Cleaner Shrimp Quarantine?

[Obriy]

I've had four of of six of my fish dying within one week, learned my lesson and set up QT.
Fire shrimp is one of the additions I'm planning within next 2 months and many LFS keep them in in tanks with fish. However, I've never heard about quarantine procedure for shrimp...

 

[Reef Wizard]

I've had four of of six of my fish dying within one week, learned my lesson and set up QT.
Fire shrimp is one of the additions I'm planning within next 2 months and many LFS keep them in in tanks with fish. However, I've never heard about quarantine procedure for shrimp...

I would just keep him in a tank with no fish and let it go fishless as anything wet can carry ich

But lots of people dont QT inverts

 

[EricR]

Shrimp (any crustacean) QT norm is until they molt.
...but if you already have issues in your DT then I'd go with fallow (fishless) for whatever timeframe you feel safe with -- 45 days (higher temp), 60 days. etc.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've had four of of six of my fish dying within one week, learned my lesson and set up QT.
Fire shrimp is one of the additions I'm planning within next 2 months and many LFS keep them in in tanks with fish. However, I've never heard about quarantine procedure for shrimp...

They really dont need quarantine but do need GOOD acclimation. I personally would hold off on the shrimp and take the time to get the tank straightened out and assure its disease free even doing a fallow *leave tank without fish at least 6 weeks).

 

[AetherealKnight]

They really dont need quarantine but do need GOOD acclimation. I personally would hold off on the shrimp and take the time to get the tank straightened out and assure its disease free even doing a fallow *leave tank without fish at least 6 weeks).

You don't need to Quarantine Shrimps? But isn't there a chance for shrimps to carry ich or velvet tomonts? At least until they molt?

 

[Tamberav]

I've had four of of six of my fish dying within one week, learned my lesson and set up QT.
Fire shrimp is one of the additions I'm planning within next 2 months and many LFS keep them in in tanks with fish. However, I've never heard about quarantine procedure for shrimp...

I would QT until it MOLTS. My thought is any Tomont encysted on it would come off with the molt.

Otherwise fishless 45 days at 81 degrees.

 

[vetteguy53081]

You don't need to Quarantine Shrimps? But isn't there a chance for shrimps to carry ich or velvet tomonts? At least until they molt?

While there is that possibility, its slim but is an option to you if you want assurance its free of parasites. Even after a molt, if present , its still then a risk as they can increase their life stages. They need a host fish to thrive on for reproduction, and without a fish, they die off after 6-8 weeks

 

[Obriy]

They really dont need quarantine but do need GOOD acclimation. I personally would hold off on the shrimp and take the time to get the tank straightened out and assure its disease free even doing a fallow *leave tank without fish at least 6 weeks).

Sorry, I forgot to mention - I'm restarting the tank (fought SCA for over two months with zero improvement). So the tank is disease-free and fishless up until my clowns go through QT procedure.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Sorry, I forgot to mention - I'm restarting the tank (fought SCA for over two months with zero improvement). So the tank is disease-free and fishless up until my clowns go through QT procedure.

It depends on your risk tolerance, the source of the shrimp (was it housed with fish?) and what disease you are worried about. Some diseases don’t have a resting stage. Flukes eggs are about 14 days. Ich has reported to remain infective under laboratory conditions for up to 75 days, but in the real world it is 45 days. (Go to 60 days to be safe).

If you house the shrimp in a fishless tank for 30 days, it will be about as “clear” of possible disease as your fish are leaving a standard quarantine.

 

[beesnreefs]

Nothing enters my tank without QT, even inverts like shrimp or snails. I have a small, fishless QT tank for coral and would QT inverts in there too….but I typically get my inverts from Inverted Reef as they specialize in QTing all the critters (www.invertedreef.com)

 

[Qasimja]

I actually got marine velvet after adding cleaner shrimp into my tank like 4 years ago it could have been a coincidence. 3 days after adding the shrimp all my fish started to die it took out my entire tank.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I actually got marine velvet after adding cleaner shrimp into my tank like 4 years ago it could have been a coincidence. 3 days after adding the shrimp all my fish started to die it took out my entire tank.

That timeline does sound like velvet. While cleaner shrimp won't be infected by velvet, it is really easy to move some "swimmers" (theronts) along with water when adding a new shrimp to a tank. Of course, that can only happen if the tank that the shrimp came from originally had an active infection.