Quarantining Coral: Do you? Should you? How do you?

[Wyvern]

I'm just going to buy from jason fox, he seems to really keep stuff clean, after dipping 8 frags all that came off was a single brittle star (RIP)and saw no evidence of eggs.

 

[TK_KW]

My coral/invert qt

 

[The Wyld Zone]

This sounds great. Curious on adding CUC to the sump, do you leave a light on a timer for them to see what is going on? Have you created a lid on top so they don't crawl / climb out and end up in a skimmer or return pump?

I've always kept CUC in the sump. I run multiple lights on 24/7 I'm sure some may wind up in a return eventually but it's never been an issue. As far leaving the sump it has a rim so the only 2 inverts that can climb out would be some intertidal slugs that know how to return to the tank and Nerites that I collect. The nerites collected from exposed areas have a tendency to remain outside of the tank but the ones I pick don't for the most part

 

[puckett26]

I QT now. I didnt before. I got for the first timevelvet back in October last year, it was from fish and/or inverts carrying it in. There were no coral yet. Went fallow for about 3 months. By february I had a new fish stock and corals and got velvet again. However before I realized I had it, I moved a real jerk of a Convict Tang over to my predator tank. Then the velvet proceeded wiped out both tanks. Now all fish and coral gets QT. Inverts, I buy from sources that say they come from fishless system. I would qt them as well but Im not quite sure how to do that and keep them, feed. Have been lucky with coral pests. Only have dealt with them 1 time 5-6 years ago. Got a flat worm infestation that wouldnt quit. I ended up breaking down the tank. Not taking chances anymore.

 

[>>klong<<]

I'm just going to buy from jason fox, he seems to really keep stuff clean, after dipping 8 frags all that came off was a single brittle star (RIP)and saw no evidence of eggs.

LOL. I bought 10 pieces from Chaos Aquatics during their live sale a couple weeks ago. This was exactly my experience with them. I redipped everything on arrival and all that I found was a single brittle star.

All corals go into a fishless tank for a couple months. I buy quarantined fish, so I try to be a careful with the other stuff that makes it into my main tank.

 

[Wyvern]

LOL. I bought 10 pieces from Chaos Aquatics during their live sale a couple weeks ago. This was exactly my experience with them. I redipped everything on arrival and all that I found was a single brittle star.

All corals go into a fishless tank for a couple months. I buy quarantined fish, so I try to be a careful with the other stuff that makes it into my main tan here, but I dip and dunk, I don't have a cycled tank or extra lighting gear

LOL. I bought 10 pieces from Chaos Aquatics during their live sale a couple weeks ago. This was exactly my experience with them. I redipped everything on arrival and all that I found was a single brittle star.

All corals go into a fishless tank for a couple months. I buy quarantined fish, so I try to be a careful with the other stuff that makes it into my main tank.

I buy QT fish too, but don't have a cycled tank with all the gear to keep coral alive, so dip and dunk.
I run UV, Ozone and H2O2 and feed selcon and probiotics. If they get through those defenses they be some nuclear bugs.

That said, I wouldn't put anything from a LFS or rando shop/guy right into my tank.

And I'm sure EVERY vendor has ich in the system I just don't want velvet.

When my freshwater fish die, I will set up a frag tank.

 

[ScottyG]

Finished my coral QT and get my first batch of frags tomorrow. QT plan is:

Temp acclimate
Dip and place into QT.
Dip again in 2 weeks
Observe for 2 weeks
Move to DT (pic looks weird, not that blue in reality)

 

[Gogol_frag]

Today let's take about quarantining coral! I have to be honest and say that I have never QT'ed coral and that's not to say that you shouldn't because you can easily introduce disease to your fish but also disease and pest into your coral population if you're not careful. Let's talk about it!

1. Do you quarantine new coral before adding it to your reef tank?

2. What does quarantining coral look like to you? What's your regimen?

**Also would love to see some photos of your coral QT!

coral qt image via @Squishie89

I don't quarantine inverts and was hoping that good tank husbandary (nutrition and cleanliness) along with an over-powered UV sterilizer, and a Melanarus Wrasse will take care of most uninted coral-hitchhikers. Please feel free to provide opinions on Yay-Nay.

I have a fish-quarantine setup with decently high flow. But for invert quarantine, I have to provide a photosynyhesis inducing light, which I am looking to avoid.

 

[Angel_V_the_reefer]

Keeping 2 systems functioning on a high level not to kill SPS and acclimate them twice is asking a lot of aquarist and coral. Unless they are heavily aquaculture there will be a lot of trips back to the LFSs.

I visit tanks I buy from and some of same stuff just gets bigger. Not every has this so understand frusterations. I have full appreciation for aquaculture and will pay for it.

I just watched a video on Top Shelf Aquatics and their business operation. I was very much surprised at their process. They QT all new arrivals and have two stage QT processes. Their whole farm in general is very well set up and very easily comprehensible as to why they do what they do.

I checked out their coral selection and jeez were their prices very surprising. I will say though, if one does not run a QT, and does not want to run into any issues, I would say the price is justified.

 

[Azael]

I never quarantine corals. But I inspect them very carefully with a flashlight to make sure I remove any algae or unwanted hitchhiker, while they are in the acclimation bucket.

 

[OscarHaglund]

I quarantine all soft, nems and lps. Sps i cut off so that i have a bit with only living tissue and i put that directly in my DT. Sps have a tendency to not make it long term in my qt

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I have never thought about qt corals before.