Coral/Invert Quarantine Time Frames

[Humblefish]

But do I need to worry about other items in the nems' retained water? Small algae, pests, ettc. Therefore, still better to QT them for a couple days anyways?

Just pour some DT water over him before placing in your tank. Sometimes anemones harbor harmful bacteria, but with a BTA the chances of that are low. It's more of an issue with mags & gigs.

 

[User]

@Humblefish - can you confirm that the 16 day requirement for anemones, feather dusters only holds true if they are separated from everything else? Otherwise, velvet freeswimmers can hatch off of eg snails and get inside where it’s impossible to rinse out?

Thanks !

 

[Humblefish]

@Humblefish - can you confirm that the 16 day requirement for anemones, feather dusters only holds true if they are separated from everything else? Otherwise, velvet freeswimmers can hatch off of eg snails and get inside where it’s impossible to rinse out?

The danger is if velvet dinospores (free swimmers) got trapped inside an anemone or feather duster. Highly unlikely, but still possible. Velvet dinospores can remain infective for up to 15 days because they are capable of using photosynthesis as a means of obtaining nutrients (remember it is a dinoflagellate).

The way I see it, what's 16 days just to be sure?

 

[bluprntguy]

The danger is if velvet dinospores (free swimmers) got trapped inside an anemone or feather duster. Highly unlikely, but still possible. Velvet dinospores can remain infective for up to 15 days because they are capable of using photosynthesis as a means of obtaining nutrients (remember it is a dinoflagellate).

The way I see it, what's 16 days just to be sure?

I think the question was if you put an anemone in an invert quarantine and then on day 12 you add some new frags, do you need to re-start the clock? It’s conceivable that velvet or ich could be one the new frags and infect the water column and then get inside the anemone. The normal process of rinsing off the frags to get rid of free swimmers from more recent additions won’t really work with an anemone.

 

[User]

The danger is if velvet dinospores (free swimmers) got trapped inside an anemone or feather duster. Highly unlikely, but still possible. Velvet dinospores can remain infective for up to 15 days because they are capable of using photosynthesis as a means of obtaining nutrients (remember it is a dinoflagellate).

The way I see it, what's 16 days just to be sure?

Im fine with the 16 days, I’ve been doing it in another tank away from snails. I don’t want dinospores hatching off the snails and getting inside, resetting the clock

I just wanted confirmation that anemones and sisters need to be QTd separately from other inverts

 

[User]

I think the question was if you put an anemone in an invert quarantine and then on day 12 you add some new frags, do you need to re-start the clock? It’s conceivable that velvet or ich could be one the new frags and infect the water column and then get inside the anemone. The normal process of rinsing off the frags to get rid of free swimmers from more recent additions won’t really work with an anemone.

Yep- that’s the part I wanted to clarify

Thanks

 

[Humblefish]

I think the question was if you put an anemone in an invert quarantine and then on day 12 you add some new frags, do you need to re-start the clock? It’s conceivable that velvet or ich could be one the new frags and infect the water column and then get inside the anemone. The normal process of rinsing off the frags to get rid of free swimmers from more recent additions won’t really work with an anemone.

It would restart the clock as far as free swimmers are concerned, but not tomonts (encysted stage). Using your example, on Day 12 any velvet dinospores inside/around the anemone would be 3-4 days away from starving to death. However, if you add some new frags that happened to contain tomonts encysted to them... Those could release velvet free swimmers for up to 20 days, and then it's another 16 days for the free swimmers to die out. And it would be theoretically possible for a velvet free swimmer to get absorbed by the nem. The odds are probably very low, but it's still possible.

 

[User]

It would restart the clock as far as free swimmers are concerned, but not tomonts (encysted stage). Using your example, on Day 12 any velvet dinospores inside/around the anemone would be 3-4 days away from starving to death. However, if you add some new frags that happened to contain tomonts encysted to them... Those could release velvet free swimmers for up to 20 days, and then it's another 16 days for the free swimmers to die out. And it would be theoretically possible for a velvet free swimmer to get absorbed by the nem.

So the best thing would be to do QT in a clean system (no other coral, invert or fish) and not add anything else in the 16 days?

 

[User]

Just found the extreme base of the feather duster tube is completely surrounding some coral rubble and has a lot of incorporated sand grains. Full 76 Days it is!

 

[WiscoFishNut]

Hey folks, I have a question regarding shrimp in QT and time frames. I saw in the chart that it mentioned shrimp can be moved after they molt. I currently have a fire shrimp who has been in QT with some corals and snails for about a month. So far he has molted twice, the last time being last night/this morning. My question - can the shrimp now be moved over at any time, or should it be done as soon as possible after the molt? I have added a couple frags as recent as last weekend if that makes a difference at all. I was thinking of giving the DT a couple more weeks to get the bacteria settled in and then move him over.

