How long do you QT coral?

an411 · 09/13/2007, 09:07 AM

How long do you have to QT a coral. The reason that I ask is cause I only have a 10 gallon tank QT tank with some crappy lights that came with the tank. I am not sure how a coral will do with those lights.

IS there anything that you can do to skip the QT process for corals or is it a must just like fish?

beaupierce · 09/13/2007, 09:12 AM

Do a good Iodine dip for 15-20 min and they should be good to go! Some people like qt, the big thing is to make sure the salinity is the same. Drip acclim. is good too.
Personally I just iodine dip, and then place in. Hope that helps

an411 · 09/13/2007, 09:20 AM

what is the reason that you QT a coral? For ich or other reasons?

michaeldaly · 09/13/2007, 09:28 AM

I have never quaranteened a coral. IMO it is an unnecessary precaution.

an411 · 09/13/2007, 09:39 AM

michaeldaly do you just acclimate your corals and in they go.

Canarygirl · 09/13/2007, 09:53 AM

Speaking as someone who has never QT'd a coral, only done iodine drips and regular acclimization....

I now have red bugs in my display. Iodine dips do not kil red bugs. A double dip with iodine and then interceptor (or the reverse order) would have killed the red bugs too.

One thing that would not be killed even with a double dip is the eggs of acro-eating flatworms (also the eggs of nudibranchs). QT is the way to prevent those infestations...dip, then QT for any eggs to hatch out.

I've read that people who QT corals do it for 4-6 weeks. You're right though, that a 10 gallon tank would be difficult to use because of the small water volume causing ph fluctuations etc. I am in the same boat. Not to mention that you would need better lights as well.

an411 · 09/13/2007, 09:59 AM

Yeah I am torn on this myself maybe I should suck it up and just get a another tank setup for QT then use it as a small tank for something LOL I am going to have 30 tanks in a couple years I can already tell that is what is going to happen

michaeldaly · 09/13/2007, 10:52 AM

No I just acclimatize my corals and in they go. Consider that even with quaranteening a coral smethings might only appaer many months after you purchased the coral.

Lotus99 · 09/13/2007, 08:15 PM

I quarantined my corals when I went to a frag swap, and got 9 corals from 8 or 9 vendors. I only quarantined for a week, because I wanted to observe, mostly. I did find a couple of aptaisia and there was some bubble algae on one piece. I was glad I did, just because of the aptasia.

Generally, I don't quarantine them when I get from the LFS, although I probably should

skriz · 09/13/2007, 09:23 PM

I don't qt corals. I acclimate the temp, do a good 20-20 miin iodine dip and in they go. I want to get them into good water asap. some coral you can do a short freshwater dip, but you have to check on which ones and be very careful. I have only fw dipped some softies that I knew i could.

ArgonDreams · 09/14/2007, 08:54 AM

From personal experience, I will say not QTing your coral can lead to horrific results. Will all do respect to previous posters I think it's risky in what they are doing. The reason I believe that is that I did exactly the same things. However Iodine dips don't cover all pests.

It takes just one breakout of red bugs, zoa or monti eating nudibraches to lose half of your corals with repeated outbreaks to change your mind. Read the article below to see some of the things you want to QT for. It's worth it.

An ounce of Prevention... By Steven Pro

My story is short, I bought a zoanthid from my LFS they do a good job and I trust them for the most part. I brought it home and dipped it in iodine and drip acclimated it. I light acclimated it for 5 days and it opened up nicely. It bothered me that it was receding for about two weeks after that. I kept observing and couldn't figure it out. Then my other Zoanthids all shut up, 4 different colonies all over the tank. I redipped all of them. It kept going and I noticed a really nice colony starting to recede as well. It was nudibranches, my hawk eyed daughter saw one entering a polyp. Out of 5 of the colonies I eventually lost 3. I have also lost 3 Montiporas as well due to nudibranches. All told it cost me roughly $250 in corals because I was playing loose with QT. Not they get a 3-4 home in QT for observation. I have changes to Revive coral dip as well as the Iodine just wasn't effective.

I hope that helps. Not everyone agrees on corals, but until you take a loss like me, few see the value.

an411 · 09/14/2007, 09:25 AM

Yeah I think that I want to QT my corals maybe I will have to get different lights for my QT tank i don't like to take chances cause my experience has been good so far I don't want to have a change of luck

ArgonDreams · 09/14/2007, 12:29 PM

I use a very simple power compact I got for Drs. Foster and Smith. It's a 20" satellite, I bought those for the corals mainly. However I do know some people that use Normal Output lighting for the short period of time that they are in the QT. Just make sure you light acclimate them once you get it to your display tanks.

BCreefmaker · 09/14/2007, 12:33 PM

QT'ing my corals could have saved me from trying to remove the gorilla crab that hitchhiked on a cave in a rock that one of my corals were attached too.

09/13/2007, 09:07 AM	#1
an411 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Derby CT Posts: 2,861	How long do you QT coral? How long do you have to QT a coral. The reason that I ask is cause I only have a 10 gallon tank QT tank with some crappy lights that came with the tank. I am not sure how a coral will do with those lights. IS there anything that you can do to skip the QT process for corals or is it a must just like fish?

