Acclimated my corals completely wrong!! Help!

[jjg14e]

So I'm fairly new to the reef aquarium hobby and I didn't realize there was a very specific way to acclimate corals into your new tank. I just let the bags with the corals sit in the water for about 20 minutes and them just placed them in the tank. I recently found out that was not the right way to do it and that my corals are probably really stressed out. All I have is some zoas and a hammer coral and I was wondering if there is anything I could do to help them survive so I didn't just waste a ton of money on corals for no reason. Please help me! haha

 

[brandon429]

I think no harm, as long as your receiving params are ok. I've never acclimated a single coral and I don't even temp acclimate them as you did. Fish are the sensitive ones

I open the bag, and set the corals into fully different params than the lfs had. The common mode of the very careful is drop by drop acclimation of your water into the lfs bag, then set the coral in your tank after a couple hours. Yesterday I took a frag of blastomussa over to a friends house to give...we just plopped it right in place I have no idea how much our params differ. My reef is a fish bowl, so they likely differ much with his being better and more reefish lol

 

[azbigjohn]

So I'm fairly new to the reef aquarium hobby and I didn't realize there was a very specific way to acclimate corals into your new tank. I just let the bags with the corals sit in the water for about 20 minutes and them just placed them in the tank. I recently found out that was not the right way to do it and that my corals are probably really stressed out. All I have is some zoas and a hammer coral and I was wondering if there is anything I could do to help them survive so I didn't just waste a ton of money on corals for no reason. Please help me! haha

Since they are in there already, not much you can do, but how long has it been? Most corals take a day or so to open up well when moved into a new environment. As mentioned above, corals tend to do fairly well moving tank to tank. I usually make sure they are moving from similar salinity, but that is really all I acclimate corals with. I always ask what salinity they are coming from, and if it is dramatically different I just add a little tank water to the bag water until I have doubled the bag water, then move them.

I would think they are going to be fine, give them a day or two to open up...

 

[vic67]

So I'm fairly new to the reef aquarium hobby and I didn't realize there was a very specific way to acclimate corals into your new tank. I just let the bags with the corals sit in the water for about 20 minutes and them just placed them in the tank. I recently found out that was not the right way to do it and that my corals are probably really stressed out. All I have is some zoas and a hammer coral and I was wondering if there is anything I could do to help them survive so I didn't just waste a ton of money on corals for no reason. Please help me! haha

There's nothing "wrong" with how you did it. I do take a little longer in general and take the extra steps of adding some tank water into the bag(s) every 15 minutes. I do this for fish, inverts, corals, etc. Total time is about an hour.

 

[jjg14e]

alright i got home from work and they opened up!! I was really happy to see that but my rasta zoanthid polyp has been closed for about 3 days now. I tried moving him so because I figured he might be in a bad location so I put him where my candy apple red zoas are and already opened up. Ill give him a few days and see if he opens up there.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I've never acclimated corals. They were in reef parameters where they were at, your tank has reef parameters, they'll be fine.

 

[eb2292]

You'll be just fine. I never drip my corals. It is too hard to keep the temperature from swinging, which I believe is the biggest killer. I float for 15 minutes, then place them where they're going to stay. As long as they're in appropriate flow and light, you'll be fine. Never lost a coral with this method. I have lost a bunch of frags with the drip method though.

 

[pugcrush]

As mentioned, acclimating isn't a big issue sometimes. If you get delicate corals, acclimation is critical. The bigger question is dipping your corals. I didn't see it mentioned, but this is pretty critical. There's plenty of nasties out there.

 

[DLuce510]

I'm going to differ a bit, some of the corals I have are pretty expensive and it's worth the added effort. I mainly keep a lot of acropora but I want the best chance possible for success. As mentioned above dipping the corals is the main part aswell. Anyone who has had to battle pest for a period of time when it could have been prevented will agree. Also anyone who has lost corals due to a swing in parameters will agree. Unless you test the stores water and it matches your system it's best to acclimate.
It's really not that hard. I use a very small pump for circulation and to mix the water and a small 50 watt heater. I mix up two gallons and get the temperature right then I don't have to mess with it while acclimation. Either you can keep doing it the way you are and hope nothing happens or take a few extra minutes and have a better chance at success.

 

[jjg14e]

No i havent dipped any corals! What is that? Lol i never knew i had to do that...

 

[john.m.cole3]

I think no harm, as long as your receiving params are ok. I've never acclimated a single coral and I don't even temp acclimate them as you did. Fish are the sensitive ones

I open the bag, and set the corals into fully different params than the lfs had. The common mode of the very careful is drop by drop acclimation of your water into the lfs bag, then set the coral in your tank after a couple hours. Yesterday I took a frag of blastomussa over to a friends house to give...we just plopped it right in place I have no idea how much our params differ. My reef is a fish bowl, so they likely differ much with his being better and more reefish lol

And that blasto is alive and fine! Thanks! I just typically use Coral Rx to dip for 10 minutes, shake em a few times in dip water and put right in the tank. If you're adding acropora, you may wanna drip acclimate if the alk is way off from the bag to your tank. I just slam dunked 28 WWC frags into my tank last thursday and everything is fine. and that's almost a 2k valued order.