Exposing SPS to air - how long?

[elwaine]

If the tops your SPS colonies are just under the surface of the water, how long are you comfortable keeping the coral heads exposed, above the water line, when doing water changes?

 

[raskal311]

I'd be comfortable with 10-15 min if the lights isn't on. With lights on I'd shoot for less then 5 min.

 

[aquaman67]

I expose some monti cap for a few minutes while doing a water change with no problems.

 

[MiddletonMark]

10-20 minutes - and I turn out the lights as well too.

I've had them exposed for longer - and they've done fine.

Then again, I'd rather have my corals spending their energy budgets on color + growth

 

[kenny77]

I've had them exposed for 5-10m with the light off with no problem at all.

 

[Ironman]

I've had mine exposed for 10 minutes with the MH on without causing any negative affect.

 

[cristhiam]

10-20 no problem

 

[duec22]

As long as the air temp isn't too low you sould be good for a couple of hours...not that I would recomend you trying that. Typically when I do my water changes they are exposed for maybe 15-20 minuntes tops. However when I moved my tank I had a couple of monties out of the water for a good hour and half. I've even picked up a frag once for a local reefer at a club meeting that was packed dry with just a damp paper towl wraped around the frag...it sat in the cooler like like for at least 3 hours and the next day in the tank the polyps were out, I had my doubts about that packing method.

 

[elwaine]

Thank you all.

It stands to reason that SPS should be able to tolerate being out of water for a while, as that occurs in some natural reefs; but since our tanks mimic, but are not duplicates of nature, it's good to hear from those who've had experience that the corals do fine in "our world" while doing water changes.

 

[saltman1]

Do you guys warm up your RO water when doign the WC?? Even at Room Temp the water is at best in the 60's.....also do you all mix the salt then chnage or do you mix and let sit for a period of time??

 

[Ironman]

I make sure my make up water is the same temp as the display tank.

Once the salt is mixed I let it sit for one day with light circulation and a heater.

 

[mr_o98]

I use a heater to warm my water to the temperature of the tank before I add it in. I usually mix the water and let it sit in a bucket for an hour or so with a powerhead in it. If I have time, I'll mix the water the night before a water change and let it sit with a powerhead overnight.

 

[md fishes]

I've heard that people are now shipping sps out of water in a damp paper towel. Sounds crazy but I guess the survival rate is actually higher than shipping them in water.

As stated in nature at low tide some sps are out of the water for hours. I don't recommend that but I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[Kreeger1]

I've left some out for hours no problems
Erik

 

[physicslord]

My LPS and leathers were out of water for 7 hours while I drove up to Santa Cruz.
They needed a few days to recover from that experience but everyone survived.

Got the idea to ship dry from good old Eric B.

 

[speckled trout]

The tide regularly exposes reefs to the air for many hours in some locations. If it doesn't kill corals in the wild, I wouldn't worry about it during water changes. Can you imagine how hot they get being exposed in the open air in tropical regions.

 

[physicslord]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6817702#post6817702 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by speckled trout
... Can you imagine how hot they get being exposed in the open air in tropical regions.

That's true as long as you realize it's also 100% humidity on the reef. I bet they wouldn't last 5 minutes in a desert.

Hey Elwaine, it says you're a "past doc".

Don't you mean "post doc"?

 

[MiddletonMark]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6817702#post6817702 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by speckled trout
The tide regularly exposes reefs to the air for many hours in some locations. If it doesn't kill corals in the wild, I wouldn't worry about it during water changes. Can you imagine how hot they get being exposed in the open air in tropical regions.

I agree, completely, but ... wild corals spawn yearly ... aquarium corals rarely if ever spawn. While there could be `signals' involved that we aren't providing ... IMO the health of huge wild coral stands is hard to compare with our puny little corals.

Not that I'm disagreeing

 

[elwaine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6816844#post6816844 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by saltman1
do you all mix the salt then chnage or do you mix and let sit for a period of time??

 

[elwaine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6816844#post6816844 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by saltman1
do you all mix the salt then chnage or do you mix and let sit for a period of time??

Saltman, see http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=777407

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6818426#post6818426 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by physicslord
Hey Elwaine, it says you're a "past doc". Don't you mean "post doc"?

No. I'm a retired physician (but I've done a lot of post doc. work also.)