Why does my Acropora look brown when it arrives?

Acros usually arrive darker than their listing photo. A night in a dark box is stress, and SPS brown out in shipping. The color that comes back is set by your tank: nutrients feed the zooxanthellae, which are the brown, and light drives the coral's own pigment. In a tank close to our numbers, most pieces return to their photographed color within 1-3 weeks with proper feeding and light. In a higher-nutrient tank a piece may settle darker. /pages/how-to-keep-sps explains why.

How long does it take for SPS to color up after shipping?

Plan on 1-3 weeks with proper feeding and light. Days 1-3 are recovery — polyp extension returning, mucus production, encrusting. After that, color moves toward what your tank produces: the zooxanthellae settle to your nutrients, and the coral's own pigment follows your light. Close to our numbers, the original color signature is usually back inside 3 weeks. Run higher nutrients and it may settle darker. That is your tank, not a sick coral. Patience beats tinkering.

How do I tell STN/RTN apart from normal acclimation stress?

STN/RTN: rapid, visible tissue recession (hours or a day), bone-white skeleton exposed, peeling tissue along the edge. NORMAL stress: dull or brown color, retracted polyps for 12-48 hours, light pale tips. If you see white exposed skeleton spreading, file a 72-hour guarantee claim immediately.

Do I need to dip new corals from REEF JASE before adding them to my tank?

No. Do not dip REEF JASE corals on arrival. The only exception is a potassium chloride dip. Every piece completes at least 14 days of observation and conditioning before listing, and a dip right after shipping stacks stress on a coral that is already settling. Conditioning lowers risk but does not make any live-animal system zero-risk, so inspect every arrival before placing it.

Do I need to drip-acclimate?

No. Drip acclimation is not recommended. Float the sealed bag 15-20 minutes to match temperature, then mix your tank water into the bag water a cup at a time before placing the coral.

How should I light-acclimate SPS under Radion, Sky, or similar reef LEDs?

Because our corals are grown under high light, they arrive already light-conditioned — you do not need a long shaded acclimation. Start the coral in a lower-light, lower-flow spot for a couple of days to recover from shipping, keeping your fixture on its normal program (do not change the schedule for the rest of the tank). Then move it up to final placement over the following days. The only thing to avoid is putting a freshly-shipped piece straight under full intensity on the first day.

When should I see polyp extension after shipping?

Most SPS shows partial polyp extension within 6-24 hours of placement and full extension within 1-3 days. Thicker-based and encrusting Acros can lag a day or two behind fine-branched tenuis. Zero extension after 5 days is a signal to recheck parameters and placement, not necessarily a DOA.

What if my coral has not colored up after 6 weeks?

Audit alkalinity stability (variance under 0.5 dKH/day matters more than the number), nitrate above 1 ppm, phosphate above 0.03 ppm, and spectrum stability. Color is driven by nutrient balance and light more than anything else. If you run higher nutrients on purpose, slower color is the trade; /pages/how-to-keep-sps covers it. Email jase@reefjase.com with parameters and a photo for a second pair of eyes.

ACCLIMATION · PROCEDURE · COLOR-UP

ACCLIMATING NEW CORALS

The 5-step procedure, the parameter targets we ship from, and the 1-3 week color-up timeline you should plan for.

QUICK START: Float the sealed bag 15-20 minutes to match temperature, then mix tank water into the bag a cup at a time (drip not recommended). Do not dip unless it is a potassium chloride dip. Start in lower light and lower flow for a couple of days before moving the coral up, and watch it closely for the first 72 hours.

THE PROCEDURE

1
Float the sealed bag to match temperature
Float the sealed shipping bag in your sump or display tank for 15-20 minutes to match the bag water temperature to your system. If anything looks wrong, photograph the coral in the sealed bag now. Guarantee claims need that shot.
2
Mix in tank water by the cup
Open the bag and mix your tank water into the bag water a cup at a time. Drip acclimation is not recommended.
3
Do not dip
Do not dip REEF JASE corals on arrival. The only exception is a potassium chloride dip. Every piece is held for at least 14 days of observation and conditioning before listing, which lowers risk but does not make any live-animal system zero-risk, so inspect the coral and plug before you place it.
4
Start in lower light and lower flow
Place the coral in a lower-light, lower-flow spot for a couple of days to settle from shipping. Our corals are grown under high light, so they arrive already light-conditioned and do not need a long shaded hold. After those first couple of days, move the coral up to its final placement over the following days. The one thing to avoid is taking a piece straight out of a dark shipping box and putting it under full intensity in the first hours.
5
Monitor for 72 hours
Watch the coral closely for the first 72 hours, which is your live arrival guarantee window. If anything looks wrong, contact REEF JASE at jase@reefjase.com right away.