 

[Spar]

Hey folks, I have a question regarding shrimp in QT and time frames. I saw in the chart that it mentioned shrimp can be moved after they molt. I currently have a fire shrimp who has been in QT with some corals and snails for about a month. So far he has molted twice, the last time being last night/this morning. My question - can the shrimp now be moved over at any time, or should it be done as soon as possible after the molt? I have added a couple frags as recent as last weekend if that makes a difference at all. I was thinking of giving the DT a couple more weeks to get the bacteria settled in and then move him over.

The only risk when adding something new (non-fish) is that a protomont hitched in with the new item, crawled around and encysted onto the shell of the shrimp. Highly unlikely, but a risk none-the-less. That would have happened within around 24 hours. So if there were a couple/few days in between the molt, you are good to go.

Know that the only other risk involved is that there is a theront recently emerged from a cyst that is on the shrimp or in the small amount of water transferred with it. The theront will only live for 24 hours if it doesn't find a fish. The likelihood of the theront transferring over is seemingly tiny, but is a risk none-the-less. If you want to be absolutely sure of things, then house the shrimp in a clean separate container for 24 hours before transferring him into the DT. I personally wouldn't take that final step, but to each their own for personal comfort.

 

[WiscoFishNut]

The only risk when adding something new (non-fish) is that a protomont hitched in with the new item, crawled around and encysted onto the shell of the shrimp. Highly unlikely, but a risk none-the-less. That would have happened within around 24 hours. So if there were a couple/few days in between the molt, you are good to go.

Know that the only other risk involved is that there is a theront recently emerged from a cyst that is on the shrimp or in the small amount of water transferred with it. The theront will only live for 24 hours if it doesn't find a fish. The likelihood of the theront transferring over is seemingly tiny, but is a risk none-the-less. If you want to be absolutely sure of things, then house the shrimp in a clean separate container for 24 hours before transferring him into the DT. I personally wouldn't take that final step, but to each their own for personal comfort.

Good deal, thanks for the info! The DT is completely empty at this point so I'm guessing we're good to go.

 

[Bthomas]

What about rock flower nems? Are they included with other anemones in the 16 day quarantine group? Or do they need the full 76 days?

 

[Humblefish]

What about rock flower nems? Are they included with other anemones in the 16 day quarantine group? Or do they need the full 76 days?

So long as their base isn't attached to a rock, a 16 day QT should suffice. But anytime a coral/invert comes with a hard surface (that cannot be detached) a 6 week (or optimally 76 day) isolation period in a fishless environment is wise to starve out any potential tomonts.

 

[Fluval M90 Reef]

@Humblefish thank you for all the information you provide us in this hobby that is so complex. I just went through a 2 month Hyposalinity and dosing general cure and Metroplex to try to eliminate all diseases possible. Salinity has been back up to 1.026 for about a week and so far no ich or other diseases. I also took advantage of hypo and added some Molly’s to my DT tank to see if anything pops up. So far they are all healthy as well. My question to you is how can I avoid uranoma when QTing corals before adding them to the tank. I lost a couple of fish due to uranoma and would like to not introduce it to my DT again. Thanks!

 

[chicago]

I have asked this before.. but what are your thoughts on sps sticks.. meaning.. cutting the sps frag off the rock completely and Glueing to a fresh clean new plug.

 

[Cwentz758]

Was this thing ever stickied? Also what’s the best size coral QT/frag tank? I’ve been looking at a nuvo black 6gal just because it’s not tall. I have a 29g tank that’s empty currently but I usually set that up for fish QT when needed.

 

[WiscoFishNut]

Was this thing ever stickied? Also what’s the best size coral QT/frag tank? I’ve been looking at a nuvo black 6gal just because it’s not tall. I have a 29g tank that’s empty currently but I usually set that up for fish QT when needed.

I've been using a 20g long for coral QT. Not too deep and plenty of space to work with. I'd be nervous using anything smaller due to less tolerance in water parameters.

 

[Master of Cloak]

This may have been answered already but I may have skimmed over it.

I have a BTA coming next week and I have a coral QT tank I am going to QT it in. The Qt tank has had coral in it since February 8th. Do I qt for 16 days then add the BTA from my coral QT to my display or does it have to be in there for 76 days?

 

[Master of Cloak]

I think I understand what is happening here. Correct me if I'm wrong.
It takes 16 days for free swimmers to die off so if the water in the anemone has any within it they will die. However, since my tank already has coral in it with hard surfaces it is possible that some of the ich tomonts have not bursted and can burst anytime for the next two months. Therefore it is possible for the nem to absorb free swimmers at any time during the 16 days therefore it needs to be kept in the QT the full 76 days?