snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
Snake’s Method for Quarantine Systems
For most saltwater aquarists, a quarantine system is simply not in the budget. But, there are many wonderful reasons why you should have one. This article does not discuss diseases or their treatments. That is saved for another article by someone who is more qualified than I.
[list type=decimal]
[*]
They provide a buffer zone between the retailer and your display tank. This means that whatever disease a fish or coral has can be treated and cured before it spreads to your display tank.
[*]
You can take out and treat the fish in your display tank with medicines that would otherwise destroy your display tank. I.E. Chelated Copper medication for Cryptocarryon Irritans.
[*]
In the case of corals, one coral that has flatworms or red bugs can be treated in a quarantine tank rather than being introduced into your main display tank – saving you worry, treatments and money.
[*]
Quarantines are absolutely essential for larger display tanks. Even smaller display tanks with many different forms of life need to be able to treat diseases that may occur.
There are two different types of quarantine tanks. The first type is fish only quarantine and the second is coral only aquariums. The reason for two different types of quarantine tanks is because medications for fish may be very irritating or fatal to most corals. I.E. Chelated Copper.
To set up a fish only quarantine:
[*]
Decide how big the quarantine needs to be by picking out your largest fish and think about the smallest tank that the fish could fit comfortably for a full 8 week period if needed. For small tanks, this may be a 10g or 20g aquarium. For larger tanks it might be a 40g breeder or 55g tank. It just depends on your fish.
Equipment needed: Tank, stand, heater, HOB filter without carbon, light, light timer, powerhead(s), Painted bottom and back (black is preferable), PVC pipes/fittings for hiding spaces or you can use coffee mugs just as easily. Sand and live rock is not needed with an oversized filter and some water flow.
You will also need your medications available, water available for water changes, and your basic maintenance equipment. Water changes are necessary on these types of systems when medications need to be diluted or removed and also to keep nitrates and phosphates in check.
Put the light on a timer for the same times as your display tank light is on. This is great for not confusing a fish when it’s daytime or night time when you put them in the display tank.
Only keep one or two fish in a quarantine tank at a time that have the same symptoms. Remember that using hyposalinity and chelated copper medications at the same time can have fatal effects on fish.
Keep the fish in quarantine a full 8 weeks before introducing them into the display tank. If at any time during those 8 weeks, the fish shows symptoms of a disease again, then his stay has been lengthened.
[/list type=decimal]
There are a few things that you can do for corals in a quarantine tank as well. If you didn’t notice any diseases on the coral when you bought it, that doesn’t mean that it is free of all pests. A few things to look out for on corals are flat worms, red bugs, aggressive crabs, and some bristle worms. To make sure that your corals are free of pests, it’s best to put them in a quarantine for 4 to 8 weeks while observing them every day.
>
[list type=decimal]
[*]
Make sure they are disease free at the store, or make sure you purchase them from a reputable online retailer.
[*]
A coral quarantine tank is very similar to a fish only quarantine tank. However, a few things differ.
[list type=decimal]
[*]
The Coral QT tank must have water parameters that are close to your display tank. Try to run the same salinity, pH and temperature as your display tank. Another thing that is suggested is the use of a protein skimmer to keep your water clean while the coral is in quarantine.
[*]
Not only must the tank have the same water parameters, but the tank must have decent lighting for the corals to photosynthesize. If you have high intensity lights on your display aquarium, try to match that in your quarantine tank and light acclimate your new additions to the intensity.
[*]
Flow rates may be a little different in a coral QT tank because some corals need a moderate amount of flow to keep detritus and poop washed away from the corals. So, the addition of a medium sized powerhead might be a must.
[*]
Medications also differ in corals than they do in fish only systems. So far, simple iodine dips or Coral Rx medications are the easiest to use. When dealing with SPS corals, another treatment is almost a must and that is a medication called Interceptor. Interceptor, as you might recall, is a heart worm medication for canines. Interceptor kills redbugs and other flatworms and crabs that is causing damage to coral tissues. Another way to cure diseases is to simply frag the good tissue off of a dying coral and use an iodine dip before placing it in a quarantine tank. Then, all it will need is time.
