Bayer Bleaching Corals

[Rakie]

It's the RO water. Some handle it better than others, none handle it well. Do not rinse in RO water. If it hasn't been a problem before, you were lucky -- nothing else.

 

[DanConnor]

Yeah- it's from an old protocol. I looked through my notes and couldn't find what I was referencing.
Probably going to stop doing it because looking through threads to many people seem dead set against it. Of course, its hard to know how many people are just being old wives, and how many have done it enough times to make a decent comparison.

I have dipped at least 100 sps frags this way with no trouble, quite a few times to be lucky, and that leads me to remain unsure it is the OP's problem. Nonetheless they should eliminate that variable.

 

[FishLvR]

First off 30mL to 3 cups is an excessive amount. It won't hurt anything but its a waste of product and makes it hard to see what you just killed. I find 3mL to two cups is sufficient. However in the case of red bugs you need two dips three weeks apart to eradicate the hatch-lings. 3mL allows you to see what falls off. Next, you need to use tank water for the dipping process. RODI I suspect is your issue. Some corals tolerate better than others. In the first container I use new salt mix with my Bayer and turkey baste for 15 minutes. For larger amounts a powerhead dedicated to the process works fabulously. The next container is your half tank water to half new salt mix water for another 15 minutes with light turkey basting or again a powerhead. The next container is all tank water and I will give it a light turkey basting for a few minutes. Last container is tank water only again and I just swish the frags around a bit before placing in the tank. Be mindful to keep all containers around tank temp. Glove heat packs with a towel works well for me I simply lay my containers on top. This is a successful dipping plan for many many people. Red bugs are the only critters that would seem to need two dips, and there is a growing number of people adding flatworm exit to their routine because of the flatworms ability to bury into small areas the Bayer can't reach which is why the turkey basting or powerhead is a must for proper killing of all things nasty.

Edited to add always use gloves and eye protection when using Bayer. Their MSDS sheet shows that you can experience massive burns and loss of eyesight. However at many many thousands of times higher concentrations. But safety first and all that. For sure don't accidentally mix up your alcoholic beverage with the rinse water.

 

[BoomCorals]

In my testing 5ml per cup will not kill much less even stun AEFW. I’d go 10ml per cup for sure with any acros.

 

[Rakie]

In my testing 5ml per cup will not kill much less even stun AEFW. I’d go 10ml per cup for sure with any acros.

Same. I typically use 6ml / 4oz, or about 12ml per cup. I tend to do my dipping in 4oz styrofoam cups and use 2ml pipettes.

Melafix is also great for most pests, especially AEFW. You need to use about 60ml/gallon, it's what I'm using for my AEFW at the moment. A quick 5 minute dip kills everything.

 

[BoomCorals]

Same. I typically use 6ml / 4oz, or about 12ml per cup. I tend to do my dipping in 4oz styrofoam cups and use 2ml pipettes.

Melafix is also great for most pests, especially AEFW. You need to use about 60ml/gallon, it's what I'm using for my AEFW at the moment. A quick 5 minute dip kills everything.

Just regular marine api melafix? Interesting. How do the acros respond? What about the sensitive ones like echinata.

 

[jda]

I use it for a dip at about 1 part bayer to 3 parts of tankwater... never any issues. I would rather the frag die than get a pest. I go strong. My only issues with this strength is that it is hard to see what comes of the corals.

I have dipped questionable frags every day for two weeks in this strong of a dip.

I do a quick little swish/slosh in a cup of tank water for about two seconds to rinse. I am sure that some gets in the tank, but the dilution and half life is just a few hours in this environment and quickly just turns into more organics for your tank.

 

[jda]

Oh, when going strong, heat the bayer up to tank temp. Adding a lot can drop the temp in the dipping container 4-5 degrees. I just float the jug in a bag for a while.

 

[Elegance Coral]

You can dip some corals if fresh water, like zoanthids and mushrooms, but not SPS. Most don't handle that very well.

 

[Undertaker]

definitely the rodi water. I read some where about doing the fresh water dip after using Bayer and tried it and killed my monti. started usoing water out of my dt as a rinse and have not had any problems.

 

[ajcanale]

Dipping for 10min. Rinsing in RODI.

