How long to quarantine a new anemone?

mochaclownlover · Apr 27, 2020

Hello! Hope everyone is doing well. I picked up 3 RBTAs last week from a local reefer who was tearing down his tank and it didn't appear that he quarantined his fish, so just being extra cautious, I removed them from the rocks they came on and put them in my invert/coral QT tank (which I actually planned on doing anyways). I assume that they will need to stay in QT for at least 30 day like with fish? Can anyone confirm this to be correct or that in needs to be shorter or longer?

DancingShark · Apr 27, 2020

Well. Ich lives for 72 days I remember correctly.

brandon429 · Apr 27, 2020

do 80 man round up. its everything you'll ever add except feed. one addition of a snail, or pebble, or hardscape item that isn't 76-80 days undoes the entire QT attempt from both sides. very dedicated lifestyle, fallow preps

Squidward · Apr 27, 2020

16 days according to Humblefish. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/coral-invert-quarantine-time-frames.334584/

mochaclownlover · Apr 27, 2020

Guessing I may just err on the side of caution and go the 72-80 day QT. While I don't doubt humblefish's thread or knowledge, I'd rather be safe than sorry and just go with the extended period of time. The tank has good lighting and is established, so they can just chill in there. They can go through quarantine with me

Thanks everyone!

brandon429 · Apr 27, 2020

Squid is hf shortening the time bc anemone is less likely to vector in disease vs a snail? Why is that a shorter delay than regular fallow curious

Big G · Apr 27, 2020

The situation is will an ich or velvet parasite "encyst" on an anemone? Well, usually no, but kinda yes - rarely, extremely rarely. If they don't then the 16 days for the parasites to starve off is good. The problem is that they "have" rarely encysted on soft tissue like macro alges, etc. And then there is the possibility of the parasites dropping off into your QT and going dormant, especially in some anaerobic area of the tank. Yikes!

That being said, I've QT'd soft tissue like macros (chaeto, sea lettuce, etc.) for 16 days with no problems.

brandon429 · Apr 27, 2020

Ok good

Easier to get fish fallow buy in from new tankers if not 100% of items is a 76 day delay.

mochaclownlover · Apr 27, 2020

@Big G, but even if the parasite did encyst on the soft tissue of the anemone, wouldn't you technically just be able to put the nem through a series of rinsing/rubs in fresh saltwater to wipe off the encyst?

Big G · Apr 27, 2020

mochaclownlover said:
@Big G, but even if the parasite did encyst on the soft tissue of the anemone, wouldn't you technically just be able to put the nem through a series of rinsing/rubs in fresh saltwater to wipe off the encyst?

Great question. Yes, that would probably work just fine. Just as I mentioned about doing what you suggest with macro algaes. I kinda do a version of TTM with macros. And I've never had a problem with parasite like ich, velvet, brook. But all it takes is just one parasite to slip through during the 16 days. That being said, I'd still do the 16 days for macros, but for everything else, fish, corals, inverts, nems, I'm too paranoid to do anything else other than the 76 day QT. I've lost an entire tank to velvet, no fun.