You know, if the coral is healthy and going back into a healthy environment, they can take amazing punishment. But most of our artificial systems stress the coral anyway making them less resistant to things like air exposure or fresh water dips. When I buy a coral, I always go from a small fragment, as the reality is that if the conditions are right the coral will grow like a weed. And if not, I haven't wasted a beautiful specimen. This is not a hobby where rushing it works.