Current Quarantine Protocol

[Jay Hemdal]

How often should you do water changes and how much should you do?

Water changes during a quarantine run can be problematic if they lead to partial re-dosing of a given medication. In a properly established quarantine system, ammonia and pH will be stable, so there is hopefully no need for a water change. Some people choose to do a 25% water change prior to each praziquantel addition.

 

[FlameangelLover]

Owow okay I thought because of ammonia and nitrite build up that it should happen

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Owow okay I thought because of ammonia and nitrite build up that it should happen

A quarantine tank should be set up and established before it is needed to be used. People sometimes set these up "on the fly". In those cases, ammonia control can be a real issue and water changes are often needed.

 

[FlameangelLover]

A quarantine tank should be set up and established before it is needed to be used. People sometimes set these up "on the fly". In those cases, ammonia control can be a real issue and water changes are often needed.

Oh I see I just thought we shouldn’t add stuff like Dr Tim’s one and only to a QT tank but now I see I should and I should already have it cycled ahead of time

 

[towels]

2024 Quarantine Procedures

Jay Hemdal
David Scarborough


Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed, proactive quarantine process can effectively eliminate these parasites before adding the fish to your display tank. This process does not fully control Brooklynella, Uronema, viruses or internal parasites. Those issues however, make up a proportionally much smaller number of disease cases in marine fish.

Quarantine tank Requirements:

Tank must be large enough to comfortably handle the number and size of fish for up to 9 weeks.

• Tank should have a filtration system that has completed the nitrogen cycle. Canisters, HOB overflow filters, or appropriately sized sponge filters are acceptable.
• The tank should offer clear lateral viewing of the fish, bins and opaque containers that only allow for "top down" viewing are not a good idea to use, since careful observation of the fish is very important.
• The filtration system must not use carbon or other absorbing/adsorbing filtrants (e.g. Polyfilter) that might absorb copper or medication. NO calcareous rock LIVE or DEAD.
• Bare bottom should be used. A saucer with non-calcareous sand can be utilized for wrasses, gobies, blennies or other species which are overly stressed by the bare bottom. Painting the underside of the tank black can also help
• Heater/thermometer
• Removable structure, e.g. PVC pipe may be used to provide hiding places for the fish.
• Ambient light will often be adequate for the QT tank. Avoid using bright reef lights.
• A means to maintain oxygen levels should be available. Air stones and sponge filters are usually adequate. Powerheads may create too much current and they do not aerate well.
• A lid should be used to prevent the fish from jumping out of the tank.
• Set salinity level and temperature to the same levels as in your Display Tank.

Days 1 – 2: Observation - let the fish settle in and determine proper diet.

• Set QT temperature to 78 - 80 degrees F.
• Acclimate the new fish to the QT:
  • Measure salinity of the water in which the fish arrived.
  • Adjust salinity in QT to within 2 ppt of the salinity of the water in which the fish arrived.
  • Acclimate the fish to the QT gradually over 45 minutes.
• Observe the fish for any symptoms which might influence the treatment(s) you should administer.
• Determine if the fish are eating adequately to proceed.

Day 2: Begin Copper Treatment

• Add Coppersafe or copper power to the QT to achieve a concentration of 2.25 to 2.50 ppm over the course of 24 hours. This can be done in two doses 12 hours apart or multiple smaller doses if you prefer. Coppersafe will not be effective until a concentration over 2.0 ppm is present. A target of 2.25 ppm will allow for fluctuations without the risk of falling below the 2.0 ppm threshold. Hanna Copper checker is the most accurate test to use.
• Never use ammonia removing products or other reducing agents (dechlorinator) when dosing copper. Most products bind copper with an amine to reduce toxicity to the fish. Reducing agents break that bond, releasing free copper that can harm the fish.
• Feed and top off tank water normally.

Days 3 – 32: Continue Copper Treatment

• Monitor copper ppm regularly. If the copper level remains steady day to day, you can test less often, but if the concentration falls below 2.0 ppm, you may need to extend the 30-day count for the copper treatment.
• Monitor water quality parameters as you would for your display tank.
• If the copper or ammonia levels ever exceed guidelines, be prepared to administer water changes (pre dosed with copper) to correct the problem.

Day 34: Copper Done

• Begin copper removal through water changes.
• Binding agents Cuprisorb may be used to hasten the removal process, but work best with ionic copper.
• Carbon is usually too slow or ineffective at removing copper and should not be relied upon without adequate monitoring.

Day 35: Praziquantel Treatment #1

• Confirm copper has been removed adequately to drop the concentration to less than 1 ppm. Copper and Prazi should not be administered simultaneously unless there is suspicion of a severe fluke infection.
• Add Praziquantel to the QT per the dose on the label.
• Ensure the additional oxygenation source is working. This treatment will potentially reduce the oxygen levels within the QT to critical levels without additional air flow.
• Remove carbon or other chemical filtrants. Continuing running any protein skimmers, but don't collect the skimmate, let it run back into the tank.

