Acclimation of LPS

[lmfbs]

There are several schools of thought for what you do before you get it in the tank; float, dip, drop them in the tank; dip, drip, float then drop; dip, float, drop...there's a lot of argument about how important it is to get them up to match temp and salinity.

But I'm not that interested in that - I'm keen to know what people do when they get the coral into the tank.

Do you start everything where you mean for it to stay? Do you add to a frag rack? Do you turn the lights off when you add them and on full the next day, or onto acclimation mode? When do you first feed? Do you turn the pumps off for a while?

 

[TehBrainz]

I start low on a frag rack or sand bed. then move up gradually as they show positive response to being in the tank.

I don't mess with acclimation on my lights as I'd prefer not to upset the rest of the tank

 

[Mikeltee]

Get then from a reputable dealer that you know is pest free, float for 20min, and place on the sand. I've been ripped off from 90% of the coral dealers on here. From photoshopped corals to shipping near dead corals and blaming it on ship shock. Unless you know the person, purchase from a reputable shop.

 

[lmfbs]

I start low on a frag rack or sand bed. then move up gradually as they show positive response to being in the tank.

I don't mess with acclimation on my lights as I'd prefer not to upset the rest of the tank

Get then from a reputable dealer that you know is pest free, float for 20min, and place on the sand. I've been ripped off from 90% of the coral dealers on here. From photoshopped corals to shipping near dead corals and blaming it on ship shock. Unless you know the person, purchase from a reputable shop.

How do you avoid the corals being irritated by sand? Asking on behalf of my messy wrasse

 

[19Mateo83]

Some things I’ll put on one of two frag racks. Stuff like montis and birds nests will sometimes go on the rack with more flow to get used to the lighting. Zoas and lps can also end up on the frag rack with less light and flow directly under my gyre. Stuff like acros I just glue to the rock work and let em ride. So far it’s worked out pretty well.

 

[Mikeltee]

How do you avoid the corals being irritated by sand? Asking on behalf of my messy wrasse

Most of the frags I get don't overreach the disk. The frags with plugs go in plug stands and I bury them half way in the sand. You can also use a magnetic frag rack on the side of your tank. Most of my LPS do fine going on the sand bed which is 100-150 par but I recently got some $450 blastos that receded and nearly died so I placed them under an arch and they came back almost immediately. They get about 50 par which I assume is from reflection off of the sand. I find it odd that a blasto would require such low light. I hope that I can soon bring them out into the general population and they colorup like the pic. Lol

 

[PotatoPig]

My PAR is set up to approximately match the LFS I buy my corals from, at least at the depth I place the LPS corals.

Float, dip in water matched to tank temp, place coral in planned location (sometimes glued to a rock, depending on the frag). I typically do this in the evening after lights out so it has the night to adjust to water chemistry. They’ve all been fully open and nicely puffed up the next morning.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

For me personally, I plant new corals on the sand until the next water change. I glue corals during weekly water changes when the is water drained (makes it easier to glue IMO)

 

[GlassMunky]

Most of the frags I get don't overreach the disk. The frags with plugs go in plug stands and I bury them half way in the sand. You can also use a magnetic frag rack on the side of your tank. Most of my LPS do fine going on the sand bed which is 100-150 par but I recently got some $450 blastos that receded and nearly died so I placed them under an arch and they came back almost immediately. They get about 50 par which I assume is from reflection off of the sand. I find it odd that a blasto would require such low light. I hope that I can soon bring them out into the general population and they colorup like the pic. Lol

I have 4 different blasto colonies all on the sand bed getting 200-250PAR and high flow all day long.

They don’t need low light

 

[GlassMunky]

New corals get floated while I find my dip container, then into a dip for 15 minutes and then directly into the tank on the sand bed. They stay there for a few days to a week or so until I’m comfortable that they are ok and then move them
Around wherever I want them

 

[Borat]

I don't do LPS - but for SPS I don't fiddle with par/acclimation beyond the initial 2-3 hour acclimation via slow drip. I just place the coral where it's permanent home is be and leave it to adapt to the new place.

 

[PotatoPig]

I have 4 different blasto colonies all on the sand bed getting 200-250PAR and high flow all day long.

They don’t need low light

For various reasons some vendors run their tanks at much lower PAR than your typical home aquarium.

It’s very possible an LPS has been sitting under ~70PAR at a vendor, in which case you’ll want to avoid putting it under 200-250 PAR on day 1. OTOH, other vendors and suppliers run high PAR, for various reasons, and if it’s coming from them the coral might feel immediately at home under 200-250.

 

[Mikeltee]

I have 4 different blasto colonies all on the sand bed getting 200-250PAR and high flow all day long.

They don’t need low light

What I purchased vs what 100 par did.

 

[TehBrainz]

How do you avoid the corals being irritated by sand? Asking on behalf of my messy wrasse

Basically how @Mikeltee said for putting them on the sand bed is how I do it as well.

I'll add some corals that are destined to always be on the sand bed, I'll also glue to a small piece of rubble about 2x the size of the disk

 

[TehBrainz]

What I purchased vs what 100 par did.

That's a gorgeous blasto, good to hear it's recovering and hope it can meet gen pop and glow up!

 

[lmfbs]

What I purchased vs what 100 par did.

I'm assuming the bottom one is what you received? Do you think you gave it more or less light?


Thanks everyone for these tips - I'm going to 3D print some little stands for my new corals which are on their way!

 

[Mikeltee]

I'm assuming the bottom one is what you received? Do you think you gave it more or less light?


Thanks everyone for these tips - I'm going to 3D print some little stands for my new corals which are on their way!

I was told that it sat in about 150 par. It didn't look anything like the pic when I received it, however it looked much better than the other pic. It's coming back. It looks reddish pink now. With a little luck and a lot of photoshop skills, maybe someday I too can make it look like the top pic. Lol

 

[lmfbs]

I was told that it sat in about 150 par. It didn't look anything like the pic when I received it, however it looked much better than the other pic. It's coming back. It looks reddish pink now. With a little luck and a lot of photoshop skills, maybe someday I too can make it look like the top pic. Lol

I reckon there's an AI solution to this problem...

 

[dpfriedman]

There are several schools of thought for what you do before you get it in the tank; float, dip, drop them in the tank; dip, drip, float then drop; dip, float, drop...there's a lot of argument about how important it is to get them up to match temp and salinity.

But I'm not that interested in that - I'm keen to know what people do when they get the coral into the tank.

Do you start everything where you mean for it to stay? Do you add to a frag rack? Do you turn the lights off when you add them and on full the next day, or onto acclimation mode? When do you first feed? Do you turn the pumps off for a while?

Here are my steps…
1. Float in sump anywhere from 30 mins to 24 hours, without any light.
2. Dip… ALWAYS DIP! It’s the only way to keep from introducing any unwanted pest into your tank that you would otherwise have to deal with later after it replicates.
I dip first into Bayer insecticide for 15 mins. Then into Lugols for 15 mins then rinse 3 times with tank water before putting them in my tank.
3. I usually wait to do the process later in the evening so I can turn my lights off near when they would anyway.
4. I place the coral where I think I want it to live.
5. I set light acclimation for 50% strength for 7 days.
6. As lights ramp up day to day inspect that polyps are extending and fluffing up

I rarely have any issues following this procedure.