Care Guide


3 SIMPLE WAYS TO KEEP CORAL HAPPY

In our system, the Top 3 trace elements that we check for are:

  1. Calcium: In a reef system, calcium is necessary for the growth of any inverts with a skeleton, such as SPS, LPS, clams, tube worms, coralline algae etc. This should be checked regularly to see if your corals are taking in calcium at a faster rate (meaning more growth) and to see if you need to supplement your system with it so that the corals can continue growing.
  2. Magnesium: It's important to check for magnesium in your reef tank because magnesium is required to maintain a proper calcium level in seawater. Even if you continuously dose your tank with calcium but magnesium is at a low level or not present, then your calcium levels will not go up. 
  3. Alkalinity: Alkalinity, or the total carbonate and bicarbonate concentration in water, maintains proper pH levels in your aquarium and is also necessary for coral growth, along with calcium. It also limits the effect of acidic waste that goes into your system. It's important to maintain stable pH and dKH levels in your system in order for your corals to be happy.

ACCLIMATION

    FOR CORALS:
  1. Because corals are very hardy, temperature acclimation is usually enough. Float them in your tank/sump for about an hour.
  2. To avoid introducing parasites or worms into your tank, ALWAYS dip your corals, no matter what! This is a necessary precaution for all reefers. We recommend API's Melafix, but Coral RX will do as well!
    FOR INVERTS:
  1. Clams, anemones, and other inverts require a more thorough acclimation process, as they are more sensitive to sudden changes in water parameters. We recommend using the drip method for them. DO NOT EXPOSE AIR TO CLAMS DURING THIS PROCESS.
  2. Float the bag in your tank and temperature acclimate the specimen(s) first.
  3. Open the bag and pour them into a container to be used for acclimation.
  4. With an airline hose, siphon water from your tank to the container holding your new invert!
  5. Tie a knot at the end of the hose so that it makes the trickle of water from your tank to the container a very slow and steady drip.
  6. You should acclimate them in this manner for about an hour or more. If the container fills up with water, dump half of it out and dispose of that water.
  7. Repeat and let the water drip-acclimate for as long as you like. When you feel like it's done, use a net or your hand and place the invert in the desired area of our tank.

    **NOTE: Anemones will float around your tank until they find the "right" spot that they like. We recommend placing clams on the bottom of the sand bed on top of a small piece of live rock for a week until the clam attaches its foot to it. You can later place the clam anywhere in your tank without worrying about breaking its foot!**