Is this safe...........

[helipilot]

Is it safe to add some invertabrates from the ocean to my tank? They are
from mexico, a regular small sea urchin, 2-3 turbo snails, 2-3 scarlet hermits and a small brittle star. This is assuming they survive acclimation. My tank is a mature reef. I quess my real question is can these inverts carry disease I don't want. Thanks in advance.

 

[wilsonreef]

I don't see where they would be a threat, after all that is where they all originated from JMO though..

 

[bill109]

Originally Posted by wilsonreef
I don't see where they would be a threat, after all that is where they all originated from JMO though..
well inverts dont carry ick so tht isnt going to be an issue.
there may be some disease that inverts can carry that may be rare in the marine life tht hasnt been introduced into te home aquarium?
i have no clue im not in any way discouraging/encouraging you to do it,nor am i a marine biologist but make sure they are approved by the others here and where are they now? got any pics of tht urchin?
i would like one :cheer:

 

[dejaco]

Believe it or not they can carry many unwanted pests!
In the ocean many inverts have built up tolerence / immunities to things that the critters in our closed systems have not!
Try a quarentine tank and after 10 days introduce a couple snails and maybe an inexspensive fish. If after 15 - 20 days all are alive and well then introduce into your display tank!
Just a thought that may save alot of money in the long run!
Quarentine of all new arrivals (whether aquacultured or wild caught) is always the safest bet.

 

[helipilot]

Thank you for the replies. If I go with a quarantine tank, what should I feed the snails, urchin and brittle star?

 

[tree]

they could have parasites that you might not be aware of. So the QT is a good idea. A couple algae tablets should keep the urchin & snails happy. The brittle star should be fed flake or meaty foods. Make sure to have a a piece of PVC big enough for the brittle star to hide in during the day.

 

[ophiura]

I think a QT might be a bad idea if you don't have a QT designed for invertebrates. It is unlikely they will carry diseases, though many folks do QT inverts and it is not bad (if, again, you have a proper system). Nonethless if you don't have a QT with parameters suitable for inverts, it will be a quick death (also if you have used various medications, it can be fatal).
Frankly, most animals you buy from an LFS aren't that long removed from the ocean, so I am not sure why it is too different. They may be in systems at the LFS being exposed to fish that do have active ick infestations where they might pick things up.
What could be different is temperature. Where in Mexico did you get these?
Also, I strongly discourage this practice as often this is a violation of the law, and may become an issue with customs/agriculture inspection.
NEVER add any animals that you have not positively identified. Not all hermits and snails are harmless....many are the last thing you would want to add to your tank.

 

[garnet13aj]

I don't know anything about the risks of adding them to your tank, but definitely don't put them back into the ocean after. This causes all kinds of problems including a growing number of invasive species.