Dipping Zoanthairans

[Wy Renegade]

With all the nuisance hitchhikers and potential diseases that are floating around, it is recommended that you follow a regular dipping procedure prior to placing the new arrivals in your aquarium, when receiving new zoas or palythoa. This is especially true when you are adding a new colony or clump of wild collected polyps. Additionally diseases are sometimes inadvertently show up in are aquariums, and treatment of some type is necessary.

Pictures of some of the commonly encountered diseases, pests, and predators of polyps can be found here.
http://www.zoaid.com/index.php?module=Gall...p;g2_itemId=384

or here
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/f142/r2r-care-spotlight-zoanthid-eating-spiders-7861.html

There are a large number of different dipping procedures and materials out there, so I attempted to gather as much information on each of these that I could and gather it all together into a single thread. If you know of a different dip or use a different procedure, please feel free to add it on. Also, if you happen to have some pictures of any of the various diseases and/or predators to add to the thread please do so.

Also be aware that some pests, such as Nudi eggs and zoa spiders may not be dislodged by the dipping process and removal by hand and/or tweezers may be required. Always examine all new arrives carefully prior to placing them in your aquarium.

Additional information on dipping can also be found here; https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/f142/r2r-care-spotlight-zoa-dip-1248.html

And finally, just as a general reminder, remember that some species of Zs-n-Ps, particularly protopalys, are know to carry very high concentrations of palytoxin. Wearing gloves and eye protection whenever you handle these polyps is highly recommended. Some general information on palytoxin poisoning can be found in this thread;

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/zo...alytoxin-poisoning-its-potential-dangers.html

 

[Wy Renegade]

Formaline
*Disclaimer* I’ve never used Formaline, if/when I do, I will add to the post.

Preparation: prepare a container of water by adding 1 ml to a liter of freshly prepared saltwater.

Dipping: dip by submerging the polyps in the medicated aquarium water and swishing them around aggressively. Rinse in a separate container of aquarium water and replace in your aquarium.

Effectiveness: Formaline is reported to be effective in treating protozoal infestations.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Freshwater Dip
*Caution* this procedure is not recommended for palys or protopalys, as it can result in melting.

Preparation: prepare a container of fresh water (preferably RO water), by adding a buffer (baking soda works fine) until the pH matches the pH of your aquarium, and raising the temperature of the freshwater till it matches that of your aquarium. A light concentration of Iodine (approx. 4 drops/gallon) may also be added to the water as well (Lugol’s, Kent Marine’s Concentrated Iodine, or Seachem’s Reef Dip).

Dipping: dip the polyps for 3 to 5 minutes, swishing them aggressively throughout the dipping period. Rinse in a separate container of aquarium water and return or place in the aquarium.

Effectiveness: Freshwater dips may be effective in removing various pests and for treating some diseases in the beginning stages. Be advised however that it does stress the polyps themselves, and thus is not usually recommended for use with polyps that are already unhealthy.

 

[Wy Renegade]

FURAN-2
*Caution* using FURAN-2 as a zoa dip is different than using it for treating fish, the water to med ratio for a zoa dip is much different than what is given on the box.

Preparation: Prepare a container of water by dissolving one packet of FURAN-2 in one cup of freshly made saltwater (mix well). Raise the temperature of the water till it matches that of your tank. The water will be a greenish/yellow color.

Dipping: Place the polyps in the dip for as little as 5 minutes, but no more than 20. FURAN-2 works better at higher temperatures, so if you have the means slowly increase the temperature to 84° during the dipping process. If you can’t raise the temperature, be sure and maintain it at tank temperature. Remove the polyps and rinse in a container of tank water before placing back into your tank. Polyps may retain a yellow/greenish coloration, but that is normal and will go away in a day or two.

Polyps should be dipped once a day for three consecutive days. After completion of the dipping process allow a 5 to 7 day resting period before dipping again, if symptom persist. If you notice any adverse affects as a result of the treatment, stop treatment immediately.

Effectiveness: FURAN-2 is effective in combating both Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial infections, as well as fungus. It is also the primary recommended method of treatment for zoa pox.

Brian did an excellent write-up on this with pictures, so I've included it below;

Ever get zoapox or fungus on your zoa's? Furan-2 is a great dip that seems to work very effectively at removing both zoapox, as well as random fungal or bacterial infections. So here's a sort of walk-through on how I do it. Must make sure to credit Thanh Nguyen and the article found at CoralPedia.com :: Articles :: ZoaPox (Zoa Pox); the search for the cause and cure which is where I learned how to do it. The following is just my step-by-step procedure, and I use the powder instead of capsules.

