CStrickland
New member
LPS are vulnerable to damage in shipping because their bones are so sharp that if they extend a little and then get bashed, they can get cut or scraped on their own skeleton. BJD is an infection that can set in, just like with people. For that reason I dip them in iodine as a disinfectant. If you are using a reef-product, I would follow their directions. I buy iodine from Agway, a preparation for horses, I think they sell it on amazon too. Get the "lugol's" iodine, not the iodine tincture they sell in a pharmacy; the brand doesn't matter, but they are diff chemicals.
Here's what I do:
- 10 drops per quart of tank water
- I put it in a container that's attached securely to the inside edge of the tank, deep enough to submerge the coral and keep it below the water level so the temperature is equal without risking spilling any dip in my tank. I use a 1 quart takeout cup from the deli, half filled.
- A second cup is attached the same way for rinsing
- temp acclimate the coral by floating the bag for 15
- lift the coral out of the shipping water by its base and place in iodine dip, be really gentle if there's any extension. Sometimes I give it a second to retract after I grab it, before I remove it from the water
- 5 minutes in iodine, no more than 7
- dip to rinse
- place in its preselected and prepared home
- discard the water in the cups
Like anything else, I think that the more stressed the coral is, the less it can fight off infection. Gentle handling, good shipping, and proper acclimation probably do more than the dip. But it seems to help with little risk. Another option is a coral qt, that lets you watch for BJD and other stuff like pests that lay eggs which a single bug dip might not kill.
Here's what I do:
- 10 drops per quart of tank water
- I put it in a container that's attached securely to the inside edge of the tank, deep enough to submerge the coral and keep it below the water level so the temperature is equal without risking spilling any dip in my tank. I use a 1 quart takeout cup from the deli, half filled.
- A second cup is attached the same way for rinsing
- temp acclimate the coral by floating the bag for 15
- lift the coral out of the shipping water by its base and place in iodine dip, be really gentle if there's any extension. Sometimes I give it a second to retract after I grab it, before I remove it from the water
- 5 minutes in iodine, no more than 7
- dip to rinse
- place in its preselected and prepared home
- discard the water in the cups
Like anything else, I think that the more stressed the coral is, the less it can fight off infection. Gentle handling, good shipping, and proper acclimation probably do more than the dip. But it seems to help with little risk. Another option is a coral qt, that lets you watch for BJD and other stuff like pests that lay eggs which a single bug dip might not kill.
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