How to Acclimate Corals for a Salt Water Tank

Coral don't acclimate to a new tank as easily as fish do. Whereas a fish acclimates to water temperature, pH and salinity, a coral also must acclimate to light because too much of it could kill your new specimen. Additionally, you must never touch the fleshy parts of a coral. Holding it in the wrong way could seriously damage or kill the coral. If you follow the correct acclimation procedures, you should not run into any problems. Your new coral will acclimate to its new environment within a month, opening up and adding extra color to your aquarium.

Things You'll Need

  • Tank other than the aquarium
  • Tincture of iodine
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Instructions

    • 1

      Turn off your aquarium light. While most corals require plenty of light to live and grow, they need to acclimate to the light in your aquarium. If they don't acclimate, they could sunburn, bleach and die.

    • 2

      Fill a separate tank with one liter of water. Squeeze 15 drops of tincture of iodine into the tank. Take the coral out of its bag, holding it by the base. Dip it into the solution for a few seconds, then put it back in the bag.

    • 3

      Place the sealed bag that the coral arrived in (or that you bought it in) into the tank. Allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes for the temperature inside the back to acclimate to the aquarium temperature.

    • 4

      Pour 1 cup of aquarium water into the bag every 10 minutes for at least half an hour after temperature acclimation. This allows the coral to acclimate to the salinity of your aquarium water.

    • 5

      Remove the coral from the bag and put it into the darkest corner of your aquarium. Let it sit for three hours, then turn on the light. Progressively move the coral to its final destination over the next month. Keep close eye on the coral. If it begins to bleach you may need a less powerful light. Consult your local aquarium expert.