Shrimp QT Minimum Equipment

[EricR]

I plan to quarantine a couple of skunk cleaner shrimp and just wondering about bare minimum needs for shrimp QT in terms of oxygenation and (lack of) biological filtration.

My plan is this:
- 6 gallon tank with heater
- No mechanical flow or aeration and no bio-media <--see my questions below
- MAYBE buy a Seachem Ammonia Alert Badge
- Light feeding every couple of days
- Just manual surface agitation 5-6 times a day
- 25% water change with DT water every 3 days or so

*add to DT after first molt
*if no molt, maybe I can stomach 30 days QT as reasonable compromise,,, even though I think current suggested protocol is like 45 or 76 days

Questions:
- Would just manual agitation (large plastic spoon) of the water surface 5-6 times a day be sufficient for oxygenation? (Kinda assume this would be fine but could be wrong)
- Does 25% water change every 3 days or so sound sufficient to cover lack of any biological filtration in sterile QT?

...all thoughts/suggestions welcome

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I plan to quarantine a couple of skunk cleaner shrimp and just wondering about bare minimum needs for shrimp QT in terms of oxygenation and (lack of) biological filtration.

My plan is this:
- 6 gallon tank with heater
- No mechanical flow or aeration and no bio-media <--see my questions below
- MAYBE buy a Seachem Ammonia Alert Badge
- Light feeding every couple of days
- Just manual surface agitation 5-6 times a day
- 25% water change with DT water every 3 days or so

*add to DT after first molt
*if no molt, maybe I can stomach 30 days QT as reasonable compromise,,, even though I think current suggested protocol is like 45 or 76 days

Questions:
- Would just manual agitation (large plastic spoon) of the water surface 5-6 times a day be sufficient for oxygenation? (Kinda assume this would be fine but could be wrong)
- Does 25% water change every 3 days or so sound sufficient to cover lack of any biological filtration in sterile QT?

...all thoughts/suggestions welcome

It is much better to hold the shrimp in an established tank (with a biofilter) for 30+ days to ensure they don't bring a fish disease into your tank. Here is something I wrote up that might give you some background:

Biosecurity

A short introduction to aquarium biosecurity

www.reef2reef.com

You shouldn't rely on stirring the tank to provide aeration, you need to ensure there is aeration at night as well. An air stone will do that. A 25% water change every 3 days may not be enough, you need to monitor the ammonia level at all times with a test kit.


Jay

 

[EricR]

It is much better to hold the shrimp in an established tank (with a biofilter) for 30+ days to ensure they don't bring a fish disease into your tank. Here is something I wrote up that might give you some background:

Biosecurity

A short introduction to aquarium biosecurity

www.reef2reef.com

You shouldn't rely on stirring the tank to provide aeration, you need to ensure there is aeration at night as well. An air stone will do that. A 25% water change every 3 days may not be enough, you need to monitor the ammonia level at all times with a test kit.


Jay

Thanks,,, will re-evaluate before doing anything.
I've read through your Biosecurity write-up before -- Great stuff!
Was just trying to go quick and easy with extra stuff I already have laying around but will reconsider.

I do have air stones and a couple of battery-powered air pumps, but they're lame and only come on when AC shuts off -- can't run off AC directly. I can at least rig something up for those or just buy a cheap AC air pump for aeration.

 

[EricR]

What's a cheap sponge filter (or two) that I can jamb in my 2 HOBs in my DT to start building up nitrifying bacteria on them,,, or maybe just stick them somewhere else in the tank. (Seems like it'd take months to collect enough but I've seen some say just a week or two,,, so not sure)
*sorry,,, no experience with sponge filters so I'm not even sure what people are actually talking about,,, other than I see some cheapies that seem like they're aimed at freshwater (maybe) and just connect to an air pump.

As mentioned, I do have multiple air stones and 2 battery-powered air pumps,,, plus just found an AC-powered air pump in the garage (from old 5 gallon jellyfish tank)

 

[Jay Hemdal]

What's a cheap sponge filter (or two) that I can jamb in my 2 HOBs in my DT to start building up nitrifying bacteria on them,,, or maybe just stick them somewhere else in the tank. (Seems like it'd take months to collect enough but I've seen some say just a week or two,,, so not sure)
*sorry,,, no experience with sponge filters so I'm not even sure what people are actually talking about,,, other than I see some cheapies that seem like they're aimed at freshwater (maybe) and just connect to an air pump.

As mentioned, I do have multiple air stones and 2 battery-powered air pumps,,, plus just found an AC-powered air pump in the garage (from old 5 gallon jellyfish tank)

I used to use Tetra double sponge filters exclusively. I ran a search today and they don't seem to be made any more. There are some similar knock-offs that may not be as durable, but should work ok:


These usually need to be run for at least two months in order to be populated with enough beneficial bacteria.

Jay

 

[EricR]

Thanks again for all your help, Jay.
Any reasonable benefit to having those in my DT for 3-4 weeks only?

I have some little ceramic-looking marbles that have been in saltwater for like 2.5 years laying in the back of my DT (((keep moving them forward to new tanks for any bio benefit they may have plus covered in coralline))),,, also figured I might pull the filter pads from my 2 HOBs and throw them in.

*never QT'ed anything before, except chaeto w/pods in last week of 30 day QT right now -- took some of your advice on that also

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thanks again for all your help, Jay.
Any reasonable benefit to having those in my DT for 3-4 weeks only?

I have some little ceramic-looking marbles that have been in saltwater for like 2.5 years laying in the back of my DT (((keep moving them forward to new tanks for any bio benefit they may have plus covered in coralline))),,, also figured I might pull the filter pads from my 2 HOBs and throw them in.

*never QT'ed anything before, except chaeto w/pods in last week of 30 day QT right now -- took some of your advice on that also

Here is the thing - beneficial bacteria grows wherever it has the best environment. Passive ceramic marbles may not be a good site due to water flow. For new sponge filters in an established tank, the issue is that there is already plenty of bacteria growing elsewhere in the tank, so there is no real impetus for the bacteria to colonize the new surface, and then it takes longer. Not that you would do this, but I start up sponge filters by running them in a bucket of heated water to which I dose ammonia. That really cranks up the bacteria population.

I keep our current fish quarantine protocol here:

Current Quarantine Protocol

2023 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 quarantine process can effectively eliminate these parasites before...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay