Quarantining new corals

Joe Batt · Aug 15, 2017

I am fortunate in that so far I have not had a flat worm or red bug in my tank....but never say never and I am more and more concerned as I get more corals in the tank.

Up until now when I get a new frag or coral I

1) Float the bag to equalize the temperature
2) Drip acclimate the new addition with the tank water.
3) Give it an iodine dip for 10 mins and a good blow off with a turkey baster
5) Give the new addition a good brush with a soft toothbrush,
6) Remove the frag plug and add a new fresh one.
7) Add it to my tank......

I have a small hospital tank that I am going to set up to properly quarantine the new corals in future.

A couple of questions.

1) How long should the quarantine last?
2) Is there any reason to not be proactive and treat with Flatworm exit and interceptor to ensure that they are free of flatworms and red bugs.
3) Are there any other chemicals to proactively treat the corals with during the quarantine period

drawman · Aug 15, 2017

I think Bayer dips are very useful and I use them above all else. A good regimen would include dipping your coral first (bayer, etc. to treat coral pests) then quarantining for 76-78 days to avoid fish parasite introduction. During this time you will want to routinely check for flatworms, etc. that may have made it past your dip. I like to pull coral off of any frag plugs to reduce the risk of introducing aiptasia, nuisance algae, etc (alternatively you could use H202 but you may need several applications). You will also want to ensure that this tank is at least 10 feet away from any other tank to reduce the risk of contamination of fish parasites from aerosol. Only thing this won't treat for is dinos...they're a whole other beast

Joe Batt · Aug 16, 2017

Does Bayer kill flat worms or Red bugs? Any idea?

If it does there will be no need to use Exit or Interceptor in the quarantine period.

drawman · Aug 16, 2017

Joe Batt said:
Does Bayer kill flat worms or Red bugs? Any idea?

If it does there will be no need to use Exit or Interceptor in the quarantine period.

Bayer does kill flatworms but will not kill the eggs. This is another good reason to remove acros from plugs as eggs are generally on dead areas, on plugs, etc. Also, a holding/quarantine tank will help you inspect for any missed flatworms during this time.

I believe it's effect on red bugs can be mixed and may be dose dependent. Oddly enough I've never had to deal with them (yet...). It may not hurt to use interceptor in combination but again I would look for any signs of them during QT.

Joe Batt · Aug 17, 2017

As I am getting more and more corals in my tank I am getting more and more paranoid about pests

Radman73 · Aug 17, 2017

Joe Batt said:
As I am getting more and more corals in my tank I am getting more and more paranoid about pests

Yep. I'm upgrading from a 60 cube to a 220. The 60 cube will become my long term QT for fish and corals, though not both at the same time. No desire to introduce any pests to the DT.