Will adding Skunk Cleaner restart fallow period

[C-Reefer]

My tank got brook and ich and my clowns were killed before I could treat them. The surviving YWG is in QT, and tank is laying fallow. Its layed fallow for one month. Can I add a Skunk Cleaner and not have to restart the fallow clock since it is an invert? I know I need more days to make sure the ich is dead (76), but I thought since it was an invert it owuld be OK? Can I add coral as well? I don't have a coral QT. @Humblefish

 

[andrewkw]

There is a chance the cleaner can bring something in. I think most people who error on the safest side of caution will tell you to QT the shrimp for 72 days. IMO after the shrimp molts it's safe however long that takes, but I have no scientific evidence to back that up. Corals can bring in disease too. It's far less likely but still very possible even if the chances itself are much slimmer.

 

[RevJames]

You cannot add anything! Unwanted parasites could still be brought in... they can’t host.... but can certainly be on an invert. Same goes for coral. As a basic quarantine procedure, inverts should be quarantined for 76 days. Along with coral and anemones...

 

[C-Reefer]

Are the chances of a Skunk Cleaner bringing something in higher then a coral bringing something in?

You cannot add anything! Unwanted parasites could still be brought in... they can’t host.... but can certainly be on an invert. Same goes for coral. As a basic quarantine procedure, inverts should be quarantined for 76 days. Along with coral and anemones...

Problem is I only have a fish QT, coral QT I'd need a light and flow which would be expensive. I could QT the skunk cleaner... After the YWG is out of QT as I'm treating with copper + metro. The YWG still needs about another 40 days.

 

[C-Reefer]

I forgot to mention, my LFS keeps their corals in their frag tank on a coral only system, no fish I think. May be one sixline wrasse but it's obviously uninfected as it's been in there for at least a year.

 

[melypr1985]

A system with even one fish is not a coral QT. That one fish can still allow parasites to continue with their life cycle which means the parasites can/will be brought into your tank as well.

Adding anything to your display at this point will restart your 76 day clock on the fallow period. Now, it's your tank and you can do what you like with it, but that's the answer to your question. I would advise getting a small tank to QT corals and inverts in before adding them to your display. Best of luck

 

[C-Reefer]

A system with even one fish is not a coral QT. That one fish can still allow parasites to continue with their life cycle which means the parasites can/will be brought into your tank as well.

Adding anything to your display at this point will restart your 76 day clock on the fallow period. Now, it's your tank and you can do what you like with it, but that's the answer to your question. I would advise getting a small tank to QT corals and inverts in before adding them to your display. Best of luck

I guess I'll wait. Just being impatient which is never good in this hobby. It's just so boring and sad looking at an empty tank. I can't QT coral but I can QT inverts and fish. Thank you all!

 

[C-Reefer]

The thing is... I won't be QTing corals anyways, I'll just be putting them in. I wil dip, but that won't do anything. I've heard multiple people even @Humble fish say the chance of them being infected is slim. My LFS does have fish in their frag tank, I just checked, but they're all healthy. Does a skunk cleaner carry more of a risk of taking in ich then a coral ox? Tank will be fallow until June 17, which should be plenty of time to kill most strains of ich correct?

Will I be able to QT the skunk cleaner when the YWG gets out or not since he's being treated with copper? Also, since I can't treat inverts like him for ich or brook... would I have to leave it in QT for another 76 days?

 

[melypr1985]

The corals carry more of a chance to bring in ich and other parasites than the shrimp does. When the shrimp molts all chance of parasite cysts on the body go away. You are more likely to be infected by corals. Just because the fish appear healthy, as I'm sure you have gathered, doesn't mean anything as far as risk of parasites. It's something to think about, but you'll have a better chance if you add them sooner rather than later in the fallow period.

 

[Humblefish]

You can add a crustacean to a fallow tank given:

1. You realize tomonts may be present on it's exoskeleton. Once you see it has molted, remove the old exoskeleton.
2. After the shedded exoskeleton has been removed from the DT, begin a 15 day countdown (worst case scenario for velvet dinospores).
3. After 15 days, any ich/velvet threat from the crustacean has been neutralized.

 

[C-Reefer]

The corals carry more of a chance to bring in ich and other parasites than the shrimp does. When the shrimp molts all chance of parasite cysts on the body go away. You are more likely to be infected by corals. Just because the fish appear healthy, as I'm sure you have gathered, doesn't mean anything as far as risk of parasites. It's something to think about, but you'll have a better chance if you add them sooner rather than later in the fallow period.

Makes sense. I will get one next time I go to the fish store I think!

You can add a crustacean to a fallow tank given:

1. You realize tomonts may be present on it's exoskeleton. Once you see it has molted, remove the old exoskeleton.
2. After the shedded exoskeleton has been removed from the DT, begin a 15 day countdown (worst case scenario for velvet dinospores).
3. After 15 days, any ich/velvet threat from the crustacean has been neutralized.

Didn't even think of that! Thank you very much. So basically, if any tomonts are stuck on the exoskeleton, when it molts I immediately pull it out, taking out all the ich. Any velvet or brook that somehow hitchiked in with it and are floating around the tank are dead after 15 days.