If you’ve been in the hobby a while, then chances are you remember (or even still use) those iodine based coral dips that either worked really well or almost killed your coral frags in the process. Let’s face it, high concentration iodine and corals don’t play well together, and if you forgot to take a coral out right away, then it probably didn’t last long in the tank after the pre-treatment. Thankfully, there are newer dips on the market that avoid this conundrum, with the latest non-iodine dip called DVH Coral Protec. This new dip is distributed by Aquarium Specialty, and it is designed to remove all types of pests and parasites without all those terrible risks from iodine exposure.
The dip targets all of the major headaches for reefkeepers, putting things like Acropora Eating Flatworms (AEFW), Montipora eating nudibranchs, Zoanthid eating spiders, and red flatworms. On top of that, the Coral Protec performs well in the treatment of both Rapid and Slow Tissue Necrosis (RTN and STN, respectively), as well as bacterial infection.
Instead of using iodine, the Coral Protec has a proprietary bend of natural extracts and a broad spectrum antimicrobial compound, Chloroxylenol. The chloroxylenol is said to be harmless to humans, though gloves are recommended for performing the dips and if you get any on you, it is suggested to rinse your hands thoroughly afterwards. That said, it is supposedly highly toxic to fish, so rinse your corals well before putting them into the aquarium.
