How do you quarantine new fish and corals?
- Thread starter Keanan
- Start date
The bucket method is what i use tried and trusted for fish and for corals/live rock/invertebrates a quarantine tank
(absolutely no fish)with light and flow and heater and 30 days waiting period or if it came from a tank with fish 60 days
(absolutely no fish)with light and flow and heater and 30 days waiting period or if it came from a tank with fish 60 days
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Cool @Achilles, is there not a quicker way for corals like the bucket method for the fish?
Its been almost a month now with doing the paraguard, 4 or 5 bottles later and my white blenny is still scratching on the sand. I cant see anything on him but not sure why he is still scratching. Rest of the fish is looking good, so is he except for the scratching.
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first, knowledge of your enemy is to your advantage.
So, how does that picture tie in with what Achilles advised?
Check the time the WS is on the fish. If you removed the environment every day / second day for just more than 7 days. ( I go for 10). That means that all the WS that was on the fish matured and dropped off. They are not on the bottom of the bucket. Drying that bucket, rinse in boiling water, rinse in RO and drying it out in the sun is a lot more effective that hype salinity to kill the Tomonts, basically the egg face of their life cycle. After this period I move the fish to a QT tank for 5 weeks for observation.
So why does this not work for live rock or corals?
Check again, how many days are they in the egg phase? 3 up to 28 days!
That is why you cannot have fish in buckets for 3 days, max 2 days. And it also makes the holding tank "infectious" for up to 28 days after the last trophont fell of a fish. That is the matured WS bloody parasite. That matured trophont can stick to the substrate, corals, liverock, snail shells, heater, pump, thermometer, anything that it want to. But mostly in the substrate.
The WS life cycle is dependant on the temperature in the tank. Warmer water and it speeds up. So dropping it slightly for the buckets is better, as you will ensure no quickies hatching. Also raising it slightly in the QT tank where your corals are is also better. To make sure you do not have late hatchings. But playing with temps makes water changes and movements of stock a bit more difficult.
QT system will feel as if it fails. I lost a lot of fish in QT. None in my display due to sickness. Just think if some of those sick fish ended in my display.
So, how does that picture tie in with what Achilles advised?
Check the time the WS is on the fish. If you removed the environment every day / second day for just more than 7 days. ( I go for 10). That means that all the WS that was on the fish matured and dropped off. They are not on the bottom of the bucket. Drying that bucket, rinse in boiling water, rinse in RO and drying it out in the sun is a lot more effective that hype salinity to kill the Tomonts, basically the egg face of their life cycle. After this period I move the fish to a QT tank for 5 weeks for observation.
So why does this not work for live rock or corals?
Check again, how many days are they in the egg phase? 3 up to 28 days!
That is why you cannot have fish in buckets for 3 days, max 2 days. And it also makes the holding tank "infectious" for up to 28 days after the last trophont fell of a fish. That is the matured WS bloody parasite. That matured trophont can stick to the substrate, corals, liverock, snail shells, heater, pump, thermometer, anything that it want to. But mostly in the substrate.
The WS life cycle is dependant on the temperature in the tank. Warmer water and it speeds up. So dropping it slightly for the buckets is better, as you will ensure no quickies hatching. Also raising it slightly in the QT tank where your corals are is also better. To make sure you do not have late hatchings. But playing with temps makes water changes and movements of stock a bit more difficult.
QT system will feel as if it fails. I lost a lot of fish in QT. None in my display due to sickness. Just think if some of those sick fish ended in my display.
Very well explained Riaan!
this is exactly why i cringe when i see corals and fish mixed in the same tank at LFS because anyone buying that coral/liverock/invertebrates must realise it will take at least a month for the coral to be safely added to another tank that has fish in it as it could be carrying a fish disease like oodinium or whitespot
this is exactly why i cringe when i see corals and fish mixed in the same tank at LFS because anyone buying that coral/liverock/invertebrates must realise it will take at least a month for the coral to be safely added to another tank that has fish in it as it could be carrying a fish disease like oodinium or whitespot
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My QT system is a complete system on its own. I can easily stock fish in there for 2 to 3 months. It is a standard Daro 90L as "display" with corner overflow box. And another 90L tank as 3 chamber sump. It used to have its own DSB.
I left the tank without fish for 6 weeks after the last fish moved out. But it is faster to just drain it dry, and leave it completely empty for a week. But the DSB was a bit of a problem. Now I got it removed. and that chamber is filled up with bio-balls. So far so good.
The 90L is better because I can quarantine bigger fish like tangs easily. But is a problem to drain and fill up again. Needs 180L. Easier to just wait out the time to 2 months and to maintain the tank. Hidden advantage is that you cannot do impulse buying.
Last action is to up the light units even more. So I can properly quarantine frags and corals. For fish only, its back to the dual 24W T5. But as you mention Achilles, I will only have fish or corals in there at any given moment.
