Jeremey’s reef
Well-Known Member
I am currently using the API test kit
Zoa question
- Thread starter Jeremey’s reef
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That’s what I was going to suggest: pests.
What is your dipping procedure? For coral Rx, I recommend using proper dosage, setting a time for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, use a pipette to blast the frags with little jets of current, as it soaks for an additional 3-7 minutes.
Dips won’t simply kill pests in the timeframe just by soaking. Many will survive. But they will be extremely weakened for a brief interval. That’s your opportunity to remove them.
What is your dipping procedure? For coral Rx, I recommend using proper dosage, setting a time for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, use a pipette to blast the frags with little jets of current, as it soaks for an additional 3-7 minutes.
Dips won’t simply kill pests in the timeframe just by soaking. Many will survive. But they will be extremely weakened for a brief interval. That’s your opportunity to remove them.
Also zoas/palys can be weird at times. I have a rock in my tank that was covered by nirvana zoas Probably 300-400 polyps. It melted back to about 50 polyps over the last month. 3 inches away I have 4 frag plugs with nirvana zoas that are doing great. I also have a plate full of nirvana zoas sitting on the sand in the same tank doing fine. Still haven't figured out why. An ICP test is next on my list. Hopefully it will show me something
Jeremey’s reef
Well-Known Member
I usually just soak them for five minutes and comb over them with a toothbrush
Jeremey’s reef
Well-Known Member
I want some of those nirvana when you get a chance to frag them
You’ll probably want to do longer than that; time is a bigger factor than strength against many pests. But this also applies to corals, so don’t go too long. 15 minutes is a good target, but I always do at least 10 minutes. And I only cut it short when I know the source is clean, and visual inspection shows no pests. Also, a Toothbrush may get some pests, but to really have any chance of getting them may risk ripping the flesh of your coral.
It may not be pests on your corals; but I’d say that the majority of the bad pests would easily sneak through such a quick and easy dipping procedure. Even a rigorous procedure has small risks of things slipping through though. Just something to consider
Does it make a lot of difference if you stir it or not? I know you need to mix it to a certain extent and the directions say to use like a power head or something to keep it mixing but I always wondered how important that is and if people really do that.
yes, but notice that I didn't use the word Stir, I said "Blast". Maybe an extremely rigorous stirring with a strong dip can work 30-40% of the time. But most of the serious pests will sneak through anything that isn't intense and focused. However, you can increase your catch rate to maybe 98% by simply using a pipette which only costs about 20 cents and 3-7 minutes of your time.
I don't want the word blast to scare people, but I mean... there's only so much water current you can move with a 1 mL pipette. So if you really try to give that pipette all the power you are capable, the word blast is quite fitting. While doing this, aim in every crack and crevice of the coral and the underside; this is where many pests hide and lay eggs. As you're doing it, you'll use your eyes to get real close and personal with each coral frag, as you're basically looking for anything suspicious that is nearly-microscopic, all the way up to ~2mm. And use timers with alarms, so you dont go over your time limit. All that said... you'll probably notice little critters falling off left and right with each blast.
If the coral still seems infested and 15 minutes is up; then move the coral into your rinse water and continue pipette-blasting for a couple more minutes. Then move it to a secondary rinse. Then move the frag to a QT, and wait at least 24 hours before doing the process again. This will allow the coral to heal. If it seems clean, then just a single rinse and on to QT or the display tank.
But yes, the intense blasting is necessary. It's better to learn from a guy on a soap box (lol) than from having a pest wipe out your $1,000 of corals, when it can be avoided for so darn cheaply.
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