Alkalinity and acclimation

[Mschmidt]

As far as I'm led to believe, it can be dangerous to raise alk more than one dkh per day when dosing. So when dosing, I try to keep it under that threshold. I understand it helps buffer pH and set calcium and magnesium levels, and all that is well and good for the reef stability.
My question is this: why have I never been cautioned about alk levels between incoming livestock? I match salinity and temperature, other than that, nothing, for fish and coral. Should I worry about other parameters during acclimation? If alk swings are such a big deal in the display, why not in acclimation?

 

[tbrown]

Lots of people that QT their frags say they contact the seller and try to adjust the QT to close sr to what the seller is running. I understand about the spikes but I'd be more curious if it's the jump up or the drop down or the seesaw effect that hurts more. I've temp acclimated and then dip-n-dropped several batches of corals including several Acros and lost very few. I got bad about testing and assumed everything was good earlier on and I ended testing at a 10.8 alk. My corals didn't seem overly stressed including the brand new ones. I slowly brought that number down to 8.6 with no I'll effects. My guess is it's more the rise/fall together but I could very well be wrong.

 

[Mschmidt]

I dip my frags and temp acclimate. I also drip them to adjust a little, but other than that, nothing. I haven't lost anything that can be linked to poor acclimation, just bad husbandry after that.

 

[Pntbll687]

This is literally my favorite video from Jake about acclimating corals.


I’ve bought from some wholesale places, and I’ve had zero issues with placing the corals directly into the tank, and not adjusting for alk. You might have an issue if you run alk at 15, but anything in the 7-12 range should be fine.

 

[Mschmidt]

This is literally my favorite video from Jake about acclimating corals.


I’ve bought from some wholesale places, and I’ve had zero issues with placing the corals directly into the tank, and not adjusting for alk. You might have an issue if you run alk at 15, but anything in the 7-12 range should be fine.

Man, that is a difficult process, I should have written it down. Thanks for the video!

 

[mike550]

Honestly, I’m pretty cavalier about acclimating coral. I’ll temp acclimate, give them a rinse in a container of tank water to remove random items and then drop them into QT. It may take a few days for the coral to adjust to the parameters but no big deal. I’ll do a coral dip a few days after entering the QT then leave them for 60+ days

 

[Mschmidt]

Lots of people that QT their frags say they contact the seller and try to adjust the QT to close sr to what the seller is running.

I've heard that too. That would be reasonable, but I don't pay that much attention to my tank to hold at some retailers alk levels (11+). Also, when mine was that high, I was seeing growth issues with the pectinia (skeleton pushing through flesh) and nothing noteworthy with anything else.

Honestly, I’m pretty cavalier about acclimating coral. I’ll temp acclimate, give them a rinse in a container of tank water to remove random items and then drop them into QT. It may take a few days for the coral to adjust to the parameters but no big deal. I’ll do a coral dip a few days after entering the QT then leave them for 60+ days

seams easy enough, but I don't think the mrs would let me keep a 60 day coral qt. I dip when they come in and temp acclimate.

 

[tbrown]

I've heard that too. That would be reasonable, but I don't pay that much attention to my tank to hold at some retailers alk levels (11+). Also, when mine was that high, I was seeing growth issues with the pectinia (skeleton pushing through flesh) and nothing noteworthy with anything else.

I know you know, but that's probably a Phosphate or Nitrate issue. High alk, low Phosphate/Nitrate. Fast skeletal growth with slow skin growth.

 

[Mschmidt]

I know you know, but that's probably a Phosphate or Nitrate issue. High alk, low Phosphate/Nitrate. Fast skeletal growth with slow skin growth.

I think at that point n and p were 40+ and .4+