Due to the effort, especially on smaller fish, it sounds reasonable to do a group together. 5 or more small fish being in the buckets and then into the holding system. But remember, one sick fish and they all can die. So not really worthwhile. Been there done that. Learned my lesson the hard way. 2 fish only max. Chromis, yeah maybe... Not a R800 fish and a pair of chromis. Simply not worthwhile. Although stress levels is less if there are mates in the barren area.
I left the tank without fish for 6 weeks after the last fish moved out. But it is faster to just drain it dry, and leave it completely empty for a week. But the DSB was a bit of a problem. Now I got it removed. and that chamber is filled up with bio-balls. So far so good.
The 90L is better because I can quarantine bigger fish like tangs easily. But is a problem to drain and fill up again. Needs 180L. Easier to just wait out the time to 2 months and to maintain the tank. Hidden advantage is that you cannot do impulse buying.
Last action is to up the light units even more. So I can properly quarantine frags and corals. For fish only, its back to the dual 24W T5. But as you mention Achilles, I will only have fish or corals in there at any given moment.
Due to the effort, especially on smaller fish, it sounds reasonable to do a group together. 5 or more small fish being in the buckets and then into the holding system. But remember, one sick fish and they all can die. So not really worthwhile. Been there done that. Learned my lesson the hard way. 2 fish only max. Chromis, yeah maybe... Not a R800 fish and a pair of chromis. Simply not worthwhile. Although stress levels is less if there are mates in the barren area.
Thanks guys, my corals and fish are almost a month apart now, fish and DT was treated with paraguard. And the coral and invert tank have only been getting 2 water changes per week.
I noticed that evens after the +- month treatment my white blenny is still "playing" a bit in the sand, he looks fine, cant see anything on him but not sure.
The rest of the fish including the blenny looks 10 times better than before.
What should I do now? I so much want to add my corals back to the DT but too scared. @RiaanP @Achilles
I noticed that evens after the +- month treatment my white blenny is still "playing" a bit in the sand, he looks fine, cant see anything on him but not sure.
The rest of the fish including the blenny looks 10 times better than before.
What should I do now? I so much want to add my corals back to the DT but too scared. @RiaanP @Achilles
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Hi Keanan,
the bucket method, as Riaan explained it, is really the only truly successfull way of getting rid of marine ich.
It is REALLY worthwile to study that diagram and even memorize it till you can draw it yourself and then re-read all the posts on this transfer method till it makes sense.
To be able to keep cryptocaryon out of your system is something that should not be underestimated.
The bucket method (in combination with further quarantine) is the way to achieve this.
Riaan has posted the same story various times in different threads - why the effort?
...because it's really worth it.
If you say your blenny is still scrathing and "playing" in the sand, I assume you have not tried this method. If you start having problems with WS again, you should give this method a go.
the bucket method, as Riaan explained it, is really the only truly successfull way of getting rid of marine ich.
It is REALLY worthwile to study that diagram and even memorize it till you can draw it yourself and then re-read all the posts on this transfer method till it makes sense.
To be able to keep cryptocaryon out of your system is something that should not be underestimated.
The bucket method (in combination with further quarantine) is the way to achieve this.
Riaan has posted the same story various times in different threads - why the effort?
...because it's really worth it.
If you say your blenny is still scrathing and "playing" in the sand, I assume you have not tried this method. If you start having problems with WS again, you should give this method a go.
confession time. i dont quarantine my corals but they are usually frags. but i dip them if bought from a shop
Hi Steve, it was too much fish to do the bucket method and did not have the space or time to do so. So went the paraguard way that was recommended by Achilles. Think I'll get another bottle and see if it will help.
@RiaanP, @Achilles, @SteveZi, do you quarantine all your new fish for WS? The bucket method? Or is there another way you guys quarantine and for what when getting a new fish?
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Must confess myself, I have never quarantined, fish nor corals and have certainly paid the price.
YES
Sandsifting gobies are a bit of a problem. But can be solved by preparing yourself beforehand. In a flat dish, get some substrate of your DSB or display or new sand. If new, leave it in your sump for at least 2 weeks, seeding it would help. Do that while the goby is still in the buckets. Then put that dish in the holding system when the bucket period (8 to 10 days) is over.
@RiaanP, I really want to get a convict tang, I've hardly seen them down here and I see sams has stock. I was thinking of getting one and putting it in a little 50l spare tank I got. I dont have the space or the buckets to do the bucket method, so was thinking of using paraguard to quarantine as I want to use this little 50l for coral QT later on. Would this be a good idea? Or is there another way you would recommend me to do?
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I caught 2 convict surgeons a few weeks ago at the same spot where i got the idols.
dude you dont need a lot of time or space to do the bucket transfer.
and as riaan said, more fish in a container has a calming effect (within reason of course)
I do it with all new fish, as i collect all my fish myself, but think it's even more important if you buy fish.
dude you dont need a lot of time or space to do the bucket transfer.
and as riaan said, more fish in a container has a calming effect (within reason of course)
I do it with all new fish, as i collect all my fish myself, but think it's even more important if you buy fish.