CORAL CARE AND ACCLIMATION
Care & AcclimationFollow these simple steps to Reduce Stress and give your Coral the best start in your tank.
Pre arrival checklist
- Ensure stable parameters (see table below)
- Iodine reef dip
- Prepare a clean container
- Turkey Baster
On arrival
- Open the package promptly and inspect for visible damage.
- We don't suggest any drip acclimation or temp acclimation but focus more on getting them in the tank where they can get fresh flowing water
- Photograph any obvious damage and retain packaging for 24 hours.
Acclimation methods
Visual Inspection + Turkey Basting
- Transfer coral + bag water/tank water to a clean container.
- Perform a thorough visual inspection to the coral itself glue and plug
- Turkey baste your corals being thurough but gentle especially to euphyllia
- Place Corals on a frag rack to acclimate or straight to your rockwork
Ideal water targets
| Parameter | Target |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 78°F |
| Salinity | 1.025–1.026 |
| pH | 8.0–8.4 |
| Alkalinity | 7.5-8.5 dKH |
| Calcium | 450 ppm |
| Magnesium | 1350 ppm |
| Nitrate / Phosphate | Nitrate 2-15 • Phosphate 0.02-0.08 |
Dip And Acclimation TipsInspection Inspection Inspection. Familiarize yourself online to the possible parasites which might host your new corals. Look for them thoroughly. Dips Do Not Kill Parasites and they especially Do Not Kill Eggs. A dips main purpose is to stun the parasite which still forcibly need to be removed. But if mixed improperly or depending on the dip can cause unnecessary damage to corals that have just been shipped overnight. Almost all parasites to not lay eggs on the coral itself or healthy tissue like around euphyllia flesh. Inspect Substrate and Glue (sps) upon arrival with some images as reference searching for eggs. Coral Inspection... Look closely... sps coral frags are easy to inspect for parasites because of their small size. Most parasites hide underneath sps corals tucked away as well as other parasites. Turkey Baste! With light to medium pressure rotate your sps coral basting all of the way around the coral. For Euphyllia corals we need to be very careful of damagine or basting off the delicate tentacles. Your New Corals can be added to a frag rack for continued monitoring or added directly to your rockwork. ANY QUESTIONS? JUST REACH OUT.
If something arrives damaged
- Photograph the frag and packaging within 2 hours. If something is just stressed give us a heads up. We have a 5 Day Guarantee
- Take very clear photos of any DOA or Damage.
- Email 818aquatics@gmail.com within 24 hours with photos — we’ll advise next steps.
FAQ
How long before a frag opens?
Many LPS open within 24–72 hours once comfortable; some types take longer. SPS Corals should be showing polyps within 24-48 hours.
Its Hot or Cold near me will the corals be ok?
Definitely! We use temperature control such as an Ice Pack or Heat Pack as needed for safe transit, along with insulated boxes and tight packing. We check the overnight Low and High Temps for BOTH Your area and the Hub that your corals will be passing through to ensure your new corals are happy during transit.
How Quick Will Corals Arrive?
We ALWAYS use Overnight Shipping and ship Monday-Wednesday Thursday if needed Weekly.
Photograph arrival issues within 2 hours. We respond quickly.