%<- GPS

The furan-2 I'm using- it's also available in a capsule form probably a bit more readily.

The container I'm using for dipping- not sure the exact size- I measure via color produced, not by how much of each ingredient. Razor blade is sitting in there just to give some idea of size.

I measure just by tapping some into the lid. Maybe a 1/4 teaspoon or so? They're zoa's, not delicate, so adding a little too much is perfectly ok in my experience.

Toss it in and mix it up..

after mixed up- I'm dipping just for a general dip, so not as dark as I would do it if it was zoapox. If zoapox, i'll mix to the point of not seeing to the bottom, and then a little darker. I do not want any risk of zoapox spreading if I ever get a polyp that has it, so will gladly overdose the furan to prevent it from happening, even at the risk of a polyp or two.

The rock of purple death's I'm dipping, there was a 'nem of some sort stinging some polyps, with an asterina actually munching on the damaged tissue. Have had this in extremely low lighting and think it caused them to suffer, so dipping and then going to get them back in shape.

Closer up of the polyps that are damaged (the closed up, more greyish ones)

Drop it on in the dip.... (be careful, the furan will cause stains, and obviously you don't want an anti-bacterial getting into your tank!)

Can see the color consistency of the water- again, if it was zoapox, i'd be using a darker solution

20 minutes on the clock...if you go over on time by a few minutes, no big deal. They're zoa's, very hardy

Removing from dip- if this was just zoapox, i'd go right back to the display, no need to rinse in between unless you're dipping A LOT of stuff (and thus greater amount of furan-2 will be getting back into your tank)

Because this was a general dip for something that I wasn't quite sure what the problem was, I went ahead and transfered the rock from the furan-2 to an iodine dip. Please read (INSERT LINK TO IODINE DIP THREAD ONCE THREADS ARE MOVED) if you'd like more info.

Hope that's some help :bigsmile:

 

[Wy Renegade]

Hydrogen Peroxide
*Caution* While some are big proponents of this method, others advise that the primary effectiveness of the hydrogen peroxide treatment is caused by the h. peroxide changing the pH of the dip – use with caution.

Preparation: Prepare a container of water by removing the saltwater directly from your aquarium.

Dipping: Place the polyps into the container of aquarium water, and slowly add hydrogen peroxide by the capful until you see bubbles forming at the base of the polyps (some recommend a solution of 1:10). Allow the polyps to sit in the solution for at least five minutes (longer treatments up to an hour may also be used). For longer treatments be sure and maintain the temperature of the water at normal tank temperature. A turkey baster can be used to shoot a stream of the medicated water into and amongst the polyps, or you may aggressively swish the polyps about during the dip. After completion of the dip, rinse the polyps in a separate container of aquarium water and place back in the aquarium. Bubbles will continue to be released from the treated polyps, this is normal.

Hydrogen Peroxide dipping can be followed by a secondary dip in either a low concentration of iodine (approx. four drops/gallon) or a FURAN-2 solution if you feel the situation warrants it.

Polyps can be treated every other day for a week, then should be given a full week of rest before dipping again.

Effectiveness: Hydrogen Peroxide is generally effective for treating bacterial, cyano, or fungal infections.

Here's a link to a discussion thread on dipping with hydrogen peroxide as well;
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/f14/zoa-dip-hydrogen-peroxide-16937.html

Recent evidence suggests that Hydrogen Peroxide is very effective in battling hair algae when used in a higher concentration. Here's a excerpt from another thread describing the process;

Occassionally, you may receive a colony or frag that is simply so covered in hair or other nuisance algaes that it is impossible to clean it up by hand.

When you do, its time for a hydrogen peroxide dip. You'll need another small plastic container, a bottle of standard 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution (available at your local grocery store), and a portable clock of some type. I fill the container about half full of tank water.

Then finish filling the container with 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Drop your colony or frag into the solution once all the polyps have completely closed up and watch the bubbles appear.

Let the frag soak in the hydrogen peroxide solution for about about 4 minutes. Remove the frag from the solution and then I usually place it into a iodine solution for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove, rinse and follow tank placement as normal.

If you've never used these precautionary measures before, you will be amazed at how many invertes appear when you do.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Iodine
*Caution* Iodine if administered incorrectly can be lethal to polyps, follow the directions carefully.

Preparation: prepare a container of water by removing a cup or gallon of water from your aquarium. For a light dip, add approximately four drops of iodine to a gallon of water. For a more concentrated dip, add four drops to a cup. For a full strength dip, Lugol’s Iodine calls for 40 drops per gallon. Stir the water to distribute the iodine throughout the container.

