Need some advice with recently purchase corals

[Hitch08]

I recently purchased several corals from LA.

Meteor Shower Cyphastrea Coral: https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/...fm?pcatid=3532
Plate coral, green - short tentacle: https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/...25&pcatid=1925
Brain Coral, Trachyphyllia: https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/...429&pcatid=429
Devil's Hand Leather Coral: https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/...646&pcatid=646

They were all delivered on Saturday. They were, at least, double bagged, so I removed the extra bags around each one and put them in my sump for over an hour. I then mixed up some fresh saltwater and tested salinity to 1.025. Added a heater to match the temp in my tank/sump. I then did a Bayer dip, using a slightly weaker mix than what BRS recommends in their video (they suggest 400 ml's/2.5 gallons). I went a bit less than 400 and used more like 3 gallons. I set a timer to wait 15 minutes. I then put each of them into another bucket of fresh saltwater (same temp and salinity). After several minutes, I visually checked them out and put them in the display.

The leather coral is doing well, but the first three on the list above aren't. The Cyphastrea doesn't have much color. The brain coral has a bit more color, but the tissue hasn't expanded much at all. The plate coral seems to be doing the worst. I can see some tissue/tentacles in between the skeleton. There is a slight green color, but it doesn't look anything like what is in the photo on LA's website.

Do these corals sometimes take several days to open up?

Doing some searches, I am wondering if there is maybe too much flow where the plate coral is sitting on the bottom/aragonite. I'll move it tonight when I get home.

Here are my numbers as of Saturday:

Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 78.5
Alk: 8.3
Calcium: 405
Nitrate: Somewhere between 0.0 and 0.25, but closer to 0.0.
Mag: 1300 (I didn't test Mag on Saturday, but the prior week is was 1300).
Phosphate: 0.0 (using a Hanna Checker ULR)

If I can vent on one issue...I struggle with getting Nitrate test results that I feel confident with. I have been using a Hanna Instrument HI 96786. My thought was that I would be better off with a number result than comparing colors. I have had times where I've run three tests in a row and the results are 3.4, 0.4 and 1.5. Another time, I got 3.4, 1.6 and 0.5. I called Hanna and asked for help. It was suggested that I purchase the test standards, which I did. Those numbers were more consistent (51.4, 50.8, 53.0, 52.5). I ended up calling back and spoke with a different person. I was left with the impression that I didn't need to buy the standards and that my results are within the margin of error. I decided to buy a Red Sea kit, and that result is what I posted above.

Regarding the phosphates. I saw that it went down to 0.0, so I bought the following product to dose it up a bit. With my luck, I did the math wrong and added too much. My cyano, which I've had forever, exploded. I was up close to 40. My last three tests, over about 10 days, show its back down to 0.0. Somehow, the cyano, although greatly reduced from the explosion, it still growing. Should I boost the phosphate a bit? If so, by how much?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Y01KY4M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I dose 48 ml of vinegar per day into my 120 display with a 40 breeder sump.

I'll run tests again tonight and will post the results. In the meantime, any suggestions or thoughts?

 

[mcgyvr]

From the live aquaria acclimation page..

Please allow several days for the coral to adapt to the new conditions in the aquarium.

https://www.liveaquaria.com/article/157/?aid=157

Always smart to follow the suppliers acclimation procedure..
That way "if" something happens you can show that you followed what they wanted and fit shappened..

 

[Tripod1404]

That is a very long acclimation process and ,in my opinion, it would cause more harm than good.


I just float the bag for 15mins and then I get half gallon water from my tank. Put corals in that water, dip them with bayer or any other drug for recomended time, rinse them and put them to the tank.

I never drip acclimate corals. LA or any store that sell corals will keep them at a minimum of 1.025 ppt (if they do not, dont buy corals from there because they wont be healthy), if you keep corals you must be around that number as well. Rational behind drip acclimation is to slowly raise salinity, when the difference is 0.001 ppt, it makes no sense to drip.

Since salinities would be more or less the same, there is no reason to drip. And any other additional benefit drip acclimation might provide can be overlooked due to the transition of ammonium into toxic, non-ionized ammonia, with increasing pH.


All in all, give them some time. They might have got stressed. Plate corals are also not very good shippers.

 

[ajoe]

Nitrate test kits certainly have a lot of room for improvement to be sure. I agree with that vent 100%. Your acclimation method is not too far off from most reefers so I wouldn't jump on that immediately. Your parameters look fine and I would bet they simply need some time to adjust to their new environment. If after another 7 days they look the same I would consider some new placements in relation to lighting and water flow. They will just as easily let you know when they are happy as when they are not. I have had some that took a month to really find their home. Keep us posted.

 

[Hitch08]

Ran tests tonight.

Temp: 78.5*
Alk: 8.7dkh
Calcium: 427
Nitrate: Somewhere between 0.0 and 0.25, but closer to 0.0
Phosphate: 0.0
Mag: 1200 (I added 16 fl ounces of BRS mag mix)

 

[mcgyvr]

That is a very long acclimation process and ,in my opinion, it would cause more harm than good.

While I would agree..
"If" its a requirement for their warranty/guarantee it doesn't matter what you or I think of it
Typically companies like that put that stipulation in their guarantee..