Day 42, Day 49: Praziquantel Treatment #2, #3

• Add Prazi to the QT per the instructions on the label, 8 days apart. Spacing needed for these treatments is based on killing new flukes hatching from previously laid eggs. The time interval is not well known. A range of 7 to 9 days seems to give the best results.

Day 64: New Fish QT complete

• Observe fish for 2 weeks after last prazi dose. Note: many public aquariums do not move fish out of quarantine unless they are in the middle of a full copper treatment. This vastly reduces the risk from Cryptocaryon or Amyloodinium. To use that method, substitute a copper treatment for this 2 week observation period, and move the fish out around day 10.
• Conduct a 5-minute fresh water dip if the fish is of a species particularly susceptible to Neobenedenia flukes. If flukes are detected, reduce QT salinity to 50% and hold for an additional 35 days.
• Confirm salinity and temperature of QT and DT are the same, add fish to DT.

Variation from this process:
Do not use copper on sharks, rays, eels or flashlight fish.
Wild caught clownfish are prone to Brooklynella, and may need formalin treatments.

All wild caught fish have a potentially high mortality rate from a variety of other reasons, just be aware that losing fish during this quarantine time can happen.

To clarify, you don’t recommend to use any medication to counteract the effects of copper like nitrofruazone powder? Reason I ask is because I want to try to minimize water changes and nitro requires to be replaced 49-72 hours at the latest. If so what do you think about a large water change in my current nitro qt to get nitro out - rinse repeat until it’s cycled out (copper power still dosed). Thank you

 

[Jay Hemdal]

To clarify, you don’t recommend to use any medication to counteract the effects of copper like nitrofruazone powder? Reason I ask is because I want to try to minimize water changes and nitro requires to be replaced 49-72 hours at the latest. If so what do you think about a large water change in my current nitro qt to get nitro out - rinse repeat until it’s cycled out (copper power still dosed). Thank you

Sorry - I'm not following you - nitrofurazone counteracts the effects of copper?

I don't recommend using any antibiotic unless there are obvious symptoms of bacterial infection. I would also be concerned using any drug that changes the color of the water, as it can have undesired effects on colorimeters like the Hanna test....at least I'd check for that first using a reagent blank.

 

[towels]

Sorry - I'm not following you - nitrofurazone counteracts the effects of copper?

I don't recommend using any antibiotic unless there are obvious symptoms of bacterial infection. I would also be concerned using any drug that changes the color of the water, as it can have undesired effects on colorimeters like the Hanna test....at least I'd check for that first using a reagent blank.

There’s a brs video that talks about the 80/20 protocol and how nitrof or furan 2 helps with copper power treatment as it helps the fish handle the copper.

Wording

 

[Jay Hemdal]

There’s a brs video that talks about the 80/20 protocol and how nitrof or furan 2 helps with copper power treatment as it helps the fish handle the copper.

Wording

Oh, O.K. I'm familiar with that technique. I think they suggest using nitrofurazone to reduce bacteria, not to help the fish handle copper.

The two same concerns are still there: a slight chance of generating antibiotic resistance, and possible color change in the Hanna test - NF is yellow and the Bicinchoninate test is purple - I don't know if the color sensor gets confused with those - that needs to be tested.

I've found that general bacterial diseases are pretty rare - most bacterial issues originally stem from physical injury. I don't incorporate antibiotics in the process unless there are clear signs to do so.

 

[NancyFish]

What I do is this: if the invertebrates are CUC, or single inverts like starfish, shrimp, crabs, etc., and they came from a system that did NOT have fish in it, I often will just move them right into my display. If they were housed with untreated fish, I'll house them for 30 days (60 days if there might have been a disease in the tank they came from) in isolation from all other fish. Corals can carry specific pests, so I like to hold them in a coral prop tray to observe them for pests for as long as it might take for the pests to show up (45 days+)

So if I have a starfish, I can rinse it and put it in the display? I got a biscuit tarfish and trying to qt it, it’s one tip is starting to turn white after 3 days. So now idk if I’m killing it or if it was already sick and what to do.

I don’t have an expensive fish collection, so it’s not a major risk but I was trying to qt everything which I’m not even sure outweighs the pros of just enjoying a standard tank.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So if I have a starfish, I can rinse it and put it in the display? I got a biscuit tarfish and trying to qt it, it’s one tip is starting to turn white after 3 days. So now idk if I’m killing it or if it was already sick and what to do.

I don’t have an expensive fish collection, so it’s not a major risk but I was trying to qt everything which I’m not even sure outweighs the pros of just enjoying a standard tank.

That’s a tough call. When you say “rinse it”, that can help remove potential fish parasites, but the rinse water must be seawater the same salinity, temperature and pH of the water that the starfish was acclimated to.

 

[NancyFish]

That’s a tough call. When you say “rinse it”, that can help remove potential fish parasites, but the rinse water must be seawater the same salinity, temperature and pH of the water that the starfish was acclimated to.

