Quarentine inverts?

[birdguy]

Question .... I'm receiving an order of fish and inverts (shrimp and stars). I've got my quarentine tank set up ready to go. Do I need to quarentine the inverts with the fish or can I put them in my tank??? I've gone through one bout of ich and don't care to do it again. Any advice ??? Thanks !!!

 

[aquapro_1]

Qt all. Inverts carry parasites & you'll contaminate the tank. If for some reason one fish has ich...remove the inverts BEFORE treatment!!

 

[devildog01]

What is the purpose for quaratining inverts? There is none. And what they guy said above...umm, if he quarantines the fish and just puts the inverts in the main tank-how could there be ich? So, in conclusion, just quarantine the fish...there is no need to quarantine inverts...unless it is like an octopus or something and you're trying to get it to eat...

 

[darth tang]

What Devil Dog said. I have never had an invert (that I have kept) have a disease or infection that was transferable to fish.

 

[jerthunter]

Inverts can be carriers of ich since the parasite has multiple stages. So to answer the question is all depends on your setup, if you do not have any fish in your display tank then it would be fine to just add the inverts, however if you have some fish and you are just adding more I believe it would be worth while to QT the inverts however I would recommend a much shorter QT time and a seperate tank otherwise it would serve no purpose. Umm, pizza just arrived so I have to go.. I hope my reasoning was clear,.

 

[darth tang]

Bob Fenner disagrees with you.....................as do I. Explain this to me.....I was new to this and never quarantined anything. My tank got ich twice....first time wiped out...second time was able to treat them and haven't gotten ich again ever. I have since traded those fish in and went with an aggresive set up in this tank. I have had a purple lobster go through both ich battles and he has stayed in the tank the whole time......explain to me if inverts can carry ich, how come he hasn't transferred it to my new fish now.

 

[devildog01]

umm...many of you will disagree, but there is NO scientific evidence to support that inverts can carry ich or any other disease that in transferable to fish. For all of you who do disagree with me, listen to this. How can ich attach itself to mobile inverts? (shrimp, lobsters, crabs) it cant! Because there is nothing for it to be attached to. And corals, if for whatever reason this did happen, it could shake it off with its slime coat. Care to disagree?

 

[birdguy]

Thanks for the replies, heres some more food for thought, any ich on the inverts should be in the free swimming stage right ?? So to be on the safe side side maybe I could QT the inverts in a small tank for a couple of days ??

 

[darth tang]

Something to think about....if it is in the free swimming stage, it is in the water and not on the invert.....so therefore it is fine. Just don't add the water to your tank (something you shouldn't do normally anyway). Or if it is attached to your inverts, what is the point of quarantining them, you can't treat them...so why are you doing this?

 

[mack]

as far as ich goes on inverts i do not beleive they can carry it but if you use any of the water they came in and there is any in the free swim stage that may be a problem so be careful not to transfer any when introducing new stuff even corals .but i do not qt my inverts and never had any problem.

 

[ophiura]

LOL...some say yes, some say no.
I have never QTd inverts. And certainly not if the QT has ever been used for copper treatment, or many other medications...or is in "hypo" and not full reef salinity. For some stars, I would say this is a good way to possibly kill them.
So like anything in this hobby, IMO, you takes your chances. Some people will say "absolutely" you need to QT inverts, and rock, and sand. Others will say no. YOu get to decide

 

[birdguy]

And the debate goes on. Maybe I can feed my fish out of the can of worms I've opened !!

 

[jerthunter]

I do not quarintine my inverts, my reason is that the store I primarily buy from keeps their inverts in seperate tanks then their fish so they have been effectively QTed. The reason I would recommend quarintining invertabrates is not because they might have the parasites infecting them but because it is possible for ich in one of its stages to be on anything, not infecting it but just sitting there until it becomes free floating. I imagine the chance of getting ich this way is very slim but it would still be possible.

 

[sgdeb]

I'm with Devil Dog - and my tank consists of lots lots more inverts than fish!
QT fish .... That's all I do.

 

[vanos]

I've never quarantined my inverts and I believe there is no reason to do just like the books I have read.

 

[farslayer]

Just to chime in, my wife has an MS in Marine Biology; she says that inverts do not carry ich, it does not affect them. Take that for what it's worth I also have a lot of inverts and likewise have never QT'd them and have never had an outbreak.

 

[birdguy]

Thanks for all the input. I guess I'll take my chances and put the inverts in my tank. The fishies will just have to wait a month or so. Thanks again, it's sure nice to get some different opinions.

 

[sinner's girl]

In 5 years I've never qt'd inverts, and I've never been told to. Acclimate then correctly, yes, but qt them? Nope.

 

[dexter]

I figured i'd throw my $0.02 in. Not an expert however, I have not QT any inverts, but i definately acclimate them with the drip method for an hour or two.
I also figured I'd post here since I am teh thread killer and it sounded like this debate needed to end...

Dxtr -

 

[lion_crazz]

I have never heard of anyone QTing thier inverts. That is crazy. Of course you need to give them a proper acclimation of 2 to 5 hours depending on what you are acclimating, but I have never heard of a QT for them.