WHERE TO PLACE YOUR NEW CORAL

Start new arrivals in the lower third of your tank for the first couple of days, then move them up. The diagram below shows the three light zones in a typical reef display.

New coral placement zones in a typical reef display. Start new REEF JASE arrivals in the lower third (cyan, bottom) for the first couple of days to settle, then move them up to final placement.

OUR SYSTEM PARAMETERS

What your coral has been living in. Match within reason and the transition is uneventful.

REEF JASE system water parameter targets for tank-conditioned SPS corals (2026).
Parameter	REEF JASE Systems	Notes
Alkalinity	7.5 - 8.0 dKH	Stability matters more than the absolute number.
Salinity	1.025 - 1.027 sg	Reef-standard range.
Temperature	77 - 78 F	Float bag 15-20 min to equalize.
Nitrate	0 - 5 ppm	Kept low and stable.
Phosphate	0 - 0.03 ppm	Kept low and stable.
Calcium	420 - 440 ppm	Standard range for SPS-heavy systems.
Magnesium	1320 - 1340 ppm	Holds alk and calcium in balance.

WHY YOUR CORAL DOES WHAT IT DOES

Why does my Acropora look brown when it arrives?: Acros usually arrive darker than their listing photo. A night in a dark box is stress, and SPS brown out in shipping. The color that comes back is set by your tank: nutrients feed the zooxanthellae, which are the brown, and light drives the coral's own pigment. In a tank close to our numbers, most pieces return to their photographed color within 1-3 weeks with proper feeding and light. In a higher-nutrient tank a piece may settle darker. /pages/how-to-keep-sps explains why.
How long does it take for SPS to color up after shipping?: Plan on 1-3 weeks with proper feeding and light. Days 1-3 are recovery — polyp extension returning, mucus production, encrusting. After that, color moves toward what your tank produces: the zooxanthellae settle to your nutrients, and the coral's own pigment follows your light. Close to our numbers, the original color signature is usually back inside 3 weeks. Run higher nutrients and it may settle darker. That is your tank, not a sick coral. Patience beats tinkering.
How do I tell STN/RTN apart from normal acclimation stress?: STN/RTN: rapid, visible tissue recession (hours or a day), bone-white skeleton exposed, peeling tissue along the edge. NORMAL stress: dull or brown color, retracted polyps for 12-48 hours, light pale tips. If you see white exposed skeleton spreading, file a 72-hour guarantee claim immediately.
Do I need to dip new corals from REEF JASE before adding them to my tank?: No. Do not dip REEF JASE corals on arrival. The only exception is a potassium chloride dip. Every piece completes at least 14 days of observation and conditioning before listing, and a dip right after shipping stacks stress on a coral that is already settling. Conditioning lowers risk but does not make any live-animal system zero-risk, so inspect every arrival before placing it.
Do I need to drip-acclimate?: No. Drip acclimation is not recommended. Float the sealed bag 15-20 minutes to match temperature, then mix your tank water into the bag water a cup at a time before placing the coral.
How should I light-acclimate SPS under Radion, Sky, or similar reef LEDs?: Because our corals are grown under high light, they arrive already light-conditioned — you do not need a long shaded acclimation. Start the coral in a lower-light, lower-flow spot for a couple of days to recover from shipping, keeping your fixture on its normal program (do not change the schedule for the rest of the tank). Then move it up to final placement over the following days. The only thing to avoid is putting a freshly-shipped piece straight under full intensity on the first day.
When should I see polyp extension after shipping?: Most SPS shows partial polyp extension within 6-24 hours of placement and full extension within 1-3 days. Thicker-based and encrusting Acros can lag a day or two behind fine-branched tenuis. Zero extension after 5 days is a signal to recheck parameters and placement, not necessarily a DOA.
What if my coral has not colored up after 6 weeks?: Audit alkalinity stability (variance under 0.5 dKH/day matters more than the number), nitrate above 1 ppm, phosphate above 0.03 ppm, and spectrum stability. Color is driven by nutrient balance and light more than anything else. If you run higher nutrients on purpose, slower color is the trade; /pages/how-to-keep-sps covers it. Email jase@reefjase.com with parameters and a photo for a second pair of eyes.

SOMETHING NOT RIGHT WITH YOUR SHIPMENT?

Our 72-hour live arrival guarantee covers losses. File with a photo of the coral in the sealed bag and a second photo in your tank.

GUARANTEE DETAILS →