How to Quarantine Coral and Inverts
- Thread starter melypr1985
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Big G
captain dunsel
There have been cases where Ich lasted 70 days or so before starving out.
BHHOWARD
Active Member
@melypr1985 @Humblefish
Maybe I need to rephrase my question:
Does a HOB filter in an Invert/Coral QT tank provide one or more of the following:
1) Mechanical Filtration
2) Biological Filtration
3) Oxygenation
Maybe I need to rephrase my question:
Does a HOB filter in an Invert/Coral QT tank provide one or more of the following:
1) Mechanical Filtration
2) Biological Filtration
3) Oxygenation
stripe14631
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I have e 2 questions
1) So introducing batch B inverts does not restart the clock on batch A ?
2) if I find ick at the 14 day mark on a fish qt system when does the 76 day period begin?
1) So introducing batch B inverts does not restart the clock on batch A ?
2) if I find ick at the 14 day mark on a fish qt system when does the 76 day period begin?
Thank you for the writeup Meredith! As always I appreciate all you guys provide for us.
@melypr1985, I kind of had the same question here, if a new coral was introduced to a 76 day fallow QT couldn't the new introduction "contaminate" the existing corals?
Big G
captain dunsel
The answer is a bit complex. The simple thing to do is to restart the 76 day clock when a new coral is added to the QT.
The corals that may have ich encysted on them/frag plug are waiting to hatch new "free swimmers" that must find a new host (usually a fish) or they die. So great care would need to be done to make sure you don't have something in the tank that the free swimmer can feed upon like perhaps a nudibranch, etc. Highly unlikely but possible, and then the cycle would start again. Thus dipping all incoming corals, cleaning and remounting to a fresh frag plug could reduce the chance of error.
Last edited:
Bthomas
Well-Known Member
If you are not restarting the 76 day clock when adding new corals to quarantine, what is the best way to go about rinsing the corals before moving them to display to ensure nothing gets transferred?
Swish them in a cup of tank water?
Pour water over them through a strainer?
How do you do it?
Swish them in a cup of tank water?
Pour water over them through a strainer?
How do you do it?
Regarding the 16 day qt for anemones- this is to allow 15 days for velvet dinospores to starve, then move on day 16.
But this only works if the anemone and corals are QTd seperatjey, right? Since the corals can be releasing dinospores or ich freeswimmers constantly, they can be absorbed into the nem pretty much all through the 16 day period, resetting the clock for that nem.
So if I want to move a nem on day 16, that’s 16 days after isolation from corals that has potential encrusted velvet, correct?
Thanks
But this only works if the anemone and corals are QTd seperatjey, right? Since the corals can be releasing dinospores or ich freeswimmers constantly, they can be absorbed into the nem pretty much all through the 16 day period, resetting the clock for that nem.
So if I want to move a nem on day 16, that’s 16 days after isolation from corals that has potential encrusted velvet, correct?
Thanks
They don’t starve out at 70 days since cysts don’t feed.
The cysts hatched at day 72 then the freeswimmers starve if they don’t find a host in 3 days. That’s 75 days. Add one day to be sure since timing is a little variable- 76 days.
That’s where the number came from
Wow, great information!
Thank you
Thank you
ReeferReefer
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Would it be ok to use a Fluval Spec V as a invert QT? It would fit nicely under my stand.
This is very interesting. I have a question as I am setting up a new DT.
What is the number of days for QT of corals and inverts if we disregard ich? The reason I ask is because this being a new DT, I could add the new corals and other inverts to a fishless DT after a shorter QT to make sure pests other than ich are not transferred to the DT. The DT will then complete the 76 days without fish, waiting for properly quarantined fish. Any thoughts?
What is the number of days for QT of corals and inverts if we disregard ich? The reason I ask is because this being a new DT, I could add the new corals and other inverts to a fishless DT after a shorter QT to make sure pests other than ich are not transferred to the DT. The DT will then complete the 76 days without fish, waiting for properly quarantined fish. Any thoughts?
Velvet completes the same life cycle in 46 days, I believe.
But if you are going to keep DT fishless for another 76 days anyway- just add the corals to your DT. This now becomes a giant QT and is ready for fish at day 76.
Just dip the corals first to get rid of coral parasites- QT does nothing for that since they have a ‘food’ source right there.
No. Basically remove frag from plug, dip, wash x3, then put on a new plug. I do two rounds of this about a week apart. Other people do one dip them into display tank.
Most eggs are laid on hard substrate like the plug, and not on coral tissue itself. Doing two dips catches newly hatched parasites before they have a chance to lay more eggs.
Best bet would be to go ask in the specific coral forums. It’s hard to get a definitive answer on timing of dips because everyone dies it a little different
ReefBeta
Valuable Member
After reading through ich eradication vs management, fish quarantine, then this, I came to the conclusion that the ich management path make more sense for me.
Having a small setup that's stable enough to host SPS for 76 days will be very challenging. I had tanks of 20ish gallon range for many years. I have yet to have good success with sps in them, though all other corals, anemone, clams were doing fine in those system. I'm not saying it's impossible, but definitely not as easy as setting up a bare bottom tank for quarantining fish. Knowing my priority on coral is higher than on fish, it's hard to justify risking loosing corals to the lesser stability of quarantine tank, which is relatively likely, to avoid the slight chance of ich outbreak.
So until I am expert enough to setup a small fishless system that can support sps, or have enough space and energy to setup and maintain an additional 40 gallons or larger system for quarantining sps, I won't achieve ich eradication even if I quarantine all fish.
Having a small setup that's stable enough to host SPS for 76 days will be very challenging. I had tanks of 20ish gallon range for many years. I have yet to have good success with sps in them, though all other corals, anemone, clams were doing fine in those system. I'm not saying it's impossible, but definitely not as easy as setting up a bare bottom tank for quarantining fish. Knowing my priority on coral is higher than on fish, it's hard to justify risking loosing corals to the lesser stability of quarantine tank, which is relatively likely, to avoid the slight chance of ich outbreak.
So until I am expert enough to setup a small fishless system that can support sps, or have enough space and energy to setup and maintain an additional 40 gallons or larger system for quarantining sps, I won't achieve ich eradication even if I quarantine all fish.
If that’s the case, look into using a sw acclimated black molly as a ‘canary’. Put it in the coral QT tank at the same time as you add a bunch of corals- if it doesn’t get sick within 3 weeks, there were no ich or velvet present and you are good to go into display tank.
However-?If the molly gets sick- you need 76 days QT in the corals, plus you get to treat a sick molly.
Just an idea. I’m actually contemplating this for a batch of corals. I want to fill my display fast, but don’t want to risk $$ on corals only for them to decline in a 20long over 76 days. Of the 10 I’ve bought to far, 2 are KIA. But I think they were damaged in shipping
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