Adding New Frags

[weezawoo]

I am getting some small zoa frags tomorrow (well today when you read this) and wondering the best way to add them. Do I need to drip them in a bucket for a while or can I just heat to temp check salinity and add? Also where is the best place to place new corals, should I put them lower and slowly move up to the lights or put high up?

I am getting some frags from someone who offered me pink cabbage leather, red monti and devils finger leather just for the price of postage. She has advised the following:

handle with gloves, preferably by the rock or base as most don't like being touched and it can cause stripping (especially the montipora). Also, some of them are quite toxic, so safer. You won't need to acclimatise - just get them up to temperature by floating in the tank, then take them out, hold them in the air for a moment (they slime up), then pop them in. The leathers will sulk like hell for a few days (whether you acclimatise or not, it's what they do), scrunch themselves up and then shed an outer layer - quite normal behaviour, but if you're not running carbon already, put some in to absorb the toxins.

Does that sound about right? I would still test salinity. I never heard about holding them out to make them slime before! Is this right?

Also whats the best carbon to use? Is it the same as the freshwater sponges you get for filters as I have loads of new ones of these, or could I use this for a little while?

 

[weezawoo]

Also another question to what do I need to feed or add to the tank for the frags? I don't have fish yet to have any food added for them. What should I buy?

 

[lewiss]

I do a bit of an unorthodoxed method. I float the bag for 1/2 hour then dunk it and let a lil bit of water in, leave for 10 minutes, do the same, and keep doing it for an hour. I always test for salinity every time, the bag water and then the tank water. Then at the end of the hour i test again and make sure they are the same!!

If there is a massive gap in salinity i do it over 3 hours (if its a massive gap)

In terms of feeding, depends on the coral. If your talking zoas then no, they are photosynthetic and dont feed directly. most LPS take foods.

 

[weezawoo]

Thats how I do my freshwater fish, just float over an hour total and add a little water every 10mins or so, so technically I could do it that way?

I will make sure I check the salinity before hand

Well first off is the zoas then the other few next week along with probably a few more soon Im loving this coral business,getting addicted

If I bought phyto would that be good to add?

Thanks for the reply at this time of night! haha

 

[lewiss]

Thats how I do my freshwater fish, just float over an hour total and add a little water every 10mins or so, so technically I could do it that way?

I will make sure I check the salinity before hand

Well first off is the zoas then the other few next week along with probably a few more soon Im loving this coral business,getting addicted

If I bought phyto would that be good to add?

Thanks for the reply at this time of night! haha

Zoas are cool, i've been looking at them on ebay and am tempted again!

If I bought phyto would that be good to add?

I dont get it? what?

No probs - i'm a night person!

 

[weezawoo]

On another forum someone said buy phyto to add to the tank?

I find myself staying up so late then get to a point Im not tired until I go sleep and wake up like a zombie haha!

I think I have zoafever, I have 3 coming tomorrow, and ordering 3 more from one guy then another few that are only a couple heads from someone else! I only want the bright colours tho! I think there should be a ban on buying more than one coral a week I can see myself getting very addicted and think it is a good job I have 6 foot to fill

 

[lewiss]

On another forum someone said buy phyto to add to the tank?

I find myself staying up so late then get to a point Im not tired until I go sleep and wake up like a zombie haha!

I think I have zoafever, I have 3 coming tomorrow, and ordering 3 more from one guy then another few that are only a couple heads from someone else! I only want the bright colours tho! I think there should be a ban on buying more than one coral a week I can see myself getting very addicted and think it is a good job I have 6 foot to fill

I am a MASSIVE coral addict. My mum and dads tank, have most of my corals in!! and anemones!! and fish!! LOL. When i upgrade, i'm taking it ALL back. Its gunna be bare when i do!! haha.

I must say i've never been a massive zoa fan but man did i see some nice ones the other day - i agree they should be bright!!

Do you mean phytoplankton?? if so thats required for NPS corals!! and here comes Sorgan!! Depends on the coral weez, prob not one your gunna get just yet!!

I'm def getting a 6 ft tank!

 

[weezawoo]

Ah ok so I wont waste my money! As I don't actually have fish yet is it best to be adding something to the tank to keep food in the water? I am adding a little frozen food for the hermits I have and for the LR but not much!

Is there a pic of their tank on here then so we can see all your corals? haha!

A 6foot is a good choice! So much room! When will you be upgrading?

I love some of the corals, really love Torch and frogspawn corals but want to wait until I can handle some simpler corals first! To see how they get on, don't want to buy a beautiful coral to kill it off! But with having so much space to fill I want to avoid buying too many huge corals purely because of costs!

Excited to get some in there

 

[seffieuk]

As Lewis suggested the SG is a big factor - so, if sg is the same, very litte acclimatisation is required, however, if there is a big difference, you will need much, much longer. I suspect as the corals are coming out of someones tank the sg will be close to yours, its usually lfs that have low sg

Seffie x