I make Bubble Bath, so read this knowing that. I have also used every dip on this page over the years, and each one has a place. The goal here is to help you pick the right tool for the problem in front of you, not to pretend one bottle does everything.
The short version
- Bubble Bath (Professor Polyp): hydrogen peroxide and limonene, 1 minute at 1:5. Built for dipping every new coral, and hits nuisance algae on the frag as well as animal pests.
- Coral RX / RX Pro: pine oil based, 5 to 10 minutes. A widely used general pest dip.
- Bayer / BioAdvanced Complete Insect Killer: imidacloprid 0.72% and beta-cyfluthrin 0.36%, time varies by protocol. An off-label garden insecticide people keep for stubborn red bugs.
- ReVive (Two Little Fishies): pine oil and lemon extract at 0.5% each, a few minutes. A gentle cleaning and acclimation bath.
- Iodine dips (Seachem Reef Dip, Lugol's): 15 to 30 minutes. For bacteria, protozoa and fresh cuts. Not a pest killer.
Times are from each manufacturer's published directions or the common hobby protocol. Always follow the label on the bottle in your hand.
Bubble Bath
A hydrogen peroxide and limonene dip used at 1 part dip to 5 parts saltwater for one minute. It is labelled for flatworms, nudibranchs, bristleworms, red bugs, asterina stars, spaghetti worms, isopods and pyramid snails, and it also hits algae riding in on the frag: bryopsis, bubble algae, green hair algae, turf algae, dinoflagellates and cyano. That plant side is the main difference from the other dips here. It is labelled safe for SPS, LPS, softies, mushrooms and anemones, and it can be dosed in the tank for nuisance algae (1.5 to 2.5 mL per 10 gallons, twice daily, carbon removed).
Where it is not the answer: like every dip, it does not reliably kill eggs, so AEFW and montipora nudibranchs still need repeat dips and egg removal.
Coral RX
A pine oil based dip and probably the most recommended name on forums. The manufacturer's directions call for 20 mL per gallon of the original (30 drops per gallon for Pro) with 5 to 10 minutes of agitation. It is a solid general pest dip. The longer dip time and the residue mean you want a good rinse afterward. It is not aimed at algae.
Bayer (now BioAdvanced)
A garden insecticide, imidacloprid plus beta-cyfluthrin, that reefers adopted years ago for red bugs and other crustacean-type pests. It works on arthropods, which is the point. It is toxic to fish and not made for aquarium use, so rinse thoroughly and keep it far from your tank. Formulas on store shelves have changed over the years, so check the active ingredients on the label before you buy.
ReVive
Developed by Julian Sprung, made from natural plant extracts. The label rate is 4 capfuls per gallon of saltwater. Many people use it as an acclimation bath and a mild clean rather than a hard pest treatment.
Iodine dips
Seachem Reef Dip and Lugol's solution are antiseptics. They are good for frags you just cut, corals with tissue damage, and bacterial or protozoan issues like brown jelly. They are not designed to kill flatworms, nudibranchs or red bugs, so pair them with a pest dip rather than substituting one for the other.
Which one should you buy?
If you want one bottle for dipping every new coral, pick a dip you will actually use every single time. That is why I built Bubble Bath around a one-minute dip: the dip that takes ten minutes is the dip people skip on a Saturday night.
If you are fighting a confirmed red bug outbreak in acropora, plenty of reefers keep Bayer on the shelf for that specific job. If you just fragged a colony, an iodine dip on the cut piece is worth doing. None of these choices replace inspection, repeat dips and quarantine.
Common questions
Can I use two dips back to back?
Rinse thoroughly in clean saltwater between dips and do not mix products in the same container. Many people run a pest dip followed later by iodine on fresh cuts.
Which dip kills AEFW?
Several dips kill adult acropora eating flatworms, Bubble Bath included. None reliably kill the eggs. The schedule matters more than the brand. See our AEFW guide.
Is hydrogen peroxide safe for corals?
At the right concentration and contact time, yes. That is why Bubble Bath has a fixed 1:5 ratio and a one-minute limit. More is not better.
Bubble Bath is sold at Coral's Coral. For the full step-by-step routine, read How to Dip Corals.