09/13/2007, 08:15 PM	#9
Lotus99 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,398	I quarantined my corals when I went to a frag swap, and got 9 corals from 8 or 9 vendors. I only quarantined for a week, because I wanted to observe, mostly. I did find a couple of aptaisia and there was some bubble algae on one piece. I was glad I did, just because of the aptasia. Generally, I don't quarantine them when I get from the LFS, although I probably should __________________ "So long, and thanks for all the fish" Current Tank Info: 125g reef, gobies, cardinals, softies and LPS; 36g Neo Nano tank; 10+ FW tanks

09/14/2007, 12:33 PM	#14
BCreefmaker Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: B.C. Canada Posts: 1,129	QT'ing my corals could have saved me from trying to remove the gorilla crab that hitchhiked on a cave in a rock that one of my corals were attached too. __________________ To make apple pie from scratch, You must first create the universe.

09/13/2007, 09:12 AM	#2
beaupierce Moved On Join Date: May 2004 Location: Nipomo, CA Posts: 419	Do a good Iodine dip for 15-20 min and they should be good to go! Some people like qt, the big thing is to make sure the salinity is the same. Drip acclim. is good too. Personally I just iodine dip, and then place in. Hope that helps

09/13/2007, 09:20 AM	#3
an411 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Derby CT Posts: 2,861	what is the reason that you QT a coral? For ich or other reasons?

09/13/2007, 09:28 AM	#4
michaeldaly Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Earth Posts: 2,009	I have never quaranteened a coral. IMO it is an unnecessary precaution.

09/13/2007, 09:39 AM	#5
an411 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Derby CT Posts: 2,861	michaeldaly do you just acclimate your corals and in they go.

09/13/2007, 09:53 AM	#6
Canarygirl Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 1,789	Speaking as someone who has never QT'd a coral, only done iodine drips and regular acclimization.... I now have red bugs in my display. Iodine dips do not kil red bugs. A double dip with iodine and then interceptor (or the reverse order) would have killed the red bugs too. One thing that would not be killed even with a double dip is the eggs of acro-eating flatworms (also the eggs of nudibranchs). QT is the way to prevent those infestations...dip, then QT for any eggs to hatch out. I've read that people who QT corals do it for 4-6 weeks. You're right though, that a 10 gallon tank would be difficult to use because of the small water volume causing ph fluctuations etc. I am in the same boat. Not to mention that you would need better lights as well.

09/13/2007, 09:59 AM	#7
an411 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Derby CT Posts: 2,861	Yeah I am torn on this myself maybe I should suck it up and just get a another tank setup for QT then use it as a small tank for something LOL I am going to have 30 tanks in a couple years I can already tell that is what is going to happen

09/13/2007, 10:52 AM	#8
michaeldaly Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Earth Posts: 2,009	No I just acclimatize my corals and in they go. Consider that even with quaranteening a coral smethings might only appaer many months after you purchased the coral.

09/13/2007, 09:23 PM	#10
skriz Moved On Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 502	I don't qt corals. I acclimate the temp, do a good 20-20 miin iodine dip and in they go. I want to get them into good water asap. some coral you can do a short freshwater dip, but you have to check on which ones and be very careful. I have only fw dipped some softies that I knew i could.

09/14/2007, 08:54 AM	#11
ArgonDreams Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 384	From personal experience, I will say not QTing your coral can lead to horrific results. Will all do respect to previous posters I think it's risky in what they are doing. The reason I believe that is that I did exactly the same things. However Iodine dips don't cover all pests. It takes just one breakout of red bugs, zoa or monti eating nudibraches to lose half of your corals with repeated outbreaks to change your mind. Read the article below to see some of the things you want to QT for. It's worth it. An ounce of Prevention... By Steven Pro My story is short, I bought a zoanthid from my LFS they do a good job and I trust them for the most part. I brought it home and dipped it in iodine and drip acclimated it. I light acclimated it for 5 days and it opened up nicely. It bothered me that it was receding for about two weeks after that. I kept observing and couldn't figure it out. Then my other Zoanthids all shut up, 4 different colonies all over the tank. I redipped all of them. It kept going and I noticed a really nice colony starting to recede as well. It was nudibranches, my hawk eyed daughter saw one entering a polyp. Out of 5 of the colonies I eventually lost 3. I have also lost 3 Montiporas as well due to nudibranches. All told it cost me roughly $250 in corals because I was playing loose with QT. Not they get a 3-4 home in QT for observation. I have changes to Revive coral dip as well as the Iodine just wasn't effective. I hope that helps. Not everyone agrees on corals, but until you take a loss like me, few see the value.

09/14/2007, 09:25 AM	#12
an411 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Derby CT Posts: 2,861	Yeah I think that I want to QT my corals maybe I will have to get different lights for my QT tank i don't like to take chances cause my experience has been good so far I don't want to have a change of luck

09/14/2007, 12:29 PM	#13
ArgonDreams Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 384	I use a very simple power compact I got for Drs. Foster and Smith. It's a 20" satellite, I bought those for the corals mainly. However I do know some people that use Normal Output lighting for the short period of time that they are in the QT. Just make sure you light acclimate them once you get it to your display tanks.