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How do you acclimate?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by phishcrazee, Feb 24, 2008.

  1. Feb 24, 2008 #1
    phishcrazee Riverside

    phishcrazee Experienced Reefkeeper

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    So after this last shipment of corals came and a few emails later with the owner of Fraggle Reef, I was accused of basically killing my corals from acclimating them the wrong way.  Here's what he said "
    [pre][tt][tt]Hi Fawn,
    Ouch, sorry to hear. Drip acclimating corals can kill them, especially
    highly sliming acros such as deepwaters, and double especially if you
    acclimate them all in the same bucket. Corals will arrive with a certain
    amount of die off in the bags, and drip acclimating from your tank water
    will spike the ammonia levels in the water and stress or kill the coral.
    Did they look good for a day or so and then start to fade off? That's
    usually a sign of ammonia poisoning in the water. All corals need is
    temperature acclimation to water, anything else can stress and kill them...
    Please keep me posted as to how they do, with good flow they may clear up.
    Miguel[/tt][/tt]    [/pre]
    What I did was acclimate them first to temp, ie float them in my tank for about 15 minutes in their bags.  Then I drip acclimated them for a little under an hour (not all in the same bucket, btw) and placed them in the tank.  I've never had a problem using this method in the past and I've certainly never heard of it being the cause of coral deaths.  So now I'm curious, how do you acclimate different things to your tanks? 
     
  2. Feb 24, 2008 #2
    slovan

    slovan Experienced Reefkeeper

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    Sorry to hear about what happened. I'm not sure how much drip acclimation would have contributed to the death of your corals but I have never done it that way either.

    For SPS, I acclimate to temperature and then put them in a 5 gallon bucket with my water, Interceptor and a powerhead. After that, they go through a dip and swish in Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure and then into the tank after examination.

    LPS and softies get temperature acclimation and then a dip and swish through TMPCC.
     
  3. Feb 24, 2008 #3
    Coralfreak

    Coralfreak Inactive User

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    Posted By slovan on 02/24/2008 3:56 PM
    Sorry to hear about what happened. I'm not sure how much drip acclimation would have contributed to the death of your corals but I have never done it that way either.

    For SPS, I acclimate to temperature and then put them in a 5 gallon bucket with my water, Interceptor and a powerhead. After that, they go through a dip and swish in Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure and then into the tank after examination.

    LPS and softies get temperature acclimation and then a dip and swish through TMPCC.
    Thats basically how I do it as well.
    My question is did they provide acclimation instructions to you?  IMO if that is part of any live arrival guarantee, they should have provided instructions for you to follow.
     
  4. Feb 24, 2008 #4
    phishcrazee Riverside

    phishcrazee Experienced Reefkeeper

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    Posted By Coralfreak on 02/24/2008 4:23 PM
    Posted By slovan on 02/24/2008 3:56 PM
    Sorry to hear about what happened. I'm not sure how much drip acclimation would have contributed to the death of your corals but I have never done it that way either.

    For SPS, I acclimate to temperature and then put them in a 5 gallon bucket with my water, Interceptor and a powerhead. After that, they go through a dip and swish in Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure and then into the tank after examination.

    LPS and softies get temperature acclimation and then a dip and swish through TMPCC.
    Thats basically how I do it as well.
    My question is did they provide acclimation instructions to you?  IMO if that is part of any live arrival guarantee, they should have provided instructions for you to follow.
    No, no instructions included............, not on the website either.  I think the lokani was basically DOA though..... it was very slimed up and very pale in the bag and never looked like it was alive to me, although I have had some coral that looks dead before perk up in a day or two.......
     
  5. Feb 24, 2008 #5
    slovan

    slovan Experienced Reefkeeper

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    If it doesn't make it, ask for credit on a future order. Miguel is a good guy to work with and I'm sure he'll do that for you. It's just a shame that you lost a beautiful coral due to shipping. Plus I don't think lokanis are great shippers. I had a lokani frag from Atlantis die on me before...
     
