastic bag, the common
method of choice for shipping most polyps.
They also have to be inspected for zoanthid
snails (usually checkered pinwheel snails),
which they may have. Anemones are also
usually shipped dry, and should be placed
in a bowl of water for rinsing, as there is
often much insides in their goo, and after
rinsing, placed in the tank. They usually
open up very quickly. Zoanthids may
take days to open, and for star polyps,
a week is not unheard of.
Shrimp should be acclimated like the most
delicate fish you have. But other inverts
can simply be placed into the tank after rinsing.
The same goes for snails or crabs. They just
wonder why it was dark for so long and are
off and running.
Rinse everything, dip all the corals, check the
incoming shipping water, bags, and the dip water
carefully for critters before you throw it out.
There now ... it's all in the tank
and looks like a million dollars, though
you only spent five hun (today) !!
Make sure your partner, or family and
friends know how much you saved !
Keep in mind that this stuff just spent the
longest period of its life in the dark,
bouncing, if not getting slammed, all over
the world, and is wondering if there is a future.
Most people who are used to only seeing open
corals in a local store think they are not
that impressive right out of the bag.
Of course not ... they're all closed up.
But, in 12 hours, 24 and 48 hours, these
same folks are blown away. Don't expect
them to be open, rather they will be
in full contraction. Never put more than
blue light on them the first day or night.
Afterward -
If you have some receeding tissue on
something, you can either re-dip,
long and strong, or go thermonuclear and
freshwater dip it. This will not hurt
most corals, and, as most of you know, this
method is used on saltwater fish regularly.
It's the ol' osmotic explosion trick, and for
some things may work well. I have had
success with it with zoanthid fungus sometimes,
but not always. If there is a "bad head"
on a branched piece of coral, break it off
as low as you can, and paint the open
break with Lugol's or some iodine.
If something starts to go south, breaking
and cutting, may salvage something sometimes.
Depends on the situation, but always worth
considering. You can slice a leather
with a single-edged razor blade and take out
a bad part. Always paint with a dip.
Read books about the biology of the corals
if at all possible. Whilst many can
I.D. things, it is important for us to know
HOW THEY LIVE and how to create a proper
environment for them.
If something isn't doing well where it is
for a couple days, consider if it needs more
or less light, or current, and move it ...
then watch for reaction. It will often be quick.
Mushrooms won't fully open in direct super high light.
Most things can be acclimated to different lighting
over time. We can never tell if any given specimen
we receive was from 2' deep or 10' deep, or
the sun or shade. So watch for stuff not acting
normally the first couple days and move it if so.
I once had a wild Acropora with a Tubastrea growing next
to it on the same rock. Almost went crazy trying to
decide where THAT should go!
Remember this stuff doesn't read the books.
happy polyps !
~ birdfish
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