Did I blow my quarantine?

[gobble]

I moved my rock and corals from my old tank to my new tank 45 days ago. My fish are still in the old tank.

I’ve slowly been taking equipment out of my old tank (and sanitizing it dry for a week) and in the process the tubing from my ATO line fell into the water. This created a siphon where the tunze pump would push water into the old tank and it would then just siphon back down the 25 foot line to the freshwater tank in my basement that had about 20 gallons inside. I was near the fresh water tank yesterday and figured this out when I kept hearing the pump go on and off.

That freshwater tank is also supplying top off water to my new tank. An amount of contaminated ATO water made it into my new tank enough to raise the salinity from 35 to 37 before I caught it.

So I know at 45 days there’s a good chance I’m ich free. I’ve had two freshly acclimated mollies in the old tank for 10 days and no signs of ich. I know fresh water kills ich (although I don’t know how high the salinity got in my top off container).

I guess I know I should probably start over, but how big of a risk do you think I face if I put the fish in the new tank around 80 days? The fallow period has been hard on my corals despite my best efforts to add nutrients to the new tank.

 

[Lukas75]

My question would be how fresh was the ATO water after this happening? I would think the constant siphon, pump, siphon pump would quickly equalize the two. If the salinity in the freshwater reservoir went above 1.009 then it could have survived.

Having healthy fish in a system that does not show signs of ich does not mean that the parasite is not present, the fish's immune system could just be keeping it under control. Ich has remained in more than one system (including my own) only to rear it's ugly head during times of stress.

If you are in any doubt as to whether or not it made it in then it is better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Amboss72]

I see what Lukas75 is saying but at the same time you said your corals are getting stressed out etc. I suppose I’m of the opinion that give your fish a great DT with pristine water parameters and the best of foods to eat and I’m trusting the fishes immune systems will keep disease away. We all have immune systems. If I eat well, exercise well, sleep well and manage stress well I don’t get sick. I guess I look at the for mentioned things that I just spoke to regarding how I stay healthy and I can see some parallels to keeping my fish healthy. It sounds like the QT is becoming stressful for the life within it. I think you’re ok with moving into the DT but that’s just my experience.

 

[Lukas75]

I see what Lukas75 is saying but at the same time you said your corals are getting stressed out etc. I suppose I’m of the opinion that give your fish a great DT with pristine water parameters and the best of foods to eat and I’m trusting the fishes immune systems will keep disease away. We all have immune systems. If I eat well, exercise well, sleep well and manage stress well I don’t get sick. I guess I look at the for mentioned things that I just spoke to regarding how I stay healthy and I can see some parallels to keeping my fish healthy. It sounds like the QT is becoming stressful for the life within it. I think you’re ok with moving into the DT but that’s just my experience.

I can agree, but the corals in the tank could easily be stressed by the fluctuating salinity and not anything having to do with an absence of fish. Quite a few people quarantine coral fishless for 76 days to avoid transmission of disease.

 

[gobble]

I wish I would have checked the salinity of the ATO but quickly dumped and flushed it because I needed to refill before my trip this morning. I’d be surprised if it got to 1.09 but just don’t know.

I suppose I could run an experiment when I get home to see how long it would take to get to that level.

I’d like to keep some of the more difficult tangs which is why I want to make sure I’m 100% ich free. Right now I have a gem, Atlantic blue, purple, scopas and orange shoulder with no signs of it.

 

[gobble]

I think this only happened the last 2 days. Most of the vitals are happy but a few are not and it kills me to see even one die.

 

[Lukas75]

I think this only happened the last 2 days. Most of the vitals are happy but a few are not and it kills me to see even one die.

I feel you, but in my opinion rushing fish back into the tank is not going to be the solution to that issue. Not that you can't and you will likely be fine, but you will likely nullify the point of the quarantine. I guess it all depends on what your goals are at this point.

 

[Amboss72]

Yep my bad! Certainly fluctuations in salinity most definitely stress the corals. I guess I overlooked that part.