We only had it three days, and it’s turning white, so idk if we’re killing it or if it was sick. I was thinking maybe going straight to display (obviously acclimated) may have helped but it’s spreading pretty fast, this was like 3 hours apart.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

We only had it three days, and it’s turning white, so idk if we’re killing it or if it was sick. I was thinking maybe going straight to display (obviously acclimated) may have helped but it’s spreading pretty fast, this was like 3 hours apart.

Is this a West African biscuit star?

Yes, discoloration on a starfish arm is not a good sign. These really prefer being kept in a full reef tank with lots of algae and other benthic things to feed on. They may also prefer cooler water temperatures (for sure below 80 F.). There is a lot of differing opinions on how hardy these are. I have always found them to be pretty delicate, but some people report better success. Here is a thread about them:

Biscuit Starfish

Does anyone on here own a biscuit starfish or has ever owned one? What is your experience with them? I want to get a small one but I’m not finding a lot of information about keeping them online!

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

 

[NancyFish]

Is this a West African biscuit star?

Yes, discoloration on a starfish arm is not a good sign. These really prefer being kept in a full reef tank with lots of algae and other benthic things to feed on. They may also prefer cooler water temperatures (for sure below 80 F.). There is a lot of differing opinions on how hardy these are. I have always found them to be pretty delicate, but some people report better success. Here is a thread about them:

Biscuit Starfish

Does anyone on here own a biscuit starfish or has ever owned one? What is your experience with them? I want to get a small one but I’m not finding a lot of information about keeping them online!

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

Thank you, it didn’t make it and vendor suggested human antibiotics early on, didn’t have a chance to try them.

 

[mosreef]

Hello! What is the current recommended duration for coral & invert QT?

I've had them in a fishless system for 6 weeks at 78 degrees, but now they have eaten all the algae and I'm concerned the snails and urchin will starve.

In one post Jay recommended 30 days in a fishless system, but then humblefish says 45 days at 80.6 degrees, and Tidal Gardens says 60-75 days.

Any advice you can give would be appreciated!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hello! What is the current recommended duration for coral & invert QT?

I've had them in a fishless system for 6 weeks at 78 degrees, but now they have eaten all the algae and I'm concerned the snails and urchin will starve.

In one post Jay recommended 30 days in a fishless system, but then humblefish says 45 days at 80.6 degrees, and Tidal Gardens says 60-75 days.

Any advice you can give would be appreciated!

It really depends on the source of the corals and inverts. If they came from a fishless system, watching for coral pests is all you really need to worry about - I'll hold those for 30 days just to see what might develop. If they came from a system with fish in it, especially if the fish were not treated beforehand, I'd hold the inverts in isolation for 45 days.

 

[mosreef]

Perfect, thanks very much!

It really depends on the source of the corals and inverts. If they came from a fishless system, watching for coral pests is all you really need to worry about - I'll hold those for 30 days just to see what might develop. If they came from a system with fish in it, especially if the fish were not treated beforehand, I'd hold the inverts in isolation for 45 days.

 

[RaisingTinyHobbits]

It really depends on the source of the corals and inverts. If they came from a fishless system, watching for coral pests is all you really need to worry about - I'll hold those for 30 days just to see what might develop. If they came from a system with fish in it, especially if the fish were not treated beforehand, I'd hold the inverts in isolation for 45 days.

So do I do this with my Cleanup Crew, is it OK to throw them all into a QT tank together with just the pVC tunnels to hide? If I source them from a retailer who keeps them in a fish less system do I still need to do the full fallow period?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So do I do this with my Cleanup Crew, is it OK to throw them all into a QT tank together with just the pVC tunnels to hide? If I source them from a retailer who keeps them in a fish less system do I still need to do the full fallow period?

Holding CUC in a bare tank makes it difficult to feed them. I buy my CUC from a Florida dealer that doesn't handle fish at all - I just rinse those in seawater and put them right on. Tough to evaluate the risk from your dealer.....

 

[RaisingTinyHobbits]

Holding CUC in a bare tank makes it difficult to feed them. I buy my CUC from a Florida dealer that doesn't handle fish at all - I just rinse those in seawater and put them right on. Tough to evaluate the risk from your dealer.....

Thank you! I was wondering if I found a supplier who keeps them in fishless systems, if that would be an option. Do you mind if I ask where you get yours from? Also, would the same thing work for corals?

 

[mosreef]

So do I do this with my Cleanup Crew, is it OK to throw them all into a QT tank together with just the pVC tunnels to hide? If I source them from a retailer who keeps them in a fish less system do I still need to do the full fallow period?

I cycled a 20 gallon long with frag racks, live sand, a heater, a hob filter and a powerhead, added coral frags and hermits, fed heavily and cranked up the lights. The coral frags bring in algae and I just let it grow (cleaned off frags enough so they didn’t die). Then once there was a LOT of algae, added the snails.

I tried a clean new qt with inverts before and lost most of the snails. Others have written about getting snails to eat nori but I never had any luck with that.