[*]
Using egg crate is a great way to lift corals off the bottom of the quarantine tank and get them closer to the light.
[*]
10g tanks and 20g long aquariums are perhaps the most common forms of coral quarantine tanks that are used. 33longs are also pretty awesome quarantine tanks if you can get a hold of one.
[/list type=decimal]
[/list type=decimal]
Here are a few little facts about quarantine tanks not mentioned elsewhere:
[*]
Never ever, ever, ever, never hook up a display tank and a quarantine tank on the same sump.
Never ever use the old water from a water change to rinse any of your equipment off in, including live rock rubble, bioballs or other pieces of equipment.
Never re-use your old quarantine water for a water change on your display tank.
Buy and USE a refractometer not only on your display tanks, but also your quarantine tanks.
Feed good, enriched foods when quarantining your fish.
Siphon food, detritus and poop off of the bottom of the quarantine tank daily or weekly between water changes.
Do not use carbon in quarantine tanks that are being medicated unless you want the carbon to soak some of the medication out of the water column.
Never overdose a medication. Always follow medications directions to the letter.
Even though it is a quarantine tank, you should still only use RO or distilled water for top offs and mixing saltwater with.
Get to know your fishes and corals habits in this time period before you put them in the display tank. If your corals or fish start acting or looking different than they did in quarantine, there might be a problem.
Research and study the known fish and coral diseases and be able to recognize when there is a problem.
[*]
The use of macroalgaes and algae scrubbers may reduce the amount of medication in the water. So, avoid using refugiums on quarantine tanks.
[*]
Never dose copper in a quarantine tank unless you have a copper test kit.
Make sure your fish and (some) corals eat while in quarantine. A fish that is not eating is still sick and still needs to be treated.
Sumps with return pumps, heaters, skimmers and mechanical filtration for quarantine tanks are perhaps some of the better quarantine systems, but are not completely necessary.
These are just some suggestions and ideas for quarantine systems. Please take the time to research diseases and other quarantine procedures before embarking on this hobby.
For most saltwater aquarists, a quarantine system is simply not in the budget. But, there are many wonderful reasons why you should have one. This article does not discuss diseases or their treatments. That is saved for another article by someone who is more qualified than I.
[list type=decimal]
[*]
They provide a buffer zone between the retailer and your display tank. This means that whatever disease a fish or coral has can be treated and cured before it spreads to your display tank.
[*]
You can take out and treat the fish in your display tank with medicines that would otherwise destroy your display tank. I.E. Chelated Copper medication for Cryptocarryon Irritans.
[*]
In the case of corals, one coral that has flatworms or red bugs can be treated in a quarantine tank rather than being introduced into your main display tank – saving you worry, treatments and money.
[*]
Quarantines are absolutely essential for larger display tanks. Even smaller display tanks with many different forms of life need to be able to treat diseases that may occur.
There are two different types of quarantine tanks. The first type is fish only quarantine and the second is coral only aquariums. The reason for two different types of quarantine tanks is because medications for fish may be very irritating or fatal to most corals. I.E. Chelated Copper.
To set up a fish only quarantine:
[*]
Decide how big the quarantine needs to be by picking out your largest fish and think about the smallest tank that the fish could fit comfortably for a full 8 week period if needed. For small tanks, this may be a 10g or 20g aquarium. For larger tanks it might be a 40g breeder or 55g tank. It just depends on your fish.
Equipment needed: Tank, stand, heater, HOB filter without carbon, light, light timer, powerhead(s), Painted bottom and back (black is preferable), PVC pipes/fittings for hiding spaces or you can use coffee mugs just as easily. Sand and live rock is not needed with an oversized filter and some water flow.
You will also need your medications available, water available for water changes, and your basic maintenance equipment. Water changes are necessary on these types of systems when medications need to be diluted or removed and also to keep nitrates and phosphates in check.
Put the light on a timer for the same times as your display tank light is on. This is great for not confusing a fish when it’s daytime or night time when you put them in the display tank.
