Corals are complex organisms with a whole bunch of factors to keep an eye on. Pests and bacterias, among others, follow you and your corals around. Waiting for you to make a mistake. To save your tank I’ve prepared an article about the best coral dip options.
Keep the ball rolling to discover TOP 7 ways of pests and bacterias prevention. Today I share information about:
- Coral RX (My biologist friend’s choice)
- ReVive Coral Cleaner Two Little Fishies
- Brightwell Aquatics Koral MD Pro (Personal choice)
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Reef Dip by SeaChem
- Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer
- Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure
Coral RX
A favorite among the people. Information about this product can be found on many forums, websites, and blogs. The most important thing is that the Coral RX is consistently well-reviewed. You could say it’s a coincidence if the product hasn’t been on the market since 2006. Time tells no lies…
Its unique formula, based on natural ingredients, does not contain iodine, whose damaging effects on corals are well known, nor any other oxidizing agents whose post-treatment products are often highly toxic and continue to adversely affect the surrounding coral tissue after treatment is complete. Independent studies have also questioned the effectiveness of the iodine treatment.
Why use Coral Rx?
Coral Rx was developed twofold: to get rid of parasites and as a preventative measure to maintain healthy corals by preventing infections by all kinds of parasites and bacteria. The product eliminates many parasites that affect corals and are very difficult to control. These include Acropora-eating flatworms, Zoanthid eating nudibranchs and Montipora eating nudibranchs. Whether you’ve quarantined the corals before putting them in the tank or not, Coral Rx baths greatly reduce the risk of introducing parasites into the aquarium.
Being ruthless against parasites, Coral Rx is gentle on corals and your money. Normally, 8 oz of the product treats approximately 12 gallons. To spice things, even more, let’s say that
Coral Rx has been independently tested by Andrew Linford, Ph.D. in Biology at Hofstra University. The purpose of this study was to attempt a quantitative analysis of the chemical effects on flatworms of three different products: Flatworm Exit, Coral Rx and Povidone. This study was published in a feature article in the journal Advanced Aquarist (April 2009 edition, find a link at the end of this paragraph). Below are excerpts from the findings of this study:
- Coral Rx showed the highest treatment efficacy rating
- Coral Rx has proven to be excellent for bath preparation and could be successfully used by aquaculture farms, wholesalers, retailers, and amateur aquarists when quarantining newly purchased corals.
You can read the whole review here
Overall
Coral Rx effectively destroys the following parasites:
- Acropora and Montipora Eating Flatworms
- Bristleworms, fireworms
- Spiders that eat zoanthids
- Red planarians
- Zoanthid and Montipora eating nudibranchs
- Thread algae
- Tissue necrosis (both slow and rapid)
I wasn’t sure whether to recommend it or not, until… I spoke to my biologist friend. She told me, “While I was working on my master’s degree a few years ago, I’ve read magazines, articles. And when you asked me about dip, I immediately thought of Coral Rx. It must have been mentioned in a couple of articles”
I trust my friend. Plus, Coral Rx has good reviews. That’s why I would pick up Coral Rx as the next dip product. If you are looking for the coral dip, check it out. However, Coral Rx can’t be used to quarantine fish, shrimp, crabs, clams, and other invertebrates.
If you’re looking for more information on growing coral, check out my full guide that’ll tell you everything to get you started!
ReVive Coral Cleaner Two Little Fishies
ReVive Coral Cleaner Two Little Fishies is a highly effective coral dipping solution used to clean different types of corals. It also helps to acclimatize new specimens to the aquarium by strengthening their immunity. DIP will remove unwanted sediments and pests from all corals. Treat every new coral purchase in the tank with ReVive to avoid unwanted pests and strengthen their resilience.
This product is definitely among the TOP 5 corals dip options available. The same as Coral Rx, it has a long story and hundreds of good reviews.
Why use ReVive Coral Cleaner Two Little Fishies?
- A highly active solution of natural ingredients.
- Doesn’t contain oils, iodine, or harsh oxidizing agents.
- Won’t darken coral tissue.
