How to Quarantine Coral and Inverts

[Leaellynasaura]

I just set my coral quarantine tank up last night and tonight based on this guide and made my first video

 

[Mikeand Mel]

Nice video! I am at the end stages of cycling my 58G, Ive set up a couple of 10g for TTM. I have a 20g acrylic i would like to use as invert/coral QT. Since 76 days is so far away and the 58 is covered in algae(diatom), I used the water from 58 water change, put the filter sock I changed out in the HOB and added Bio spira.
Can I add crabs, snails and corals now? Or will I have and ammonia and nitrite spike?

 

[Mikeand Mel]

Anyone??

 

[Smo]

If your question is about adding livestock to the 20 gallon--I think you need to ensure it cycles first. Your filter sock may help speed this up but it may still require a couple of weeks. Using "bacteria-in-a-bottle" would be much quicker. You still need to go slow and test for ammonia every day until you are confident it won't spike on you. Nitrites may creep up upon initial introduction of livestock but should fall off to zero again within a few days. Be ready with water changes if needed.

 

[Mikeand Mel]

Are inverts and corals only considered livestock?
Adding "bacteria in a bottle" should I also be adding a source of ammonia ie shrimp?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Smo]

Are inverts and corals only considered livestock?
Adding "bacteria in a bottle" should I also be adding a source of ammonia ie shrimp?
Thanks in advance.

Yes, by livestock I was referring to inverts and corals (less typing).
Using Instant Ocean BIO-Spira as an example (live bacteria)...I dump about half the 30 ml bottle into a bucket of tank water with my filter sponges and an airstone (or air driven sponge filter). Let this run over night to help seed the filter media with bacteria. The next morning I place the sponges in a HOB filter, fill the rest of the aquarium and add the remainder of the 30 ml bottle (good for up to 30 gallons). As soon as temperature and salinity match (pH reasonably close) what ever the livestock came in, you can add them to the tank. (This works for fish too.) Alternatively, you may have to acclimate the livestock. In the case of corals you will want to dip and clean them prior to placing in your QT.
If you seed with live bacteria--no need to add pure ammonia (no detergent or scents) or an uncooked shrimp. If you do not seed with "bacteria in a bottle," you could add a piece of a shrimp to a 20 gallon tank for a couple of days to stimulate the cycle.
In either case, when livestock are added you will want to monitor ammonia levels. I personally look at nitrite levels too in QT but not all others do. Be ready with water changes if any spikes occur. I suggest proactively making 10-20% water changes after the 3rd or 4th day when starting and then weekly. "The solution to pollution is dilution."

 

[Smo]

Alternatively, if you wanted to populate your QT filter sponges (media) with bacteria by placing them in a high flow area of your well cycled DT sump, you would need to leave them there for a good 30 days prior to using them in your QT. These bacteria populate slowly.

 

[Mikeand Mel]

Dipping the corals. What do you recommend to dip?
Using the above instructions, bio spira, can I order a complete CUC for my display and say 5 corals all at the same time to be QT'd?
I read for 76 days.

 

[Sagecritter4life]

I used 15ml Bayer to one cup tank water for 15 min on few zoa's and a Duncan shipment with no ill effects...opened within two hours. Rinsed in three separate containers of tank water and placed in QT.

 

[Smo]

I would go slow on the CUC. Add in increments to ensure there is enough for them to eat once they get to your DT. Corals have low bio load so five frag should be fine. Yes, 76 days to ensure no Ich survives.

 

[dlms1014]

Thank you for a good read!

 

[LbulletM]

Lot to think about with quarantining corals as well. So hard to not put them on display immediately!

 

[Syntax1235]

So I impulsively bought some snails and peppermint shrimp online thinking I was just going to put them in my display after acclimating them and rinsing them off with tank water. Since I just upgraded to a 180 gallon tank I'd like to keep it clean of pests.... the peppermint shrimp are for an existing aiptasia issue.

I don't have a permanent qt setup (only a couple tanks that I use for ttm) so is it possible to set up some kind of emergency qt and introduce material from my sump to help the cycle along? If so, how can I keep these critters alive and healthy?

 

[melypr1985]

So I impulsively bought some snails and peppermint shrimp online thinking I was just going to put them in my display after acclimating them and rinsing them off with tank water. Since I just upgraded to a 180 gallon tank I'd like to keep it clean of pests.... the peppermint shrimp are for an existing aiptasia issue.

I don't have a permanent qt setup (only a couple tanks that I use for ttm) so is it possible to set up some kind of emergency qt and introduce material from my sump to help the cycle along? If so, how can I keep these critters alive and healthy?

Yes, all you need is a filter, a small powerhead and a light if you plan to QT some corals along with the shrimp. You can place a piece of rock in the tank with them as well. Leave them in there for 76 days and you'll be fine. Do regular water changes, top off like normal and be sure to feed them. You can use a bit of bio media from your sump as well.

 

[VJV]

Great thread Mely, thanks for putting it up. The only things I would add would be:

1- adding new corals will not reset the clock, as long as you can be sure not to transfer any water where the corals came in. Otherwise a Theront could make it and restart the cycle. Good rinsing of the coral could be a mitigant.

2- equipment: for SPS I really think some sort of dosing is important/crucial. 76 days of Alk (and to a lesser extent calcium) fluctuation is probably enough to kill of an already weakened SPS. It can be as simple as adding kalk to the top off or (as I prefer) have a dosing pump maintaining these parameters stable. Also, testing for Alk regularly is important.

 

[Syntax1235]

Yes, all you need is a filter, a small powerhead and a light if you plan to QT some corals along with the shrimp. You can place a piece of rock in the tank with them as well. Leave them in there for 76 days and you'll be fine. Do regular water changes, top off like normal and be sure to feed them. You can use a bit of bio media from your sump as well.

I purchased the snails from live aquaria. I called them and asked if their inverts and fish are in different and separate systems, they are. I should still qt them I presume?

 

[VJV]

Short answer is yes. They may be in different systems but unless they can ensure that all of the inverts have been in that tank for more than 76 days you run the risk of a cyst being attached to the shell. Also, if when they add snails to their tanks they also add the water they came in again there is a chance that a cyst comes in one of the shells. If they ensure that no water is carried into the invert holding tanks when they receive their shipments, AND they tell you how long have the snails been in that isolated environment, theoretically you could subtract that time to the 76 days.

 

[melypr1985]

I purchased the snails from live aquaria. I called them and asked if their inverts and fish are in different and separate systems, they are. I should still qt them I presume?

VJV said it well. Also there is the chance of Aerosol transmission from the fish systems.

 

[VJV]

Hi Mely, given Tomonts do not encyst onto coral flesh would you say that for SPS simply cutting the coral from the frag plug would be an effective way to prevent introduction of ich and velvet?

Of course, you would also need to thoroughly rinse them.

 

[melypr1985]

Hi Mely, given Tomonts do not encyst onto coral flesh would you say that for SPS simply cutting the coral from the frag plug would be an effective way to prevent introduction of ich and velvet?

Of course, you would also need to thoroughly rinse them.

possibly, but why take the chance? There's also the problem of introducing a new acro to a system right after cutting it. Then there are all the SPS corals that don't have tissue surrounding all parts of the skeleton. Even one bare patch of skeleton can harbor tomonts.