Quarantine, fish, inverts and live rock together 72 days

[DiverDave32]

Hi,

I purchased some live rock, snails, a fireshrimp, some hermit crabs and a Pajama Cardinalfish from someone who was breaking down their tank.

I have everything in my quarantine tank but was wondering if there is an issue quarantining inverts and a fish together. I will wait the 72 days and then introduce everything to the tank. Normally I do TTM and then wait 2 weeks prior to introduction into the tank.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[SAT]

As long as you don't discover any disease, that's fine. However, you won't be able to treat fish diseases in a tank with inverts. I suggest you keep the fish in separate quarantine.

 

[anthonys51]

Not to
Sound mean here but what is the point here. Keeping all your rock and Fish inverts together isn't really qt them. It's really just keeping them in a smaller than then moving them What's your plan here


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[LeJeune981]

Not to
Sound mean here but what is the point here. Keeping all your rock and Fish inverts together isn't really qt them. It's really just keeping them in a smaller than then moving them What's your plan here


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+1

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[DiverDave32]

Why wouldn't it be quarantining them? They are being kept separate from the DT for 72 days and if no disease is detected or bad hitchhikers found within that period, wouldn't they be safe to add? Of course if a disease is detected and treatment is required, they would have to be separated?

Whether the fish is alone or with the inverts, 72 d of observation should allow any disease that was going to appear present itself regardless?

What is wrong with this logic?

Thanks,

 

[JustinM]

Sometimes fish will appear to be healthy because they build an immunity when in reality they are carriers.

Since they all came from the same tank, it doesn't matter they are being kept together. Usually 4 weeks is more than enough time to see a disease present itself, but then again, immunity can make it hard for us to see the symptoms.

I prophylactically treat for this reason but that is me. Observation is great too because the fast killers would definitely show up in 4 weeks or less. The only time it may take longer is when they were kept in sub-therapeutic copper. That can mask symptoms.

 

[Smokey Stover]

Ich can survive/exist without showing any outward signs(i.e. In gills). It only needs one fish to complete its life cycle. Which would then be introducing it to your DT.On/in the fish or encysted on the rock.

 

[DiverDave32]

Thanks for the responses.

Wouldn't keeping the fish for 72d without anything in the tank also risk introducing ich to the DT if the fish is a carrier with no outward signs? I guess only the amount of ich introduced to the tank would be less as you would not be transferring any of the cysts on the substate.

 

[JustinM]

Ich will still complete its lifecycle so it would only multiply. The only way you will be adding ich to the DT is by adding a fish that is a carrier or infected.

 

[Smokey Stover]

Thanks for the responses.

Wouldn't keeping the fish for 72d without anything in the tank also risk introducing ich to the DT if the fish is a carrier with no outward signs? I guess only the amount of ich introduced to the tank would be less as you would not be transferring any of the cysts on the substate.

Keeping the fish QT'd alone isn't enough. "If" it has Ich, It needs to be treated with one of the usual methods, Copper, CP, TTM, Hypo Salinity. Whichever your most comfortable with. Also some fish don't tolerate copper, Or CP very well.
I may be overly cautious but I dont want a full blown Ich breakout in my DT. Along with all the other parasites/diseases out there. So unless I'm 99.99% sure the new fish does not have anything I treat it as if it does to be safe.

 

[hkgar]

If there is Ick you could keep the rock, fish and inverts seperated from the DT for 1000 days and when yu put them in the tank you will be introducing it.

The 72 days is for a DT to be fishless to rid it of the Ick .

 

[monkeysee1]

I have everything in my quarantine tank but was wondering if there is an issue quarantining inverts and a fish together. I will wait the 72 days and then introduce everything to the tank. Normally I do TTM and then wait 2 weeks prior to introduction into the tank.

This is perfectly fine AS LONG as :
1. you keep up the regular water changes, feedings (that goes for the corals, too) and,
2. you DON'T add ANY more specimens to the QT tank whatsoever in those 72 days. If you do, you'll will have reset the clock and have to start the 72 day period all over again.

Ich infects only vertebrate fish. Invertebrates and corals can POTENTIALLY carry it, but are NOT affected by it.
And if your new rock, corals and inverts are carrying it, your gonna know it within seventy two days, because by then new your fish will have caught it. If that is the case, you'll be in a dilemma: you will have to set up ANOTHER QT tank and move your fish into THERE if you want to save them.