- Simple, safe, affordable, and very effective
- A great option for soft corals and mushrooms.
Overall ReVive Coral Cleaner
It is effective against bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, and can also be used as a preventive measure (without signs of disease), or to treat sick species. Even though ReVive may not have the best marketing over there, their product stands firm.
Brightwell Aquatics Koral MD Pro
Pests are the bane of every reefer’s existence. They covertly sneak into your aquarium and do their dirty job. Brightwell Koral MD Pro is a dignified response in a world full of pests. Before bacteria & infections even enter your tank, settle down, have a few offspring of their own (and shortly after start devastating your tank) Koral MD evaporates them!
Why Use Brightwell Aquatics Koral MD Pro
It’s beyond frustrating to see how pests conquer your corals. This is why you want to use Koral MD before even tackling consequences (even though it works well).
- Treats red bugs, sundial snails, pyramid snails, mantis shrimp, rust-brown flatworms, etc
- Effective prophylactic coral dip made of organic materials
- Was tested by large coral farms within the US (For example, WWC)
- Takes 30 drops for 1 gallon to be potent and effective.
- Won’t hurt other corals if not rinsed 100% (although it’s recommended to rinse off completely)
- Can be combined well with another Brightwell product (designed to dip the frags. Treats fungal and bacterial issues)
- Made of organic oils
- It’s super popular among skilled reef-keepers.
Overall Brightwell Koral MD
Aimed at knocking off parasites from new corals. So they never get the opportunity to infest your aquarium. Brightwell Koral MD has a hard-hitting formula to kill pests, on the other hand being ultimately safe for corals(as well as for anemones, tunicates, sponges, bivalves, etc)
Iodine-based concentrate may seem a panacea, yet it’s always the case. In fact, iodine in composition makes this product an absolute dip monster for euphyllia, green star polyps, soft corals, zoanthids. Koral MD shreds brown algae and infections in no time.
Using the right tool for the right job — that’s my motto. Perhaps, that’s why I feel confident about my Brightwell Dip choice. So many reefers are glad to discover this product. Additionally, I discovered that this product is Amazon’s choice as well. Does Brightwell Dip any good? Hell yeah! However, some corals don’t like iodine. If your corals are iodine-sensitive you may want to choose another product. But overall, Brightwell is an awesome coral dip option.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is the best option vs algae (especially for zoanthids). However, you don’t want to extend a dip session for more than 5 minutes. Swish the coral first, or dilute the solution 5 to 1 (20% of product + 80% of clean water). Another way to use peroxide is to grab a paintbrush and paint the frag. The idea is to give corals some time to retract, protect themselves. Make sure all your zoanthids are closed up before dipping. Remember, dipping in hydrogen peroxide is a matter of minutes. Those 3 to 5 minutes will actually kill all of the algae.
Some other corals are more sensitive than zoanthids (some LPS, SPS). I don’t recommend dipping SPS and LPS to hydrogen peroxide even for a couple of minutes. What you can do instead is to take a toothbrush and dip it into the solution. Then scrub the frag thoroughly.
Peroxide may be a good treatment sometimes (esp. against algae). But I want you to understand — Hydrogen Peroxide is a kind of riffle, while you may want to debate to resolve a conflict. I prefer more professional, subtle, and less aggressive products.
Reef Dip by SeaChem
SeaChem is a trustworthy and reliable brand. It’s better to have this dip and not need it than to need it and not have it. Pests and the rest of micro-evil never happens at the right moment. Not every pet store keeps this brand, yet they should…
Why Use Reef Dip by SeaChem?
Reef Dip may come in handy if you have some problems with the tank. Namely, treatment of external parasites, bacterias, funguses. These microorganisms are very well-known within the reef-keeping world. If you let them linger, they can wreak havoc and kill off every animal in your tank.
Another reason to use the SeaChem brand is to quarantine your corals and fish (yeap, it works on some fish as well. However it’s not the same product. The one for fish is called Paraguard). Let’s say you bought a new coral at your local store. Who knows what path this poor thing had to overcome before ending up in your hands? The unknown is almost always the risk. Use this product to keep corals and fish in your tank safe. Make sure they are free of any kind of parasites before introducing new corals to your tank.
