Overview
Every new coral is a potential Trojan horse for pests — acropora-eating flatworms, red bugs, zoa-eating spiders, montipora-eating nudibranchs, aiptasia, and their eggs all hitchhike into tanks on beautiful frags. Dipping and quarantining new corals is cheap insurance against an outbreak that can take months to beat.
Coral Dips
A coral dip — commercial products like Bayer or coral-specific dips — is a short bath that stuns and kills mobile pests so they release from the coral. Swish the coral gently in the dip, then blow it off with a turkey baster over the dip water (not your tank) to dislodge pests and eggs, and rinse in clean tank-temperature water before placement. Pay special attention to the underside and the frag plug, where pests and eggs hide.
What Dips Kill (and What They Don’t)
Dips are effective on mobile, adult pests, but most do not reliably kill eggs. That is the whole reason quarantine matters: a dip clears what is crawling now, and quarantine catches whatever hatches later. Relying on a dip alone is how tanks still get infested after “dipping everything.”
Coral Quarantine
Ideally, run new corals through a separate quarantine tank for roughly 30–75 days, observing closely and re-dipping partway through to catch newly-hatched pests. If you cannot run a full coral QT, at least dip thoroughly, inspect under magnification, and mount frags on fresh plugs after removing the originals, which often carry eggs.
Pests to Watch For
Keep an eye out for acropora-eating flatworms and their egg saddles, red bugs on SPS, montipora-eating nudibranchs, zoanthid-eating spiders and nudibranchs, aiptasia and majano anemones, and vermetid snails. Catching one frag’s hitchhikers before it hits the display is far easier than eradicating an established infestation.
Related Guides
- Getting Rid of Reef Flatworms
- Getting Rid of Aiptasia
- Setting Up a Quarantine Tank
- Coral Fragging 101
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to dip corals from a trusted source?
Yes. Even healthy-looking corals from reputable sources can carry pests or eggs, and it only takes one to seed an infestation. A quick dip and quarantine is cheap insurance compared with months of fighting an outbreak.
How long should I quarantine a new coral?
Aim for about 30 to 75 days in a separate observation tank, re-dipping partway through to catch newly hatched pests. If a full quarantine is not possible, dip thoroughly, inspect closely, and remount on fresh plugs.
Do coral dips kill pest eggs?
Usually not. Most dips kill mobile adult pests but leave eggs behind, which is exactly why quarantine matters — it lets any eggs hatch so you can dip again before the coral goes in the display.