Do you Quarantine Tree Sponges?

Adirondackgold · Feb 14, 2023

I just got some beautiful tree sponges for my seahorse only tank Would love to add the same sponges to my main tank housing long standing fish and coral. Do have to quarantine tree sponges? New to me. Soft bodied, and while residual water could harbor nasties, would a few days in a separate fishless tank flush them out ?

Subsea · Feb 15, 2023

“Flush them out” is a metaphor that needs better defining. What exactly are you flushing out?

I do not quarantine anything in 51 yrs of Reefing.

vlangel · Feb 15, 2023

I also do not quarantine tree sponges, (or anything else for that matter) and have never had an issue.

ISpeakForTheSeas · Feb 15, 2023

Adirondackgold said:
Do have to quarantine tree sponges? New to me. Soft bodied, and while residual water could harbor nasties, would a few days in a separate fishless tank flush them out ?

Do you have to? No, but from a biosecurity standpoint it may be wise (anything wet could bring disease). Personally, I would but most people probably wouldn't.

Would a few days in a separate fishless tank flush out nasties? No, a few days likely would not.

Now to elaborate:

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
The odds of them bringing in parasites like ich are very small, but not zero (hence why Dr. Reef QT's all inverts; it's all about biosecurity) - 45 days at 81F in their own tank is the minimum recommended QT for inverts (and pretty much anything else going through QT too - rocks, sand, algae, snails, etc.). 76 days would probably be wise at temps lower than 81F.

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
45 day (minimum) fallow at 81F (or higher) for the tank, 30 day therapeutic copper and two week observation post copper for the fish, and a fishless QT for literally everything else (probably at standard reef temps for 72-76 days just to be safe) is - to my knowledge - pretty much the hobby gold standard for biosecurity at the moment.

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
Yeah, with the live rocks (and inverts - including nems - unless treatment is needed) you just wait the 76 days SharkBait mentioned (minimum is 45 days at 81F, but longer is generally recommended out of an abundance of caution), and that removes most of the disease risk. If you’re concerned about “bad” hitchhikers (crabs, worms, invasive macros, etc.) coming in on the rocks, then you can keep the rocks in a QT (bucket or tank) for the duration of the 76 day fallow period and just observe them to remove hitchhikers as desired before adding to the DT.

Yes, to be safe, the QT should run for the full 76 day duration based on when the last inhabitant is added (so if you run a QT for 2 weeks, then decide to add a new hermit or shrimp or something to the QT, the countdown should reset from day 14 to day 1 of the full 76 days again).

Biosecurity

A short introduction to aquarium biosecurity

www.reef2reef.com

Subsea · Feb 15, 2023

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
Do you have to? No, but from a biosecurity standpoint it may be wise (anything wet could bring disease). Personally, I would but most people probably wouldn't.

Would a few days in a separate fishless tank flush out nasties? No, a few days likely would not.

Now to elaborate:

Biosecurity

A short introduction to aquarium biosecurity

www.reef2reef.com

Seriously, you don’t operate a marine tank, yet you have > 2000 post.

After 51 years of Reefing, I marvel at how some have brought their lifestyle into this hobby. As a Laissez faire reefkeeper, bio security is furthest from my mind.

Stress kills more ornamental fish than all disease & parasites combined.

ISpeakForTheSeas · Feb 15, 2023

Subsea said:
Seriously, you don’t operate a marine tank, yet you have > 2000 post.

After 51 years of Reefing, I marvel at how some have brought their lifestyle into this hobby. As a Laissez faire reefkeeper, bio security is furthest from my mind.

Stress kills more ornamental fish than all disease & parasites combined.

Yeah, I believe most of my posts are just ID related. And by no means am I trying to say that my way is the only way/right way to reef - done correctly, there are plenty of examples of no-QT tanks working just fine; I'm just particularly risk-averse.

I do agree that stress is a major killer (and a large part of why fish succumb to disease in our tanks) - managed properly, fish will usually stay healthy; managed by the average new aquarist they don't always fair so well. That's my main reason for being supportive of QT.

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
If you’re willing to add it without QT, then you certainly can - I’ve just seen a few too many threads in the disease forum here about a sudden disease outbreak after a new fish is added for me personally to feel comfortable taking that chance. As I understand it, looking at both sides of the QT/ich management (no QT) debate, most people who don’t QT typically are fine until something (like an aggressive new fish) stresses their fish out. Sometimes the fish come back from it and the disease is managed, sometimes it’s not. Results may vary due to the aquarist’s skill, the disease, the fish themselves, how the fish and tank are managed, sheer luck, etc.

I personally favor QT, but I recognize it is inconvenient, and some people think it may do more harm than good. What you believe/decide to do, though, is ultimately up to you.

(As a note here not necessarily for the OP: For anyone set on not QT’ing, I’d just say to be aware that those who don’t have issues despite not QT’ing typically - like Paul B. - have a very specific method they use to mitigate disease risks; they’re not usually relying just on luck, so I’d recommend looking at what specifically they do to mitigate/manage disease risk before adding any livestock to your tank — the people who do rely on luck usually find themselves in the disease forum - according to Brandon429 - within about 8 months. I’d also suggest looking at Jay Hemdal’s quarantine protocols just to be sure you’re informed on both sides of the debate.)

Adirondackgold · Feb 23, 2023

Subsea said:
“Flush them out” is a metaphor that needs better defining. What exactly are you flushing out?

I do not quarantine anything in 51 yrs of Reefing.

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
Yeah, I believe most of my posts are just ID related. And by no means am I trying to say that my way is the only way/right way to reef - done correctly, there are plenty of examples of no-QT tanks working just fine; I'm just particularly risk-averse.

I do agree that stress is a major killer (and a large part of why fish succumb to disease in our tanks) - managed properly, fish will usually stay healthy; managed by the average new aquarist they don't always fair so well. That's my main reason for being supportive of QT.

Thanks to all for the comments.

I understand at least to some degree the QT debates Hate chems but don't want to put my fish at risk -- most have been with me from the start about three years now. I do QT fish but use TTM with prazi pro and have done well.

Sponges being soft bodied made me wonder. Not worried about encrusing on the sponge but that leaves open the theront stage at least for ich. My idea of "flushing out" is using time in a fishless tank for a sponge to do reasonable fluid exchanges in case there free floating nasties were in sponge -- although being filter feeder would they filter out theronts? And theoretically that shouldn' t the risk period only be couple of days as theronts attach to a fish or die?

Checked with my supplier who assured multiple weeks in fish free environment. So I talked myself through the risk assessment and concluded parasite transfer likelihood low and put new sponges in display tank.