Dipping: dip the polyps by submersing them in the dip for 5 to 15 minutes, swish the polyps aggressively during the dipping process. Rinse in a separate container of aquarium water before returning them to the aquarium. In the effect that the zoas are in really bad shape, you can paint the concentrated iodine solution directly onto the affected areas and allow the zoas to sit on a table or counter for 3 to 5 minutes (*caution* use extreme caution and remain observant if you employ this technique).

Effectiveness: Iodine is an antiseptic, and is effective in treating both bacterial and fungal disease. It is also lethal to many invertebrates such as nudis and flatworms, and is an effective preventative measure after fragging.

As an initial dip on new polyps, I use Lugal's Iodine almost exclusively;

Remove the polyps and irritate them until they have fully closed up, then drop them into the container of tank water.

I add iodine to the container directly over the polyps. In this case, with a smaller container (about 2 cups of water), I added 8 drops of iodine.

I then either swish the coral around or use the pipette or turkey baster to squirt the iodine all around the polyps and into the nooks and crannies of the LR. I let them sit in the lugals for 10 to 15 minutes.

After 10 to 15 minutes, remove the polyps from the iodine solution, dip briefly into a clean container of tank water and swish gently to remove the excess iodine. Adding a large number of frags to a tank all at once without rinsing away excess iodine can cause a large spike in iodine concentration within your tank.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Revive Coral Treatment
*Disclaimer* I’ve also never used Revive, although I currently have a bottle on order. It comes highly recommended, and once I get my bottle and try it, I’ll add to the post

Preparation/Dipping: follow the directions on the bottle.

Effectiveness: Revive is an antiseptic and is effective in treating bacterial infections, nudis, and flatworms. It is also an effective preventative measure for damaged or fragged corals.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Salifert Flatworm Exit (FWE)
*Disclaimer* This is another one I’ve never used, but it comes highly recommend by Martin (mfinn).

Preparation/Dipping: Mix at four times the recommended strength.

Effectiveness: Salifert Flatworm Exit is reported to be extremely effective not only in the removal of flatworms, but also in the removal of nudis!

Detailed directions can be found here;
http://www.practicalcoralfarming.com/zoonudis.html

 

[Wy Renegade]

Tropic Marin Pro (TMP)
*Disclaimer* This is another one I’ve never used. If/when I do, I’ll add to the post.

Preparation/Dipping: follow the directions on the bottle.

Effectiveness: Tropic Marin Pro is reported to be effective in the removal of zoa spiders, nudis, asteria stars, and flatworms

 

[Wy Renegade]

Regardless of the dipping technique that you use to aid your struggling zoanthids, I personally have found (especially when dealing with fungal infections) that it is best to place the affected zoas in an area of high flow when returning them to the aquarium. The exception to this would be the hydrogen peroxide dip, which can actually cause the polyps to float.

If you've never used these precautionary measures before, you will be amazed at how many invertes appear when you do.

Thats all there is too it, nothing new or difficult, but its amazing how using these dips will not only greatly improve your success, but also your enjoyment within this hobby and with Ps-n-Zs!

Good luck and happy reefing!

 

[revhtree]

Very good thread!

 

[Wy Renegade]

Very good thread!

Thanks Rev

 

[tampasnooker]

Well done. I started a thread last month asking for a poll of favored dips and it got closed before anyone could respond. Thank you for putting this up and making it a sticky.

 

[fishoutofwater]

very informative info there. thanks

 

[moto826]

tang is the man good job

 

[Wy Renegade]

Well done. I started a thread last month asking for a poll of favored dips and it got closed before anyone could respond. Thank you for putting this up and making it a sticky.

Really? Why would it get closed?

very informative info there. thanks

tang is the man good job

Thanks everyone! I updated the first post with some links to other related threads here one R2R.

 

[650-IS350]

good thread buddy , awesome. very informational stuff here folks.

 

[tampasnooker]

Really? Why would it get closed?




No worries now. A mod said it had been covered before many times. Thanks for consolidating a lot of good info.

 

[Laird]

What does everyone think of mixing dips?

Like seachem coral dip, and some HP? thoughts?

 

[Christian]

Ive had really good luck with Furan 2 for bacterial/fungal stuff on zoas, as well as some other corals as well. I had a duncan colony that got some brownish jelly on it, and I dipped it in furan thinking if it didnt help it, it would kill it. 2 days later it was all gone and the duncan has grown a ton now.

Two Little Fish's Revive has also been great for me. I dip everything that I buy as a just in case type thing, people would be surprized to see the stuff that comes off of those rocks