These are the issues. Bayer at that concentration needs only a few minutes, 5 minutes tops. And I see no logical reason for an RODI dip (detailed above), verses tank water dip. These are the reasons you are seeing adverse effects, not the dip itself.

I've done a controlled study between 3 dips (Bayer, CoralRX, Revive) using 1 monti cap. and 4 different acropora species (including 1 turaki) Bayer showed minimal stress and slime response compared to the other two, which later yielded RTN in the turaki. Revive seemed more harsh than CoralRX.

 

[Rakie]

Just regular marine api melafix? Interesting. How do the acros respond? What about the sensitive ones like echinata.

Actually just regular API Melafix, not the marine. The only difference between regular and marine is 0.25% more tea tree oil. The pond Melafix is 5%, which is just more concentrated.

The recipes are below; Based on the 1.25% concentration
- Marine (1.25%) -- 50mL/g = 50mL/g <--- Desired Concentration
- Regular (1.00%) -- 50mL x 0.25 = 12.5ml, add that to 50ml = 62.5mL/g
- Pond (5.00%) -- 50mL/5.00 = 10mL/g

This dip is a 5-6 minute process. I wouldn't go past 6 minutes. Best to dip on a tray that you can put in and remove all at once, or, place all corals in the container in which you will pour the dip solution. Moving corals can be time consuming, and frankly, as much as I really like this dip, I can't stress enough how important it is to watch the time.

I will say that bayer is easier on the corals, but Melafix seems to be especially tough on flatworms and stars. in high doses in a short dip it nukes everything on the corals, and the corals are fine. At most, some of the corals slime a little. but going from tank, to dip, to clean SW rinse 1, and second rinse... They could just as easily slime up from handling.

If you have AEFW, I would definitely suggest looking into melafix. It's tough on AEFW, much more than bayer in my experience. Just make sure to watch that timer. 5-6 minutes.

 

[chefjpaul]

Actually just regular API Melafix, not the marine. The only difference between regular and marine is 0.25% more tea tree oil. The pond Melafix is 5%, which is just more concentrated.

The recipes are;
- Marine (1.25%) -- 50mL/g @1.25% = 50mL/g
- Regular (1.00%) -- 50mL x 0.25 = 12.5ml, add that to the 50ml to get 62.5mL/g
- Pond (5.00%) -- 50mL/5.00 = 10mL/g

This dip is a 5-6 minute process. I wouldn't go past 6 minutes. Best to dip on a tray that you can put in and remove all at once, or, place all corals in the container in which you will pour the dip solution. Moving corals can be time consuming, and frankly, as much as I really like this dip, I can't stress enough how important it is to watch the time.

I will say that bayer is easier on the corals, but Melafix seems to be especially tough on flatworms and stars. in high doses in a short dip it nukes everything on the corals, and the corals are fine. At most, some of the corals slime a little. but going from tank, to dip, to clean SW rinse 1, and second rinse... They could just as easily slime up from handling.

If you have AEFW, I would definitely suggest looking into melafix. It's tough on AEFW, much more than bayer in my experience. Just make sure to watch that timer. 5-6 minutes.

Great advice
Thank you.

 

[jasonrusso]

I use 10ml per cup of tank water. But I rinse it in 2 separate cups of tank water. So one cup with Bayer, 2 separate cups of tank water. I've actually had zoas start opening up in the rinsing container while I am preparing the tank rocks.

 

[trajik]

Just a quick update. All LPS has fully healed and looking great. The lepto is starting to show some color again, but very spare. Might be able to recover, but who knows... Remaining sps still looks toast.

 

[trajik]

Appreciate all the input too everyone.

Cheers!

 

[apt220]

I have to agree with everyone who says that your problem is the ro/di dip / rinse. Where did this idea come from? I bought some frags from a reefer on these forums recently and I guess he thought I was new to keeping SPS and he told me not to dip them in freshwater or Rodi. When he told me that honestly I thought that he was nuts for even suggesting that.

For the last 4 years I've been dipping my corals in Bayer at a concentration of 100 ml per 1 gallon of tank water for about 10 to 12 minutes. I never lost a coral after a dip. I simply rinse them off in tank water two times afterwards.

My tank, old video..