Pod control in a coral / invert QT?

[Mike.P]

I have a coral / invert QT that has developed a booming population of copepods, isopods, and even some amphipods... What can I throw in there to munch on them? I'm a little concerned that an overpopulation may start causing issues, without anything to control it. Or is it not a problem?

 

[P-Dub]

Get yourself a mandarin goby of pipefish. Shouldn't be a problem though. If you are worried, throw in some copper meds as that should wipe them out.
So apparently I need to clarify here. If you want to wipe them out, which is not necessary, by dosing with copper you would, of course, do this when fallow and there are no specimens being quarantined. I would just opt for the mandarine for simplicity...

 

[andrewkw]

I don't think they will ever cause issue. I rarely keep fish my frag tanks and sometimes the pod population really explodes. Something will always cause them to die back when it gets out of hand. Lack of food most likely or another type of pod out competing them.

You could always put a fish that has gone through qt in there for it's observational period if you really want something to eat them. Or just siphon them out during water changes, you could probably even sell them / trade them for frags...

 

[Crossfire]

Get yourself a mandarin goby of pipefish. Shouldn't be a problem though. If you are worried, throw in some copper meds as that should wipe them out.

Please don't add any copper meds into a coral/invert qt tank. It will kill them along with your pods.

I wouldn't consider the pods a problem. Over time the populations decrease. A six line or coris wrasse would help a lot if you need it pest control. A coris wrasse needs a large tank with sand, so a six line would be your best bet.

 

[ScottR]

Get yourself a mandarin goby of pipefish. Shouldn't be a problem though. If you are worried, throw in some copper meds as that should wipe them out.

Copper in an invert and coral tank will wipe out everything. NOOOO!!!!

 

[P-Dub]

Copper in an invert and coral tank will wipe out everything. NOOOO!!!!

Well, of course, but it is a QT tank so I didn't think that it would be necessary to clarify to copper dose only when there are no specimens being quarantined. I would hope that any coral reef engineer would know this already.

 

[Mike.P]

Get yourself a mandarin goby of pipefish. Shouldn't be a problem though. If you are worried, throw in some copper meds as that should wipe them out.

Yep, I was thinking of maybe putting a mandarin in there.

I don't think they will ever cause issue. I rarely keep fish my frag tanks and sometimes the pod population really explodes. Something will always cause them to die back when it gets out of hand. Lack of food most likely or another type of pod out competing them.

You could always put a fish that has gone through qt in there for it's observational period if you really want something to eat them. Or just siphon them out during water changes, you could probably even sell them / trade them for frags...

That's a great thought!

Please don't add any copper meds into a coral/invert qt tank. It will kill them along with your pods.

I wouldn't consider the pods a problem. Over time the populations decrease. A six line or coris wrasse would help a lot if you need it pest control. A coris wrasse needs a large tank with sand, so a six line would be your best bet.

That's what I figured, just thought I would check. That's a good thought, a six-line would do well in there.

Copper in an invert and coral tank will wipe out everything. NOOOO!!!!

lol... No worries, that won't be happening.

Well, of course, but it is a QT tank so I didn't think that it would be necessary to clarify to copper dose only when there are no specimens being quarantined. I would hope that any coral reef engineer would know this already.

Yeah, no copper in that one. Haha! That would be a bad day... This one is just for corals and inverts, I have a separate QT just for fish.


Thanks everyone, as always! ;Woot

 

[Mike.P]

Get yourself a mandarin goby of pipefish. Shouldn't be a problem though. If you are worried, throw in some copper meds as that should wipe them out.
So apparently I need to clarify here. If you want to wipe them out, which is not necessary, by dosing with copper you would, of course, do this when fallow and there are no specimens being quarantined. I would just opt for the mandarine for simplicity...

Wait, wait, wait! Let me backtrack! I put copper in there RIGHT away... Now @P-Dub owes me a new Aussie Gold!

 

[Paul Sands]

putting a fish in a coral/invert quarantine tank defeats the purpose of quarantining inverts and corals in a separate tank.

an overpopulation of pods isn’t a problem. their population will decrease soon enough.

 

[Mike.P]

putting a fish in a coral/invert quarantine tank defeats the purpose of quarantining inverts and corals in a separate tank.

an overpopulation of pods isn’t a problem. their population will decrease soon enough.

If I do add one, I would move the fish into the other QT, and wait at least a week before moving any coral into my display. Would that ensure that any free floating ich would die?

 

[Paul Sands]

If I do add one, I would move the fish into the other QT, and wait at least a week before moving any coral into my display. Would that ensure that any free floating ich would die?

no, you’d have to wait 76 days. with a fish in the invert quarantine tank, the ich could be encysted on the coral and frag plugs. hence the reason I said it kind of defeats the purpose.

 

[Mike.P]

no, you’d have to wait 76 days. with a fish in the invert quarantine tank, the ich could be encysted on the coral and frag plugs. hence the reason I said it kind of defeats the purpose.

Gotcha... So how does TTM work then? Maybe I have an incorrect understanding of it.

 

[flsalty]

Well, of course, but it is a QT tank so I didn't think that it would be necessary to clarify to copper dose only when there are no specimens being quarantined. I would hope that any coral reef engineer would know this already.

But, if you use copper in a tank that is intended for quarantining corals and other inverts, you'd have to drain the tank and clean it out before adding inverts. It would make more sense to drain it to get rid of pods without using copper at all, thereby eliminating any chance of residual copper in the tank at all.

 

[Mike.P]

But, if you use copper in a tank that is intended for quarantining corals and other inverts, you'd have to drain the tank and clean it out before adding inverts. It would make more sense to drain it to get rid of pods without using copper at all, thereby eliminating any chance of residual copper in the tank at all.

It's all good, he just thought that it was an everything QT. I have a separate one for fish, and that one is full of copper.

 

[Paul Sands]

Gotcha... So how does TTM work then? Maybe I have an incorrect understanding of it.

TTM works because you disinfect the tanks between uses to get rid of the encysted parasites. you can’t disinfect coral frags.