Only keep one or two fish in a quarantine tank at a time that have the same symptoms. Remember that using hyposalinity and chelated copper medications at the same time can have fatal effects on fish.
Keep the fish in quarantine a full 8 weeks before introducing them into the display tank. If at any time during those 8 weeks, the fish shows symptoms of a disease again, then his stay has been lengthened.
[/list type=decimal]
There are a few things that you can do for corals in a quarantine tank as well. If you didn’t notice any diseases on the coral when you bought it, that doesn’t mean that it is free of all pests. A few things to look out for on corals are flat worms, red bugs, aggressive crabs, and some bristle worms. To make sure that your corals are free of pests, it’s best to put them in a quarantine for 4 to 8 weeks while observing them every day.
>
[list type=decimal]
[*]
Make sure they are disease free at the store, or make sure you purchase them from a reputable online retailer.
[*]
A coral quarantine tank is very similar to a fish only quarantine tank. However, a few things differ.
[list type=decimal]
[*]
The Coral QT tank must have water parameters that are close to your display tank. Try to run the same salinity, pH and temperature as your display tank. Another thing that is suggested is the use of a protein skimmer to keep your water clean while the coral is in quarantine.
[*]
Not only must the tank have the same water parameters, but the tank must have decent lighting for the corals to photosynthesize. If you have high intensity lights on your display aquarium, try to match that in your quarantine tank and light acclimate your new additions to the intensity.
[*]
Flow rates may be a little different in a coral QT tank because some corals need a moderate amount of flow to keep detritus and poop washed away from the corals. So, the addition of a medium sized powerhead might be a must.
[*]
Medications also differ in corals than they do in fish only systems. So far, simple iodine dips or Coral Rx medications are the easiest to use. When dealing with SPS corals, another treatment is almost a must and that is a medication called Interceptor. Interceptor, as you might recall, is a heart worm medication for canines. Interceptor kills redbugs and other flatworms and crabs that is causing damage to coral tissues. Another way to cure diseases is to simply frag the good tissue off of a dying coral and use an iodine dip before placing it in a quarantine tank. Then, all it will need is time.
[*]
Using egg crate is a great way to lift corals off the bottom of the quarantine tank and get them closer to the light.
[*]
10g tanks and 20g long aquariums are perhaps the most common forms of coral quarantine tanks that are used. 33longs are also pretty awesome quarantine tanks if you can get a hold of one.
[/list type=decimal]
[/list type=decimal]
Here are a few little facts about quarantine tanks not mentioned elsewhere:
[*]
Never ever, ever, ever, never hook up a display tank and a quarantine tank on the same sump.
Never ever use the old water from a water change to rinse any of your equipment off in, including live rock rubble, bioballs or other pieces of equipment.
Never re-use your old quarantine water for a water change on your display tank.
Buy and USE a refractometer not only on your display tanks, but also your quarantine tanks.
Feed good, enriched foods when quarantining your fish.
Siphon food, detritus and poop off of the bottom of the quarantine tank daily or weekly between water changes.
Do not use carbon in quarantine tanks that are being medicated unless you want the carbon to soak some of the medication out of the water column.
Never overdose a medication. Always follow medications directions to the letter.
Even though it is a quarantine tank, you should still only use RO or distilled water for top offs and mixing saltwater with.
Get to know your fishes and corals habits in this time period before you put them in the display tank. If your corals or fish start acting or looking different than they did in quarantine, there might be a problem.
Research and study the known fish and coral diseases and be able to recognize when there is a problem.
[*]
The use of macroalgaes and algae scrubbers may reduce the amount of medication in the water. So, avoid using refugiums on quarantine tanks.
[*]
Never dose copper in a quarantine tank unless you have a copper test kit.
Make sure your fish and (some) corals eat while in quarantine. A fish that is not eating is still sick and still needs to be treated.
Sumps with return pumps, heaters, skimmers and mechanical filtration for quarantine tanks are perhaps some of the better quarantine systems, but are not completely necessary.
These are just some suggestions and ideas for quarantine systems. Please take the time to research diseases and other quarantine procedures before embarking on this hobby.
