REEF OUT OF WATER! Check out this video! Big deal or nah?

[Ef4life]

I have monti caps that are out of water every week. Typically 30-45minutes max but I will splash a little water on them to keep them damp. The purple monti cap is growing right to the waters surface so doing any maintenance and it’s automatically being exposed to air to some extent.

I guess the top of the tank is a bad spot for montis but I love them when looking too down

 

[Jay Norris]

Ran across this gem of video from @rachelsreef on IG and thought it would make for an interesting QOTD today! She shot this video from @TopShelfAquatics so props to them as well for the amazing system. So let's talk about our coral and them being out of water!

1. Are your corals ever subjected to the open air with no water due to water changes or tank maintenance?

2. How long are you comfortable with allowing your corals to be "out of the water?"

3. Did you plan your aquascape to factor in the probability that your coral may at times be exposed to the open air?

Ran across this gem of video from @rachelsreef on IG and thought it would make for an interesting QOTD today! She shot this video from @TopShelfAquatics so props to them as well for the amazing system. So let's talk about our coral and them being out of water!

1. Are your corals ever subjected to the open air with no water due to water changes or tank maintenance?

2. How long are you comfortable with allowing your corals to be "out of the water?"

3. Did you plan your aquascape to factor in the probability that your coral may at times be exposed to the open air?

No big deal leaving Acro’s exposed to the air for an hour or two, but I never take that long for a water change.

 

[TheDuude]

I have accidently left a couple Zoa heads out overnight after fragging and they survived

 

[Buckster]

I planned my rocks at the 2/3 level leaving the upper 1/3 for growth. At this time no coral is out of the water while performing water changes. That may change as the corals grow and that's why I can perform the 35 gal water change in 1/2 hour. I sure I could even speed that up but am not currently concerned!

 

[LRT]

I've accidentally left a colony out of the water when fragging it. It sat on my work station for 4 hours before I realized it. I put it back in, and it browned out a bit, but recovered within 2 weeks. I'm comfortable with corals being out of the water for up to an hour, after that I would be very concerned. I took this pic during a water change. All corals are out of the water here.

They are even more colorful out of water. Absoloutely ridiculous!

 

[M Stein]

Most corals are fine being out of water for a few minutes. ( Most sponges being the exception)
Just to be safe, I splash water on them, but It's not really necessary.

There should have been a choice in the poll "Yes and I'm fine with it"

 

[Bruce Burnett]

I have monti caps that are out of water every week. Typically 30-45minutes max but I will splash a little water on them to keep them damp. The purple monti cap is growing right to the waters surface so doing any maintenance and it’s automatically being exposed to air to some extent.

I guess the top of the tank is a bad spot for montis but I love them when looking too down

I won't even have Monti caps they are like a weed start them at the bottom and before long at the top and over grow everything in their way

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Being out of water for and SPS is no big deal. I'm comfortable with is for an hour or more. What DOES matter is they stay damp/moist.

Being out of water for and SPS is no big deal. I'm comfortable with is for an hour or more. What DOES matter is they stay damp/moist.

Agree but how can the corals be moist or damp without submerged in water for an hour?

 

[Reef of Fillory]

I had to answer "Other". My corals are out of the water during water changes, but I don't give a second thought to it. I don't think it's an issue personally and while I don't keep high end stuff, I have never noticed any issues. My tanks are smaller, and so a water change is usually pretty quick [20mins max].

 

[robert teseo]

yes, i don't believe it hurts them. look at a reef at dead low tide.

 

[luisgo]

1. Yes
2. 5 minutes
3. Yes

 

[Paheej]

I run two trumpets, anthelia, palys, and zoas near the top of my tank and leave them out of water for up to and hour at a time during big waterchanges. They do great. I also like to use a bucket for dumping water back into the tank. I have a book on coral husbandry which states that coral growth was most accelerated in experiments using dump buckets rather than traditional . . . less rambunctious water changes. Voted Other as it's a feature not a bug.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

yes, i don't believe it hurts them. look at a reef at dead low tide.

I agree, many reef tracts are exposed to air for extended periods during low tide, and it has no negative impact on them at all.

 

[Timfish]

#1 Yes,

#2 Depends on the species.

#3 I plan my aquascaping to be an interesting foundation for my corals. Since I keep my systems for years if not decades I expect some of my corals, depending on the species, to grow to the surface.

 

[burningmime]

Many of these animals live in tidal zones. Of course, it depends on the species and specimen, but I'd assume that an SPS that's used to 400+ PAR in nature is towards the top of the water line and might be exposed to air during low tide.

 

[sp1187]

1. Are your corals ever subjected to the open air with no water due to water changes or tank maintenance?

yes

2. How long are you comfortable with allowing your corals to be "out of the water?"

2-3 hours, not that it ever takes that long.

3. Did you plan your aquascape to factor in the probability that your coral may at times be exposed to the open air?

no. my scape breaks the water surface before water changes.
I've got blasto's, leathers, zoas & nems that are all out of the water every week during a water change. non issue.

 

[Bleigh]

If you look back to old coral textbooks, and older photos of people working on coral reefs, corals regularly are pictured above the water line. I can’t imagine it’s a problem. This picture was 2016, but there’s other from even further back.

 

[tamanning]

I don't do water changes.

 

[wjgeese]

Being out of water for and SPS is no big deal. I'm comfortable with is for an hour or more. What DOES matter is they stay damp/moist.

'moist'

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

'moist'