Beginners Guide to Acclimation and Quarantine

[Brew12]

I did have a cleaner shrimp and crabs and snails so I was feeding the tank.
I'll pick up some bottled bacteria.

Is it ok to use prime with prazi or no? I know copper can't be used with it correct? so how do I ensure there's no prime left before starting copper?

Prime is fine with Prazi. Just don't use Prime within 4 days of starting copper and you should be fine.

Odds are you live rock processed the small ammonia load before it could meaningfully seed the sponge.

 

[Ferrell]

This is a great write up! This is something that each and every person that purchases a saltwater fish must do!

Unfortunately I am one of many that thought " I dont need to quarantine my fish". I got into the Saltwater hobby back in 1991 and never quarantined any of my fish and never had any issues. I now realize its not "If you will have problems' but rather "When will you have problems" and that all changed for me a few weeks ago when I had an outbreak of velvet in my 125 gallon reef tank. Before I knew what was happening I lost all but 2 of my fish. I have since tore the tank down, did an acid bath on all of the live rock and disinfected the tank and every thing that came into contact with the water.

I know realize that I too have to quarantine any new fish or coral regardless. I always thought that the quarantine process takes too long or the fish I bought looked great so there was no need to quarantine. After I add up the cost of the fish that I lost, the time to tear the tank down and clean everything the quarantine process would have been a lot easier to do and I would have avoided having to start my tank up all over again. I hope that my experience might help to save someone from going through the nightmare I had to endure!

QUARANTINE, QUARANTINE, QUARANTINE!

I’m with you. Going through same ordeal. Never had any problems in 90s but now ...

 

[Ferrell]

Great write up brew. Going through the fallow tank blues right now because of velvet outbreak. Never again

 

[Brew12]

Great write up brew. Going through the fallow tank blues right now because of velvet outbreak. Never again

Thank you, and sorry you are going through this.

I know the pain of QT, especially when you are new to the hobby. It's touch setting up a very expensive system only to be told you have to spend even more money and wait longer to start populating it. That is what motivated me to write this. It is a very minimalist approach that is still completely effective against Velvet and Ich. I personally do more, but this should take care of most of the common issues.

 

[Genomecop]

Is it really true that you want the QT tank a distance away from the display because of cross contamination of disease? How is that even possible?

 

[Brew12]

Is it really true that you want the QT tank a distance away from the display because of cross contamination of disease? How is that even possible?

It is true. Scientists were able to get parasites to transfer from 1 system to another over a distance of 10 feet. The parasites are very small and can get carried along with the water droplets that form under high aeration. So is it likely? Not really. Is it possible? Yes.

 

[Genomecop]

Ok . So it would have to be transferred by water not air....or magic.

 

[Brew12]

Ok . So it would have to be transferred by water not air....or magic.

Yup. The water vapor droplets are large enough to carry them. So not air or magic. I guess it is possible that Mr Scotty beamed them over.

 

[Smprc]

Brew, love your stuff, great right up and I started QTing since day one and am still learning and dialing up the process. I hate to admit it, but prior to my current group of 4 fish that are in my QT, I was losing over 50% of my fish DURING QT, so sad.

I was wondering if you happen to have a link to that article regarding the parasitic transfer over air. I might check out HumbleFish's articles to find it. I'd like to know the exact set up and how they came to that conclusion. Not that I don't believe it, but i am just curious at the conditions they created that made this transfer possible and how they came to the conclusion.

At any rate, thanks for this post as even QTing can have its challenges...and one more thing. In addition to QTing, its important that we learn to observe and understand what the heck we are looking at. I for one, didn't understand what a "stressed" out fish looked like and/or acted like. So being able to spot those things makes a huge difference IMO.

 

[Genomecop]

^not buy air...water droplets

 

[Brew12]

Brew, love your stuff, great right up and I started QTing since day one and am still learning and dialing up the process. I hate to admit it, but prior to my current group of 4 fish that are in my QT, I was losing over 50% of my fish DURING QT, so sad.

I was wondering if you happen to have a link to that article regarding the parasitic transfer over air. I might check out HumbleFish's articles to find it. I'd like to know the exact set up and how they came to that conclusion. Not that I don't believe it, but i am just curious at the conditions they created that made this transfer possible and how they came to the conclusion.

