Quarantine 101

[TippyToeX]

You would look for any unwanted life.

Aiptasia, Majonos, flatworms, hydroids, unwanted macro or micro algae (caulerpa being an example), unknown and untrustworthy hitchhikers crabs, snails, worms, isopods, mantis shrimp, etc. More then that too. It's worth the time an effort. So that if you see something in there you can take care of it right away.

Corals there are all kinds of hitchhikers and possible problem. Nudies, red bugs (sps), flatworms again. Another good reason to QT corals is that you can treat them quickly for any infectious problems (RTN, STN, brown jelly, etc) and not spread anything to other corals putting their life in jeopardy.

[Puffer Queen]

When I quarantine live rock, I place a piece of lighting crate on top of a couple pvc couplings. I then place the rock on the lighting crate. You'd be amazed how much unwanted stuff will fall under the crate where you can easily syphon them away. On live rock I quarantine for 6-8 weeks. Fish a mandatory 8+ weeks....but then again, I've been told that I am obsessive compulsive

Kelly

[TippyToeX]

Charlie's fin as of tonight. The top looks wonderful! It was shredded when he first got here. They healed up quick. Now I just need to wait for the bottom to heal.

I'm sure everyone is getting tired of the same ol yellow bowl pictures.



You can also see he has been eating well. Normal feces so I don't think he has a belly full of worms.



And I had to add one of Lucy

[NicoleC]

Again, I am struck by what a gorgeous fish she is, although I sense Charlie is your favorite.

Are you planning to raise babies from this pair?

[TippyToeX]

Yea, I think he is. A little scrapper. Dealing with a miffed female. You have to cheer him on.

I dearly hope they spawn one day. I'd love to raise the fry.

[NicoleC]

At the rate they are chowing down, you may have babies sooner than you think. Then you can come visit us in the Fish Breeding forum and geek out on air pumps, the arcane art of understand mesh sizes and taking pictures through a microscope.

[melev]

Nicole, wanna talk to me about sea horse fry? I have some that I just got a few hours ago, and posted about it in the Seahorse forum. Sounds like you might have some insight.

Amy, post pictures of that bowl all day long. Your pictures are excellent, and the fish are gorgeous.

[NicoleC]

I don't think I know anything about seahorse fry -- I'm flying by the seat of my pants with my YWG's! (And shocked they are still alive!)

You might also try the forums at seahorse.org, and they have some breeding articles on the site as well. I think methods depend a lot of the species, form what I have read.

[melev]

YWG? Sorry, don't know that one. Yellow Watchman Goby?

And I'm reading those articles now.

[NicoleC]

Yes, yellow watchman gobies.

My parents:
<-------------------

My adorable little swimming headaches:

[melev]

So you just turn the water yellow so they fish will grow up to be that color?

[NicoleC]

Apparently there ARE issues with getting them bright yellow, but that's a problem for a few months hence. I'll keep your suggestion in mind, though

[TippyToeX]

Wow! That's incredible Nicole. Look at those cute little babies. Best of luck with them. They are in great hands.

Marc, I think Kelly is the person to ask about seahorse fry.

[scuglass]

i am going to be picking up 120 pounds of lr from a local refer in a few days will it be posssible to qt in the display tank. with the egg crate. and just wait until the tank is cycled??

[NicoleC]

New tank with nothing in it? If so, yes. Allowing the rock to mature for at least 2 months post cycle will also be a great start for your reef.

[scuglass]

so u are saying after the cycle has pased just contine doing regualr water changes but dont add ne thing for 2 months?
what about a clean up crew? would this be a good time to begin the quarantine process for a couple of clowns? so i can add them at around the 2 month post cycle period?

thanks for all the help and sorry bout all the questions

[NicoleC]

so u are saying after the cycle has pased just contine doing regualr water changes but dont add ne thing for 2 months?

Yes.

what about a clean up crew?

You can add inverts and other cleanup crew items post cycle, but your QT period will not start until the LAST item is added.

would this be a good time to begin the quarantine process for a couple of clowns? so i can add them at around the 2 month post cycle period?

After that QT period, your display should be clean of pathogens, and good QT procedures will go a long way to keeping it that way. Your fish should be QT'd outside of the display tank in a separate tank.

You can start the clowns in the separate QT as soon as you want, just don't add them to the display until the display has been fully QT'd. If you go that route, then yes, you can add them to the display at the 2 month mark, provided the clowns have been compeltely through their own 4-6 week QT.

[TippyToeX]

Charlie snuggling up to Lucy (pardon the saltcreep)



A new Macrodactyla doreensis I just got this morning. I hope in the next month it will settle in and eat well. Perhaps the new home to clowns if they take to it.

[NicoleC]

Nice looking LTA.

Is Lucy being nicer to Charlie, yet?

[TippyToeX]

Yes it seems so. I think a lot of that has to do with me. I've been staying away from the tank a lot in the past 3 or more days. I just go in there to feed them and I do a quick job of that.

They do come up top greet me (well, more their meal then me) when I walk into the room. If I stay more then 5 minutes, I can see that it makes Lucy uneasy. She will chase Charlie away, even nip at him.

I'm not quite sure what to do to get her use to my observing them.

[NicoleC]

I assume you're doing all the normal stuff, like wearing subdued clothing, and sticking to a closely timed routine?

You might try wearing the same shirt when you approach the tank (to help with recognition). Maybe try taming them to hand feed as time permits in your 5 minute sessions?

I think you are right to leave as soon as she gets agitated. I don't know if it works for fish, but with dogs and cats to desensitize them, the goal is to stop *just before* they get upset.

If that doesn't help, perhaps when they move out in the display tank, they will get a chance to get used to human activity around them from a safer distance.

[melev]

What a beautiful LTA. I love that color!!!!

[Nagel]

Looks like ya god a good LTA this time!

Congrats and good luck with it!

[TippyToeX]

Originally posted by NicoleC
I assume you're doing all the normal stuff, like wearing subdued clothing, and sticking to a closely timed routine?

Very much so. I'm rather OCD myself and have every tank on a schedule. They eat at the same time each day, and the tank is siphoned clean at the same time.

Maybe try taming them to hand feed as time permits in your 5 minute sessions?

Good idea. I'll start trying that out. I remember reading that hand feeding can (in some cases) can lower their aggression too.

Erik & Marc - Thanks! I'm super pleased. I just hope it buries it's foot some time tonight. Once it has done that I can see if it will accept a meal. Keep your fingers crossed for it.

[TippyToeX]

Well this is officially week number two. QT is at 1.009, temp 82*, pH is holding strong at 8.2. Water changes are pretty much daily, depending on how much waste is there and if there was any uneaten food.

Both clowns are eating twice a day, all kinds of meaty frozen foods for the most part. Krill, mysis, BBS, cyclopeeze, some chopped up raw seafood I got at the market (squid, scallops, shrimp). They also get formula one and two. In the mornings I soak the food in either Selcon or garlic. For the night time meal I took Kelly's (pufferqueen) advice and use beta glucan.

Now I want them to get use to light. They have been very hardy to this point, so I thought I would see how they would react. It looks bright in the pictures, but it's not so bad.