Invert/Coral Quarantine - rolling the dice?

[kkelly007]

Just set up my first real reef tank (105g DT peninsula) and I had a question regarding experiences with not quarantining inverts & corals. A few quick facts: my DT recently cycled and my QT (20g long) is in the process of cycling and should be done in a couple of weeks. I will quarantine 100% of my fish with a combination of hyposalinity, Cupramine and PraziPro. And I plan on dipping my corals in a high-quality iodine dip solution prior to introducing into the DT. I will purchase all of my livestock through a LFS that runs copper and hyposalinity through their fish system and the husband & wife owners are meticulous in their presentation and overall cleanliness of all of their critters, corals and fish.

My question relates to the actual risk one is exposed to by not quarantining inverts and corals. I fully recognize that no amount of preventative protocols can make a tank absolutely bulletproof, but if you had to throw out an educated guess what percentage of devastating tank breakouts (velvet, ich, etc.) would you say are the result of not QT'ing fish vs. not QT'ing inverts/corals? Said another way, if the general thought is that a reefer runs a 5% chance (I'm making this up) of introducing a nasty into their tank through a dipped coral, then that might be a risk that they are willing to take. As opposed to the general rule of thumb that if you do not QT fish it is just a matter of time.

I just think that when some of the more experienced contributors who run multiple tanks, with dedicated fish rooms, etc. recommend QT'ing everything (which, I get it, is 100% the best approach) they might not appreciate the space, cost and time limitations of the average reefer who is looking to enjoy the hobby the best they can. I have read so many threads on this incredible website about quarantining in general and it's great to know all of the options to best ensure a disease-free tank, but just curious if there are thoughts regarding the relative risks associated with only QT'ing fish.

 

[Lasse]

I´m not even QT my new fish. I´m onle let them be in my refugium for a couple of weeks before introduction into my DT. Its the same water.

I would never ever buy a fish from a dealer that use copper as a prophylactic treatment in their systems - but that´s me

Sincerely Lasse

 

[kkelly007]

Hmm. Why do you say that--i.e., about buying a fish from a LFS that runs copper and low salinity? I'm not sure what their ppm is, but it's a very low copper % and the hyposalinity is .20 or .21. I know everyone has their own protocols and opinions, but this LFS is a husband and wife owned store who have owned very successful reef shops for over 35 years.

 

[muzikalmatt]

First off, consider yourself in the minority in that you're starting right of the gate quarantining your fish. That's frankly something the vast majority of reefers (including myself) don't do. There's certainly a debate regarding whether you should prophylactically treat your fish or only treat them when you see a sign of a specific disease. I won't get into that as there's plenty of information on the forums here about both approaches and it's up to you to make that decision for yourself.

Regarding corals, I think your approach might be a little flawed as in my understanding iodine dips are more for treating potential coral infections. They are often using after fragging to prevent potential infections due to the cutting process. Not that dipping in iodine is a bad idea, but I think to kill any potential pests you'll need to use something like CoralRx, Bayer, or something similar. However, one thing these dips don't do is kill any pest eggs (like flatworm or nudibranch eggs) and they don't kill the cysts from fish diseases like ich/velvet/etc. That's how these things can get in your tank even if you dip your corals.

Regarding the likelihood of ich/velvet/etc getting into your tank on a coral, I would say it's relatively rare. I can't give you a percentage (I doubt anyone truly can), but it can definitely happen and there are plenty of stories on the forums here about it happening. Much more likely is getting a coral pest like flatworms, nudibranchs, vermetid snails, etc in your tank if you don't quarantine.

I certainly understand the conundrum as the cost of quarantining and medicating fish as well as quarantining corals and inverts can add up in a hurry. Quarantining fish is less expensive as you don't need a good light, but for corals, especially SPS, you definitely need a good light and ideally you'll have the same light as over your display tank for an easy transition.

 

[Lasse]

Copper is a known substance to bioaccumulate and it is immunosuppressant.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Esco2007]

Personally, my 91 gal DT that was set up Sep, 2019. End of Mar, 2020, I lost 90% of my fish to what I think was velvet (due to the times, I refer to it as COVID). Could never really put my finger on where it came from but it was devastating. I dosed Polyp Lab Medic for 20 days and 7 fish wound up surviving - 2 pygmy angel, 3 chromis, 1 diamond goby and 1 six line wrasse. I put some corals in from middle of Feb - middle of March and added a Yellow Tang and a Yellow Eye Like Tang with 2 weeks of each other and day 2 of yellow Tang being added is where all hell broke loose.

I say all this just to say I went all out and set up 2 QT tanks, 1 for fish and 1 for corals. I'm now in process of setting up a 50 gal zoomed low boy so the corals can go there after QT before going into my 90 gal DT at home or 280 gal DT at office...

What a hobby this is....