  6. Feb 24, 2008 #6
    phishcrazee Riverside

    phishcrazee Experienced Reefkeeper

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    I've asked for credit for the lokani, but haven't heard back from him since that last email 2 days ago.........I have a feeling he's going to say no from the tone of the email. He makes it sound like all was ok when the coral arrived. I don't know how big a factor the temp. is for a lokani, but the water and heat packs were all very cold. The box had been in transit less than 24 hours, so it really shouldn't have been cold, but there were just 2 heat packs in there and I had ordered alot of things, so I think he shouldv'e thrown in a couple more. I made a point to tell him it has been very cold here lately too. . I also ordered over $200 to get the free shipping and am waiting for him to refund that as well. So far, the lokani is dead and I lost a few tips on the surharsoni. The rainbow monti doesn't look so hot, but I think it may make it, who knows. There was a freebie that I think is dead too, otherwise everything else is ok. The thing is, I've never lost coral from drip acclimating before and was a bit shocked that he seems to be telling me the corals that didn't make were because I drip acclimated them.  I did tell him all that too and right away, but then too, I didn't hear back from him until the next day........
     
  7. Feb 24, 2008 #7
    Deleted member 46

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    I can kinda see what he is saying. I'm a big fan of the drip acclimation myself. After thinking about what he wrote it kinda makes sense. If the water is really dirty from shipping and the coral sliming up it could possibly choke itself to death on its own wastes. Maybe putting corals that slimes into clean water faster than drip acclimation can help them. There could be a big ph swing or an amonia spike once the bag is opened and the polluted water gets fresh air. Also putting them in a seperate container might not hurt the other corals from the slime.
    As for him not getting back to you yet I'd not worry about it.  You got to remember someplaces are actually nice this time of year.  Maybe he went away for the weekend.
    I hope everything works out.
     
  8. Feb 24, 2008 #8
    seanndenise1

    seanndenise1 Inactive User

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    sounds like a bunch of excuses to me,he must think everyone knows every individual corals shipping and acclimation procedure.

    maybe he should make his acclimation beliefs known on his website before selling his corals.
     
  9. Feb 25, 2008 #9
    seanndenise1

    seanndenise1 Inactive User

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    .i doubt many people use the grab and plop method of acclimating, and if they do 99 percent wont admit to it.

    ive just looked at a couple sites in the last 10 minutes and the suggested norm of acclimation is either drip acclimation or pouring water into the shipping container for anywhere from 1-3 hours.

     
  10. Feb 25, 2008 #10
    phishcrazee Riverside

    phishcrazee Experienced Reefkeeper

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    BTW, I didn't use any of the water from the slimed up lokani bag and I gently swirled it in its bag to try and get some of the slime off before taking it out. I think if he's going to ship things that are very poor shippers or need special care upon arrival, he should tell the buyer that.
     
  11. Feb 25, 2008 #11
    phishcrazee Riverside

    phishcrazee Experienced Reefkeeper

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    Just heard from Miguel and apparently he's been gone all weekend, hence the unanswered emails, but plans on crediting me the lokani as well as my shipping. I was worried there for awhile, but looks like he's going to make everything good.
     
  12. Feb 25, 2008 #12
    RobynT

    RobynT Inactive User

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    I'm glad you are getting a credit phish, and I hope the rest of the corals pull through for you.  I personally think that this is a great thread that you started albeit unfortunate circumstances.  I used to think that you needed to drip acclimate everything and read otherwise not so long ago.  I doubt that your manor of acclimating was the main cause for some of your corals not making it, jmo.
    I have seen some disclaimers regarding the method of acclimating on a few of the ebay coral sellers sites where they BOLDLY exclaim that they will not guarantee corals that are drip acclimated and the way they suggest you should handle acclimation.  I would think that all coral selling sites might post some good hints on what to do when your shipment arrives since there are so many that think fish/invert/coral = drip acclimate when it really doesn't apply to the corals.
    Keep us posted with pictures as they come along!
     
  13. Feb 25, 2008 #13
    Deleted member 46

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    Glad to hear everything is going to work out.
    I once ordered some Blasto Wellsi's another hard to ship PITA coral. the seven I got all looked like hell when i got them. I acclimated them like i normally do then put them where I thought was ok. They looked like they were just holding on by a thread the 2 days I had them. I emailed the seller and he told me I was doing it wrong and that putting them in low light or even a shaded area would help. The 4 I had in the least light all pulled threw the 3 others were lost. He did give me credit but I learned a valuble lesson.
     
  14. Feb 26, 2008 #14
    Steph & Nick

    Steph & Nick Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    glad this is going to work out for you fawn, thanks for sharing your experience for the rest of us to learn!
     

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