Quarantine Corals

aufan1 · 02/26/2007, 10:09 AM

I was going to get my first coral this weekend but had a few more questions. How long do you quarantine corals and what am I looking for?

Shagsbeard · 02/26/2007, 10:19 AM

You really aren't "looking for" anything. You're giving hitchhikers a chance to show themselves and giving parasites like Ich time without a host to die off.

michaeldaly · 02/26/2007, 11:25 AM

I don't quarantine my corals. As I don't have a second tank fitted with appropriate lighting and I think it would be uneconomical to set up such a "set up".

papagimp · 02/26/2007, 12:54 PM

Michaeldaly, I don't QT either, but uneconomical would be not QTing the corals, they have some form of physical damage from shipping/relocating and wind up with tissue recession or brown jelly infection and spread that to the rest of the tank, killing off many colonies in the process and having to buy new corals. The cost of a QT tank is a small price to save this from happening.

aufan, you are looking for anything "abnormal" weather it be hitchikers you don't want, or infection on the coral themselves. More than just parasites come in, could have fungal infections, bacterial infections, parasitic. Ect. ect. ect. The list goes on and on. I would recommend QTing for the standard 4-6 weeks as you would any fish. This would allow sufficient time to notice anything wrong with the specimen.

If you don't have a QT setup with appropriate enough lighting, as a minimum, consider giving some corals the appropriate dip treatments as a precautionary measure.

aufan1 · 02/26/2007, 01:18 PM

What type of dip treatments???

Paintbug · 02/26/2007, 01:20 PM

i dont have a QT set up for corals either but after watching a video with Eric Borneman, and listening him explain the importance of QT corals, i have on in the plans. i would say 4-6 weeks would be a good amount of time to hold a new coral in a QT. it doesnt take but one, or sometimes two bad hitchhikers to become a problem quick in the main display.

02/26/2007, 10:09 AM	#1
aufan1 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 137	Quarantine Corals I was going to get my first coral this weekend but had a few more questions. How long do you quarantine corals and what am I looking for?

02/26/2007, 12:54 PM	#4
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	Michaeldaly, I don't QT either, but uneconomical would be not QTing the corals, they have some form of physical damage from shipping/relocating and wind up with tissue recession or brown jelly infection and spread that to the rest of the tank, killing off many colonies in the process and having to buy new corals. The cost of a QT tank is a small price to save this from happening. aufan, you are looking for anything "abnormal" weather it be hitchikers you don't want, or infection on the coral themselves. More than just parasites come in, could have fungal infections, bacterial infections, parasitic. Ect. ect. ect. The list goes on and on. I would recommend QTing for the standard 4-6 weeks as you would any fish. This would allow sufficient time to notice anything wrong with the specimen. If you don't have a QT setup with appropriate enough lighting, as a minimum, consider giving some corals the appropriate dip treatments as a precautionary measure. __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

02/26/2007, 01:20 PM	#6
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	i dont have a QT set up for corals either but after watching a video with Eric Borneman, and listening him explain the importance of QT corals, i have on in the plans. i would say 4-6 weeks would be a good amount of time to hold a new coral in a QT. it doesnt take but one, or sometimes two bad hitchhikers to become a problem quick in the main display. __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

02/26/2007, 10:19 AM	#2
Shagsbeard Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Morro Bay, CA Posts: 2,143	You really aren't "looking for" anything. You're giving hitchhikers a chance to show themselves and giving parasites like Ich time without a host to die off.

02/26/2007, 11:25 AM	#3
michaeldaly Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Earth Posts: 2,009	I don't quarantine my corals. As I don't have a second tank fitted with appropriate lighting and I think it would be uneconomical to set up such a "set up".

02/26/2007, 01:18 PM	#5
aufan1 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 137	What type of dip treatments???