Cleaning coral and live rock with critters?

bwhite33 · 01/12/2016, 11:55 AM

While still muddling around my plans for my DT, sump and refugium setup, I read articles on hospital & quarantine tanks. Then of course you need to quarantine coral.
I saw that you can use, pipefish, filefish and other things to get rid of some of the nasties.
Would it be possible to use a variety of fish to clean the coral, in a QT type setup? If so what types of fish?

Thanks

kyle.nagel13 · 01/12/2016, 12:35 PM

You don't technically need to quarantine coral. Most people just dip them and put them in. I'm sure you'll get differing opinions, but I did say most people.

I suppose you could quarantine corals with say a peppermint shrimp that would eat aiptasia. But without dipping, youcould still transfer coral eating nudibranchs.

bwhite33 · 01/12/2016, 12:42 PM

Thanks Kyle,

I was kind of seeing this as an opportunity to have another tank and some creatures that I would have a hard time justifying to myself :-)

kyle.nagel13 · 01/12/2016, 12:44 PM

Always a good thing.

scooter31707 · 01/12/2016, 01:04 PM

It's recommended to quarantine your inverts and corals for 72 days. During this timeframe, I do period of 4 dips in Revive and Bayer.

bwhite33 · 01/12/2016, 02:30 PM

what do revive and Bayer do differently?

Sk8r · 01/12/2016, 02:33 PM

If you did set up a coral cleaning tank, it would be necessary to go on providing for these creatures long after you have stocked your dt with all the coral possible. The stuff does grow like mad. Fascinating as I would find pipefish.

bwhite33 · 01/12/2016, 02:39 PM

Yeah, I know, I'm just trying to decide if that's a good or bad thing :-)

Let see I can then sell fish cleaned live rock ....hmmm

acer · 01/12/2016, 05:35 PM

Also Pipefish do prefer a cooler tank and live food. SO, seems like a lot of work just to use in quarantine tank setup - when you can just dip and isolate in a tank with no fish that has good flow. Make sure you transition the corals to the warmer tank carefully due to the temp differences.

bwhite33 · 01/12/2016, 06:25 PM

Acer thanks, didn't think about temp

01/12/2016, 11:55 AM	#1
bwhite33 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 69	Cleaning coral and live rock with critters? While still muddling around my plans for my DT, sump and refugium setup, I read articles on hospital & quarantine tanks. Then of course you need to quarantine coral. I saw that you can use, pipefish, filefish and other things to get rid of some of the nasties. Would it be possible to use a variety of fish to clean the coral, in a QT type setup? If so what types of fish? Thanks

01/12/2016, 02:33 PM	#7
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	If you did set up a coral cleaning tank, it would be necessary to go on providing for these creatures long after you have stocked your dt with all the coral possible. The stuff does grow like mad. Fascinating as I would find pipefish. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

01/12/2016, 12:35 PM	#2
kyle.nagel13 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 67	You don't technically need to quarantine coral. Most people just dip them and put them in. I'm sure you'll get differing opinions, but I did say most people. I suppose you could quarantine corals with say a peppermint shrimp that would eat aiptasia. But without dipping, youcould still transfer coral eating nudibranchs.

01/12/2016, 12:42 PM	#3
bwhite33 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 69	Thanks Kyle, I was kind of seeing this as an opportunity to have another tank and some creatures that I would have a hard time justifying to myself :-)

01/12/2016, 12:44 PM	#4
kyle.nagel13 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 67	Always a good thing.

01/12/2016, 01:04 PM	#5
scooter31707 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 4,971	It's recommended to quarantine your inverts and corals for 72 days. During this timeframe, I do period of 4 dips in Revive and Bayer.

01/12/2016, 02:30 PM	#6
bwhite33 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 69	what do revive and Bayer do differently?

01/12/2016, 02:39 PM	#8
bwhite33 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 69	Yeah, I know, I'm just trying to decide if that's a good or bad thing :-) Let see I can then sell fish cleaned live rock ....hmmm

01/12/2016, 05:35 PM	#9
acer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: pittsburgh,pa Posts: 2,612	Also Pipefish do prefer a cooler tank and live food. SO, seems like a lot of work just to use in quarantine tank setup - when you can just dip and isolate in a tank with no fish that has good flow. Make sure you transition the corals to the warmer tank carefully due to the temp differences.

01/12/2016, 06:25 PM	#10
bwhite33 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 69	Acer thanks, didn't think about temp