How to Quarantine Coral and Inverts

[VJV]

Gngngnngnnn... I knew you would talk me out of it [emoji1][emoji1][emoji1]

The thing is I just reserved the most BEAUTIFULL acros I've seen [emoji7][emoji7][emoji7]!!!

The thing is, in spite of all my care acros do not do well in my invert QT. I guess this is mainly due to the fact that this is a small 8 gallon nano so maybe even during the day the PH and temp swings are too much for them, I do not know. What I do know is that all of them enter like beautifull specimens and after the one month mark they brown out. Some recover after a couple of months in the main display but most just end up dying...


I'm between a frag and a hard place [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

[Jim C]

What light would be recommended for an SPS quarantine tank? I'm looking for something cost effective.

 

[melypr1985]

What light would be recommended for an SPS quarantine tank? I'm looking for something cost effective.

I use the AI Prime on mine and it does great.

 

[Syntax1235]

Quick question.... I'm on day 3 of my invert qt and my peppermint shrimp have molted.... doesn't this mean that they can go into the display?

 

[melypr1985]

Quick question.... I'm on day 3 of my invert qt and my peppermint shrimp have molted.... doesn't this mean that they can go into the display?

Yes. When shrimp or crabs molt they are shedding the part of the exoskeleton that would have had tomonts on it.

 

[Seame]

If you put Coral A in on Feb 1st then put Coral B in two weeks later, the clock for Coral A hasn't been reset. You are simply waiting for any tomonts to hatch and release their parasites so the coral is clear of them. You would want to transfer as little water as possible over of course and a quick rinse after acclimation is advisable.

This is a very good thread thank you.
I have been following the same 76days and resting the clock each time i add a new coral to the qt tank. Now after reading this thread I may consider just reseting the 76 day clock for each new coral.
The question I have is what is considered a "good rinse " of the Coral to ensure I don't transfer and swimming Parasites? Would a couple cups of display tank water poured over the Coral be Enough? This is the part that makes me nervous after so much work keeping my display clear of ich.

 

[melypr1985]

The question I have is what is considered a "good rinse " of the Coral to ensure I don't transfer and swimming Parasites? Would a couple cups of display tank water poured over the Coral be Enough? This is the part that makes me nervous after so much work keeping my display clear of ich.

Yes, I would say so. Be sure to throw away the water used to acclimate and to rinse. Of course it's always safer to just do your corals and inverts in batches of 76 days at a time, that way you don't have to worry as much about the rinse.

 

[Jim C]

No they can't. A quick rinse after acclimation would be sufficient for a starfish. Be sure to throw away the water used for acclimation and rinse afterwards.

Would not not qt'ing a starfish result in risk of velvet or bacterial infections?

 

[BoomCorals]

This is a very good thread thank you.
I have been following the same 76days and resting the clock each time i add a new coral to the qt tank. Now after reading this thread I may consider just reseting the 76 day clock for each new coral.
The question I have is what is considered a "good rinse " of the Coral to ensure I don't transfer and swimming Parasites? Would a couple cups of display tank water poured over the Coral be Enough? This is the part that makes me nervous after so much work keeping my display clear of ich.

If you're dipping your corals first like you should, then that should be plenty of rinse before putting into your QT tank.

 

[melypr1985]

Would not not qt'ing a starfish result in risk of velvet or bacterial infections?

No, starfish can't harbor tomonts on their skin. They would need a good rinse (then discard that water) after acclimation and before introduction to the DT.

 

[Seame]

Thanks F3honda4me , but i was only concerned on the transfer to the DT when other corals were introduced to the coral QT at mixed date intervals. It's the anything wet risk, so after more thought I will stick to the 76 days from the last coral just because it's too big a risk for me. My tank is approx 260g and I have a number of tangs that are ich magnets it's just too much work, expense and potential fish loss to deal with an ich outbreak.
I thought there was some kind of ich meds that are so called reef safe that can kill the free swimming Parasites besides cooper and CP. Could dipping or using that in the coral QT tank eleviate the risk?

 

[melypr1985]

I thought there was some kind of ich meds that can kill the free swimming Parasites so could dipping or using that in the coral QT tank eleviate the risk?

Nothing that will actually kill the free swimming stage of the parasite will be safe to use with corals or inverts.

 

[Seame]

Nothing that will actually kill the free swimming stage of the parasite will be safe to use with corals or inverts.

Thanks Meredith that's what I thought, so many claims out there I was still hoping.

 

[Mikeand Mel]

Help! We are in the 49th day of coral QT, with Torch, flowerpot, duncan, finger and a couple unknown frags in a 20g.
Was running a small hob with carbon, just added an aquaclear using the media that came with it(sponge,carbon,biomedia).
We have a few inverts crabs, snails(a couple parished). We used biospira to seed about 2 weeks prior to 1st coral.
Everything looked GREAT until we noticed some brown(assumed diatom) algae, kind of like hair on acrylic.
We used a magnet to remove and almost instantly the Duncan retracted(more than we've ever seen), flowerpot also, finger (looks like it is shedding) no polyps out anymore and torch no longer fully extended.
Salinity 1.025, temp 77.8, Amm 0, nitrate 0, lighting older 24" 4 bulb T5 on for 9hrs a day.
Any Ideas?

 

[Jim C]

Do soft corals have any hard surfaces for tomonts to attach? Or is it just LPS and SPS?

 

[tdunmore2]

This is a great thread, thanks @melypr1985! I've had a frag tank set up (a 29L with a 10g sump and a couple AI primes, not ideal but what I had) for a while now, and put a few damsels in there to keep the bacteria going. Do I have to drain it down before I can put frags in there again? I have a 5 gallon tank I use as a QT, but don't keep it running all the time. I disinfect and dry the tank and all implements. I then seed it with bio spira and the like and marine pure from the DT when getting new fish. I guess I'm now worried that I've spoiled the frag tank?

 

[Jim C]

This is a great thread, thanks @melypr1985! I've had a frag tank set up (a 29L with a 10g sump and a couple AI primes, not ideal but what I had) for a while now, and put a few damsels in there to keep the bacteria going. Do I have to drain it down before I can put frags in there again? I have a 5 gallon tank I use as a QT, but don't keep it running all the time. I disinfect and dry the tank and all implements. I then seed it with bio spira and the like and marine pure from the DT when getting new fish. I guess I'm now worried that I've spoiled the frag tank?

You didn't spoil the frag tank. Just make sure you start the 76 day clock when the coral is in and the damsels have been removed.

 

[tdunmore2]

Excellent, thanks!

 

[melypr1985]

You didn't spoil the frag tank. Just make sure you start the 76 day clock when the coral is in and the damsels have been removed.

Agreed ^^^

 

[Jim C]

Agreed ^^^

You gave me my hundredth like! Party time!