At any rate, thanks for this post as even QTing can have its challenges...and one more thing. In addition to QTing, its important that we learn to observe and understand what the heck we are looking at. I for one, didn't understand what a "stressed" out fish looked like and/or acted like. So being able to spot those things makes a huge difference IMO.

Glad you like it!

I’ll try to remember to post a link to the study when I am by a computer.

I lost many more than 50% of my fish when I started. The nice thing is that you don’t have to replace them once in the DT.

 

[Genomecop]

^not buy air...water droplets

Oops...by not buy

 

[Brew12]

Brew, love your stuff, great right up and I started QTing since day one and am still learning and dialing up the process. I hate to admit it, but prior to my current group of 4 fish that are in my QT, I was losing over 50% of my fish DURING QT, so sad.

I was wondering if you happen to have a link to that article regarding the parasitic transfer over air. I might check out HumbleFish's articles to find it. I'd like to know the exact set up and how they came to that conclusion. Not that I don't believe it, but i am just curious at the conditions they created that made this transfer possible and how they came to the conclusion.

At any rate, thanks for this post as even QTing can have its challenges...and one more thing. In addition to QTing, its important that we learn to observe and understand what the heck we are looking at. I for one, didn't understand what a "stressed" out fish looked like and/or acted like. So being able to spot those things makes a huge difference IMO.

This article isn't free, but it talks about it for Marine Velvet.
https://www.researchgate.net/public...l_of_the_fish_pathogen_Amyloodinium_ocellatum
Abstract
Amyloodinium ocellatum, a frequently encountered parasite in marine aquaculture, was investigated to determine if infective dinospore stages could be transported in aerosol droplets. We used an in vivo model incorporating static and dynamic airflow systems and found dinospores of A. ocellatum could travel in aerosol droplets (up to 440 turn in a static system and up to 3 m in a dynamic one). This is the first record of this transmission pathway for a marine protozoan parasite. It is possible that other marine protozoans can transfer via the aerobiological pathway. Management of A. ocellatum infections in aquaculture facilities could be affected, particularly where tanks and ponds are situated in close proximity. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aerosol dispersal of the fish pathogen,... (PDF Download Available). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/public...l_of_the_fish_pathogen_Amyloodinium_ocellatum [accessed May 26 2018].

There was another study done that showed something similar with fresh water Ich but I can't fine the paper on it, only references to it. That study was done by Bishop et al. 2003.

 

[Smprc]

This article isn't free, but it talks about it for Marine Velvet.
https://www.researchgate.net/public...l_of_the_fish_pathogen_Amyloodinium_ocellatum
Abstract
Amyloodinium ocellatum, a frequently encountered parasite in marine aquaculture, was investigated to determine if infective dinospore stages could be transported in aerosol droplets. We used an in vivo model incorporating static and dynamic airflow systems and found dinospores of A. ocellatum could travel in aerosol droplets (up to 440 turn in a static system and up to 3 m in a dynamic one). This is the first record of this transmission pathway for a marine protozoan parasite. It is possible that other marine protozoans can transfer via the aerobiological pathway. Management of A. ocellatum infections in aquaculture facilities could be affected, particularly where tanks and ponds are situated in close proximity. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aerosol dispersal of the fish pathogen,... (PDF Download Available). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/public...l_of_the_fish_pathogen_Amyloodinium_ocellatum [accessed May 26 2018].

There was another study done that showed something similar with fresh water Ich but I can't fine the paper on it, only references to it. That study was done by Bishop et al. 2003.

Thanks for the links!!! Much appreciated.

 

[Smprc]

Ok, first of all, this is all academic so don't kill me. I read the article because I was curious how they set up the experiment. Although this is in regards to the protozoan parasite A. Ocellatum, and not Ich, applicability still applies. So here are some details regarding the "10 feet" transmission. A few bullet points.

