Quarantine Strategy

[spirou]

Hey Everyone,

Got my brand new DT and QT fully cycled. DT has been cycled for a few weeks now, and I've been ghost feeding it. Ammonia and Nitrites at 0, nitrates between 10-20 (i have a hard time with the test vial colors!). QT just finish cycling with Ammonia and Nitrites at 0, Nitrates barely detectable (post water change). Started ghost feeding the QT two days ago.

I am thinking of introducing a variety of macroalgae to the DT fuge, as well as some phytoplankton and pods. If after a week or two the nitrates aren't below 10, I'll do a small water change, and then bring in a CUC of mixed snails and hermits that I'll supplemental feed (since the DT is still pretty darn clean). I'm thinking that by introducing the macros and CUC now, I can have 90+ days for them to both help mature the DT while they effectively quarantine in the DT with no stock present. In the mean time, I'll get my first fish and let them do a 90 day quarantine in the QT.

Is maturing the DT with the macro and CUC for 90 days a strategy the will ensure no fish-harmful pests after 90 days?

Thanks for your help and input!

 

[ichthyogeek]

Hmmm....technically no, but I'd say functionally yes.

Uronema marinum gets everywhere. It's rather hard to get rid of, and if I understand it correctly, once it gets into a tank, that means it's in the tank, and unless you bleach it, it's not going away. That being said, most people don't seem to worry about Uronema getting into the tank from corals and everything else.

Ecto-parasites like flukes, ich, velvet, oodinium, those will die off by the 90 days. So if you're avoiding the "big ones" then functionally, no harmful pests (parasites) should be in the tank.