Saving an abused tank - will fish acclimate to sps h20 quality?

[Pico Keeper]

Hey guys, this is something that is causing my some concern, because Ive never really had this type of situation happen to me. Normally I acclimate and dip everything that comes into my tank for a very short period.

I know all my frags are from other reefers that have perfect water, and most are pest free.

But now Im going to be taking in all the corals and fish from a friends tank who crashed. They have been in high nitrate, low ph, water that hasnt seen an h20 change in atleast 6 months, if not longer. Also a small anemone died in there, and the tank was 100% overrun by GHA. The corals that are coming to my tank where the onyl ones that did not get covered with algae. They are alive and are avctually beautiful corals.

Assuming I do a normal acclimation to my tank, to match SG, temp, etc. How will the fish (clowns, cardinals), and corals (brains, monti caps, some sps, lps, gsp, fungias, et) respond to the clean water? Does a wild swing in nitrates make it hard for corals to acclimate? Thanks in advance!! I'll take pics of the whole thing when I finish the transfer tommorrow or the day after!

[Pico Keeper]

Just to clarify:

All other parameters being equal.

Will a drastic drop in nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, cause stress to corals and/or fish?

[Pmolan]

Fish and corals can get shocked and die like that just as easily as if you went from good to bad.

[Macimage]

I would acclimate very slowly.

Joyce