SPS Shippers

[C-21 USAF]

I received a frag order (fresh cuts) from a RC member the other day and I noticed he left no air in the bags...they were bagged in solid water. When I opened them, I noticed a stronger "SPS smell" than normal but not too bad.

I did my normal acclimatization and dip....put them in my tank and went back to work. That was 48 hours ago.

5 of the 11 are now dead and the others aren't looking good...time will tell.

Last week I received an order from unique corals. Following my exact same process, they all lived and looked great almost immediately...BUT they were bagged with half air/water.

I understand there are many variables in play, but I hypothesize the lack of oxygen weakened the frags ability to acclimate...thoughts?

 

[animalkingdom]

Could it be the lack of air?...possibly
Is it the dissolved oxygen being too low weakening corals?.... no.

What is your acclimatization and dip procedure? For SPS I do out of the water for 5 minutes to acclimate and that is it. Followed by a dip.
If your procedure involves acclimating in water the difference between your water and the tanks they come from come into play. Coral slime is the best acclimater in my opinion.

 

[Akrite]

Could it be the lack of air?...possibly
Is it the dissolved oxygen being too low weakening corals?.... no.

What is your acclimatization and dip procedure? For SPS I do out of the water for 5 minutes to acclimate and that is it. Followed by a dip.
If your procedure involves acclimating in water the difference between your water and the tanks they come from come into play. Coral slime is the best acclimater in my opinion.

You take your coral out of water for 5 mins, then dip, then into the tank? Whats the point of keeping out of water for 5 mins?

 

[elmafioso52988]

You take your coral out of water for 5 mins, then dip, then into the tank? Whats the point of keeping out of water for 5 mins?

If you remove a coral from the tank they throw slime over them selves to shield them selves from the air. His though is that the slime helps the acclimation process by separating the sps from his tank water and as the slime goes away the coral will slowly acclimate within the tank... As for the dip he dips the coral into some sort of coral dip to kill parasites then places it into his tank.

 

[Akrite]

Sorry I wasn't clearer. I understand the removing the coral from the water they develop a slime and that slime can be used to acclimate them to a new environment. My question is that 5 minutes seem too long. I guess its really not that important.

I would like to hear more about the original topic as I've always been too afraid to ship a coral to people who have asked in the past. I would also like to hear about the proper ways to do so.

 

[animalkingdom]

Sorry I wasn't clearer. I understand the removing the coral from the water they develop a slime and that slime can be used to acclimate them to a new environment. My question is that 5 minutes seem too long. I guess its really not that important.

I would like to hear more about the original topic as I've always been too afraid to ship a coral to people who have asked in the past. I would also like to hear about the proper ways to do so.

Hi bud,
In my experience 5 minutes isn't to long but I actually dont time it. I have forgotten corals and its been more like 15 or 20 minutes and I have waited as short as 1 minute. The important factor is the slimeing up which happens pretty fast outside the water. My only problem with this methods is I have always wondered if the slime may protect parasites from dip. That is why now I often add dip (bayer) to the bag of coral before air acclimation.

 

[kevin_e]

Sorry I wasn't clearer. I understand the removing the coral from the water they develop a slime and that slime can be used to acclimate them to a new environment. My question is that 5 minutes seem too long. I guess its really not that important.

I would like to hear more about the original topic as I've always been too afraid to ship a coral to people who have asked in the past. I would also like to hear about the proper ways to do so.

5 minutes is nothing.

 

[swk]

SPS Shippers

Check out kordon breather bags if you're concerned about shipping because of oxygenation. Works great

 

[trueblackpercula]

no air in the bag is not the issue.

 

[Akrite]

5 minutes is nothing.

Your right I forgot about that

 

[C-21 USAF]

I'm just saying...All retail frag shipments I've receive have air in the bag...I don't think its a coincidence

 

[C-21 USAF]

If they work, Kordon bags seem promising...kinda pricey though

 

[swk]

If they work, Kordon bags seem promising...kinda pricey though

They work. I've shipped many cichlid fry through USPS express with those bags.

But yea, far more expensive than regular bags

 

[jsdancer]

Hi bud,
In my experience 5 minutes isn't to long but I actually dont time it. I have forgotten corals and its been more like 15 or 20 minutes and I have waited as short as 1 minute. The important factor is the slimeing up which happens pretty fast outside the water. My only problem with this methods is I have always wondered if the slime may protect parasites from dip. That is why now I often add dip (bayer) to the bag of coral before air acclimation.

What type of dip is Bayer?

 

[animalkingdom]

What type of dip is Bayer?

It's a garden bug killer. Works great...lots of threads on it. If you dip a lot and don't rinse it can take out your pods though

 

[chri]

I like that acclimation process

 

[msderganc]

I'm just saying...All retail frag shipments I've receive have air in the bag...I don't think its a coincidence

I've had plenty of shipments that have gone perfectly without any air in the bag.

I'd bet the issue was that they were fresh cut. The stress of cutting, gluing, shipping, then new tank parameters probably was too much. If I'm buying, I usually ask for at least a week or two of healing.

 

[TheReefKeeper]

Yea I agree their seem to be a few issues fresh cut stress, shipping and temp change stress, and sitting out on a counter stress. I's gotten a lot of orders with no air in bags and that play no effect on the survival of a coral.

 

[C-21 USAF]

Thanks guys!

 

[wav0718]

+1, fresh cut frag stress, shipping stress, dipping stress, new environment stress (water chemistry/lighting/flow)