Coral Acclimation

HOW TO ACCLIMATE YOUR CORALS

  • The proper acclimation of a new arrival is extremely important considering the amount of stress the coral has endured before arriving at your door. We recommend that the following procedure be followed immediately upon receipt of the livestock. The  process is actually very simple and should take less than half an hour to complete.
  • STEP 1: TURN THE AQUARIUM LIGHTS OFF 
  • The livestock has been in complete darkness for the last day, and will not immediately adjust to high output aquarium lighting. By turning off the lights, you remove a possible source of stress for the new arrival.  Overexposure to light in general can be an issue with new additions to your reef tank.  It only takes a day or two under high light conditions to severely damage a coral that was grown under more modest illumination.
  • STEP 2: EMPTY THE CONTAINERS INTO A SLIGHTLY LARGER TUB
  • Typically we use a small plastic tub to acclimate the new corals.  If you like, you can empty the containers with the coral into separate tubs, however when we receive new corals, we tend to place them in the same tub.  The purpose of this is to provide enough volume to add in water from the aquarium as well as prepare a pest control dip solution.
  • STEP 3: ADD 1/2 CUP OF AQUARIUM WATER EVERY FEW MINUTES
  • The slower you add the water the better. Corals and other invertebrates are sensitive to fluctuations in pH and especially salinity.  Some aquarists prefer drip acclimating corals making this process even more gradual, but one should consider the temperature drop-off that occurs during this time as well.  The entire acclimation process should not take more than 30 minutes.
  • STEP 4 (OPTIONAL): PEST CONTROL DIP
  • Here at Grizzlysreefs we advocate using pest control dips to reduce the risk of any hitchhikers and parasites that may come along with the Coral.  We dip our corals often but there is no guarantee that the threat is eliminated. 
  • STEP 5: RELEASE THE CORAL INTO THE TANK
  • Find a suitable location where the new coral will receive the appropriate flow and lower light. It will need a few days to adjust to the new lighting. 

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