Tip: Remove all invertebrates and fish that may be sensitive. For example, eels, sharks, stingrays, etc. Once you’re done with the product, make a water change and put carbon back. Take it off while treating pets, as carbon and protein skimmer neutralize any medications, SeaChem included.
Overall SeaChem Reef Dip
- SeaChem Reef Dip creates a protective layer that covers the coral
- Keeps iodine in contact with infected areas for an extended period of time
- Prevents re-infection.
- Safe for use with both LPS & SPS corals,
- Can be used to treat anemones and polyps
This is a great brand to be considered. The product will be gentle on your corals and won’t cause any stress in response to treatment. Simply bathe your whole corals or little frags in SeaChem Reef Dip for 5 minutes to get full protection. However, this product isn’t super popular, which makes it harder to get. For some reason, I didn’t like SeaChem’s Coral Dip visually (you may have great results using this dip, I’m not arguing).
Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer
Do you lack a separate quarantine tank? Then Bayer may be a choice for you. It’s a quick and affordable way to eliminate almost every type of parasite. Being a perfect preventative medicine, Bayer can guard your precious corals. To do so, make sure to dip every new piece before introducing it into a display tank. As some reefers say, dipped coral is healthy coral.
Why Use Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer?
There are millions of different bacterias and pests. Should you use a new product for each one? Well, it’s true that some products deal with bacterias better than others. One product matches algae war, while another may be a groundbreaker versus flatworms. The best thing about Bayer is versatility.
Bayer can be used to fight an incredible amount of pests. It can be used to treat
- Flatworms (both Acropora and Montipora eating)
- Bristleworms
- Spiders (zoanthids eating)
- Red planarians
- Nudibranchs (both Zoanthid and Montipora eating)
- Some species of algae (thread, for example)
- Two forms of necrosis (both slow and rapid)
- Infections & bacteria
Additionally, this product is considered among the strongest ones. Even though Bayer was designed to treat garden insecticides, the product feels well against almost any pest.
Overall Bayer Insect Killer
This is a wide-ranged kind of product. If you are one of those people who are consistent and loyal to one brand, maybe Bayer is for you. As it heals the most (compared to other brands)
On the other hand, it’s not an all-healing tool. For example, SPS colonies are not on the radar. Meaning that it’s better to choose an alternative method to treat colonies of soft corals. Because the eggs are attached to a colony in 99% of cases. Pitifully, the Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer dip won’t resolve the egg problem.
For me, this product seems a little bit of an excessive remedy. More harm than good may be done. Bearing in mind that aquariums have a subtle ecosystem, I wouldn’t use commercial chemicals to treat the display tank. Perhaps in some emergency cases…
Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure
This is a highly effective treatment for parasitic flatworms that can be found on corals, especially Acropora. Parasitic and bacterial diseases are common in new corals that have been weakened and stressed after transport. Due to the lack of natural enemies, these parasites and diseases are spreading quickly in the tank. Things get even worse, considering the fact that pests and bacterias are almost invisible.
Why Use Tropic Marin Coral Cure?
You want to use this product:
- To treat all newly purchased corals
- To take care of flatworm damage
- Against spiders (Pantopoda) and bacterial worms
- Prevent pests in a long-term
- As it’s phosphate-free
Overall Tropic Marin Coral Cure
It’s not uncommon for unwanted organisms, parasites, or contaminants to enter the aquarium along with new corals and damage the existing coral structure. Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure easily manages the most common microorganisms, impurities, and parasites. This easy-to-use dip product gives almost instant results. Due to the fact that microorganisms fall off immediately, you can control whether or not further treatments will be necessary.
Use this product if you want to treat flatworms. A lot of reefers share their success fighting flatworms with Tropic Marin. For general pests use I would pick another coral dip.
Tip: You can combine Tropic Marin with other forms of cleansing. Such as Lugol, freshwater, or even Dettol (although it’s not recommended for corals)
