Acclimitising Corals

When corals and anemones first arrive after shipping, they will usually appear shrunken and ‘unhappy’. Switch off all aquarium lights.  Place the bag in the aquarium water for at least an hour with an air stone to circulate the water. This will allow the water in the bag to adjust to the temperature of the aquarium.  Test the water in the bag with a thermometer to check against aquarium temperature.

Once temperature is equalised start slowly dripping aquarium water into the bag. It is recommended to do this slowly for at least 1 hour, though 3 hours is recommended.  This will equalise pH, SG and other parameters so as to not introduce too much shock to the corals.  Once the water in the bag is fully mixed and corals acclimatised, the corals can be removed and placed in the aquarium.  The water in the shipping bag must be discarded.  Corals, specifically soft corals can exude chemicals into the water when stressed and this water should be discarded.

The coral can take anywhere from a few days to 10 days to fully expand again after shipping.