New SPS QT Setup/Procedure Questions

[Patrick Cox]

I just bought some new SPS Frags that came to me straight from ORA and I now have them in QT and I want to make sure I follow the right protocol. First, my setup...

-15G Aquarium
-2-bulb Aquatic Life T5 light fixture. (I have an ATI T5 in my display)
-2 small power heads, one on each end.
-heater
-frag rack

My questions are...

1. Should I dip even if I don't see anything suspicious on the corals? (I have some Coral RX but have not used it. I also have Bayer from when I had AEFW a while back.)
2. Do I need filtration for the water? If not, how often should I do a water change and what percent?
3. How long should I run the lights each day? Same as my DT or should I start out with something less?
4. How long should I leave frags in QT before moving to DT?
5. I have read that I should remove frags from the plug. Would you agree for a frag straight from the grower? (ORA)

Thanks!

 

[benihana]

I am interested in hearing others opinions as well, but I would imagine that dipping should be done regardless of if there are visible bugs or not.

 

[dkeller_nc]

Just my $0.02.

ORA is very unlikely to have coral pests in their systems - they know what they're doing. However, since they don't sell direct, their wares go through at least one distributor's tanks, there's always the possibility that they've picked up something nasty on their way to you.

IMO, 2 T5's aren't enough for SPS, particularly considering that ORA grows their coral under natural, intense Florida sunlight. Your frags will probably survive the QT, but they may also adjust their light-protective protein production downward, leading to a potential bleaching situation when you transfer the coral to your display tank.

I would QT your coral for 30 days, not so much with regards to the animal pests, but nuisance algae spore germination. You really don't want Bryopsis in your display, trust me.

Yes, your QT needs biological filtration at the very least, and preferably some mechanical filtration in the form of a skimmer.