Coral Help!

i have some questions to any one with answers . i got a jbj nano tank and im planning on getting my first corals. (zoas,mushrooms ect.) but i have no i dea what to do when i get them. mounting ect. i also dont know how to do frags ( buying not fragging my corals) i know about care for them like trace elements, dipping when i first get them ect. but not o do with them after i got them at my house some help please!!!

 

it's really not a big deal. First, watch out on dipping corals. Some can be dipped in freshwater, others won't tolerate it. Others can be dipped in lugol's solution while others can't. I personally don't dip mine unless they are sick. I also am starting to stay away from lfs. Even very good ones I have seen corals with bryopsis on them or other nuisance alage in the tank. I bought some from Tangster at ATT and plan on making my next purchase online as well. The online stores, at least the good ones, seem to have better quality livestock. However, I don't mean this to scare you away from buying corals at lfs. Anyways, when you get it back home, I would acclimate it by letting the bag sit in the tank you are going to put it in for about 20min. Then I open the bag up and add about a 1/4cup of water from the display tank. I do this about 3-4 times over 45-60min. Then I just place it in. If you buy frags just place it where the coral will receive proper flow and lighting, you will need to research this first. I have had problems with crabs and snails knocking over my frags so I epoxy them down with an epoxy you can get at any lfs. Otherwise, just place them on a rock. If you have strong lights and you lfs doesn't, you may need to light acclimate the corals too. Do this by placing them at the bottom of the tank, then over the course of a couple of weeks raise them to the desired location. Good luck!

 

A great way to get a first coral is to find a club or local reefer and buy a frag from a tank you trust. This way you a Farly confident you will not bring in a coral carrying flatworms or nudis that will eat other corals. If this is not possible watch a particular piece of coral over a few days at your LFS. that can also raise your comfort level knowing the coral was opening each day and looking healthy. I have dipped corals in Tropic Marin pro-cure. But it is just an Iodine solution.

What I do once I get them home is float the bag for 20 minutes then remove them and place them in the tank. Sometimes I can simply wedge them in a crack while other times I will use 2 part epoxy (purchased at the LFS). It is also important to know what lighting the coral was in at the LFS. Your tank might be less or more light. You can acclimate the coral to your lighting by moving it over time up or down your rock work. If your lights are stronger than the LFS. You would start with the coral in the sand. Then over a period of say a week move the coral to where you want it to be

J

 

more please

how do i place them from bag into tank can i touch them with my hands or do i need gloves of some sort

 

Gloves are a good idea. They protect the tank from you and you from the tank, so to speak. You should always have clean hands anyway but the gloves are key so that you do not get stung or get toxic secretions on your hands. Lots of stuff can sting you and some can be very toxic, like certain button polyps. Powderless latex or nitrile gloves are good. They even make specially designed reef gloves.

 

if you are refering the the coral life sleeve gloves. ya you dont have to worry about contaminating the tank/toxins, however you can feel anything with them, useless in a nano, bought a pair used for a min and returned the next day. only good for handing rock. imo.

 

Not dipping new corals can lead to problems like Zoa eating Nudis, Monti Destroying Nudis, Red bugs, flat worms and many other parasites and problems.

I dip ALL my corals in a solution of Saltwater, Legals and flatworm exit. I first inspect the coral and if its a frag the plug it sits on. I remove all algae, and other foreign objects then dip the coral in the mix for a few minutes then rinse in fresh salt water the inspect again then put it in the tank.

 

You know, things have gotten, in my opinion anyways, way out of hand these days. Everything with this hobby just seems so damn complicated.

Protein skimmers are a "must"
Dipping your livestock is a "must"
Water changes every couple of weeks are a "must"

I don't do any of those! The term KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) has been my policy. I have no skimmer, I have never in my almost 7 years of reef keeping dipped a coral or fish, and I can't even remember the last time I did a water change. I'm being completely serious!

I think a lot of times you guys over think things. I mean come on we're talking about acclimating a coral here. It's really as simple as floating the bag for about 15 minutes and maybe...and I do mean MAYBE...adding a cup of water and letting that sit for another 15 minutes or so. Total acclimation time is less than an hour. Then you toss that thing in the tank.

You think these animals haven't survived worse than that? My point is these things are a LOT hardier than a lot of you make them out to be. Some of you guys scare these newbs into thinking these animals will die at the slightest touch. It's simply not true....

 

I agree with a lot of what you are saying here. It is true that most stuff is way hardier than it's given credit for being. KISS is a great philosophy for a reef tank. I have a skimmer, never do dips, and do 20 min float and into the tank. But to each his own with their respective regimes.

At the very least, it is worth teaching newbs good habits. Once they get the hang of things and understand more about the chemistry and the husbandry they can decide on their own what works for them.

 

Yeah.....I don't go all out on the precautionary measures myself. Corals and fish get the same acclimation treatment from me. First the ten minute float with the lights off. Then a half cup of tank water every five or ten mintutes until about 30 minutes total (including 10 minute float). After that.....into the tank. Granted, I have not been in this very long, but I have not had amy problems with death, ujnwanted hitchhikers (that I know of) or any other maladies. I thrive on the KISS mentality. I find I can do so much more with the tank itself if I do.