#1 - there was NO TRANSFER when a typical air pump and air stone was used. "Trials one to three, in which a diffuser (the air pump and air stone) was used as the aerosol source, showed no transfer of infection."
#2 - the aerosol source for the other trials was a GARDEN SPRAYER with a MISTING NOZZLE that was filled with 100,000 dinospores in 2L of water and ALL 2L of water was sprayed into the air in 2 min. Please reread what I just wrote...they purposely used 2L of contaminated water and sprayed all of it into the air. That's like you standing in front of a person that has Turberculosis and having them cough in you face and wonder why you got sick.
#3 - the above was done under "static" air, in other words no air movement. The subsequent trials (3 of them) had a fan blowing the mist from the garden sprayer. Can you guess what the conclusion was...exactly ALL 3 trials showed infection up to 2 meters and 1 tomont was recovered in the second trial 3 meters away. Hence the "10 feet" conclusion.

Now, where this article is applicable is in the fact that they were trying to understand how the infection can possibly get passed in outdoor conditions between ponds.

I am no myth buster, but I will have to say that I'm not buying the 10 feet thing and quite frankly its overboard.

Again this was just for fun...for those of you out there...better safe than sorry.

 

[Brew12]

Ok, first of all, this is all academic so don't kill me. I read the article because I was curious how they set up the experiment. Although this is in regards to the protozoan parasite A. Ocellatum, and not Ich, applicability still applies. So here are some details regarding the "10 feet" transmission. A few bullet points.

#1 - there was NO TRANSFER when a typical air pump and air stone was used. "Trials one to three, in which a diffuser (the air pump and air stone) was used as the aerosol source, showed no transfer of infection."
#2 - the aerosol source for the other trials was a GARDEN SPRAYER with a MISTING NOZZLE that was filled with 100,000 dinospores in 2L of water and ALL 2L of water was sprayed into the air in 2 min. Please reread what I just wrote...they purposely used 2L of contaminated water and sprayed all of it into the air. That's like you standing in front of a person that has Turberculosis and having them cough in you face and wonder why you got sick.
#3 - the above was done under "static" air, in other words no air movement. The subsequent trials (3 of them) had a fan blowing the mist from the garden sprayer. Can you guess what the conclusion was...exactly ALL 3 trials showed infection up to 2 meters and 1 tomont was recovered in the second trial 3 meters away. Hence the "10 feet" conclusion.

Now, where this article is applicable is in the fact that they were trying to understand how the infection can possibly get passed in outdoor conditions between ponds.

I am no myth buster, but I will have to say that I'm not buying the 10 feet thing and quite frankly its overboard.

Again this was just for fun...for those of you out there...better safe than sorry.

I completely agree with you, which is why I said having it happen is very unlikely. It does have some applicability in aquaculture where they use spray nozzles for evaporative cooling.

I consider the 10' rule to be a best practice but far from a necessity. I haven't set up my QT in awhile but it normally sits around 6' from my tank. I was in a pinch once and had it just inches away. Just to be on the safe side, I did set up a very small fan to blow air over my QT pointed away from my DT. Even that was likely unnecessary but it was simple enough to do.

 

[Salt1972]

Where do you guys source your slotted and solid acclimation boxes? I can't find them at BRS or Amazon. Maybe I'm using the wrong term?

 

[Brew12]

Where do you guys source your slotted and solid acclimation boxes? I can't find them at BRS or Amazon. Maybe I'm using the wrong term?

Mine is from Octo Aquatics
https://octoaquatics.com/the-shu/

 

[Smprc]

Mine is from Octo Aquatics
https://octoaquatics.com/the-shu/

Those are a very nice!
I don't have the slotted ones, but I might get me one. I use the normal one
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002APRLK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[PeterG]

@Brew12
HELP! I put a Scribbled Rabbitfish into an acclimation box in my DT about two hours ago. He had spent 2 mos in QT and was doing great. I checked SG in both tanks (1.025) and temperature 76.8. I then did a drip acclimation for about 30 min before placing him in the acclimation box.
He is clearly in distress. Got his camouflage color going and is listing at about a 45° angle and not moving much at all. His pectoral fins are moving rapidly but other than not much movement; he seems to be drifting with the flow in the tank. Thought maybe the LED lighting was bothering him so I covered the box to make it darker. Another fish, a clownish, from the same QT is doing fine. Should I just give him more time? Put him back in the QT?