Fish seem to be the main cause of disruption in a display tank, given the current circumstances in the hobby with pests (ich, velvet, parasites, etc.). I have been in this hobby for 18 years, and the amount of pests that are showing up lately is much more (could also be the fact that we have more people which is stirring up the likelihood of pest appearances).
With the amount of new people in the hobby, and the multiple lessons with pests I think it is time to begin a new approach to reefkeeping. I am posting this for a discussion on thoughts about the pro's and cons of this strategy for a new tank. It will be terrible not having any fish for a year, or even two, but the amount of time and resources saved I think are worth it.
To summarize: why don't we cycle our tanks, add all the inverts and corals we want. Once your tank is colonized, THEN add your fully quarantined fish that you purchase from a reliable quarantine store (few vendors online) OR simply quarantine yourself. But, you can give your reef the headstart of colonizing your rocks, branching out, etc.
Think of it this way - the amount of headaches I have had due to a coral coming with ich, or a parasite, makes the hobby really unenjoyable and sad. We already know patience is key, so why not take it a step further?
Pros:
* Perfect nutrient control so your frags can establish efficiently.
* No need to worry about your new euphyllia coming with ich that will then in turn affect your fish.
* No need to worry about your snails/shrimps/crabs coming with ich.
* No need to quarantine your corals (Acros, softies, etc.) in a QT Tank that is not as stable as your display for 76 days to starve ich/velvet/etc. resulting in more coral death because of quarantine tank instabilities. Let's be realistic here, running TWO aquariums as an adult with responsibilities is not great and the hobby becomes more of a job. This is an opinion based on my experiences. Can be costly - who here TRULY QUARANTINES an acro frag for 76 days? Are you dosing your QT, same lights, etc.?
* No need to keep a quarantine tank running 24/7 just incase for emergencies due to the additionof something new infecting your already established fish. Netting the fish out, (well, all the fish because once 1 has it they all have it).
* Stability in your tank due to continuous running equipment. For example, no need to turn off your skimmer, GFO, carbon, UV, etc. because you're dosing a medicine and in turn affecting the balance of your water.
* Less water changes, less messing with the tank. A beginner can focus on keeping water, not trying to save their fish.
* Effectively run your tank *fallow* for over 4 months or longer. Everytime you add a new coral, re-start the 76 day process. The bigger the tank, the longer you wait.
Cons:
* No cool fish for a good while (just bare coral, which is still cool but you get the point).
* If one of your coral dies after all this, you'll have to quarantine your coral anyways. But, maybe finding a local hobbyist that has a beautiful aquarium that is as far as you can see 100% healthy, will mitigate the risk and trade corals with them instead.
* To the previous point, a coral died but you at least didn't loose hundreds if not thousands on fish. More of a pro, but I can see the downside.
At the end of the day I understand everything has its flaws. But, the reduction of risk on this approach I think is worth looking into. New way to make a tank (I know in the future I'll be doing this):
1. Cycle the tank
2. Stock it up with your frags/inverts
3. leave fallow for 90 days (I know it doesn't need to be 90 but for the sake of precaution).
4. Buy quarantined fish only
5. Happy reefer
What are your thoughts?
With the amount of new people in the hobby, and the multiple lessons with pests I think it is time to begin a new approach to reefkeeping. I am posting this for a discussion on thoughts about the pro's and cons of this strategy for a new tank. It will be terrible not having any fish for a year, or even two, but the amount of time and resources saved I think are worth it.
To summarize: why don't we cycle our tanks, add all the inverts and corals we want. Once your tank is colonized, THEN add your fully quarantined fish that you purchase from a reliable quarantine store (few vendors online) OR simply quarantine yourself. But, you can give your reef the headstart of colonizing your rocks, branching out, etc.
Think of it this way - the amount of headaches I have had due to a coral coming with ich, or a parasite, makes the hobby really unenjoyable and sad. We already know patience is key, so why not take it a step further?
Pros:
* Perfect nutrient control so your frags can establish efficiently.
* No need to worry about your new euphyllia coming with ich that will then in turn affect your fish.
* No need to worry about your snails/shrimps/crabs coming with ich.
* No need to quarantine your corals (Acros, softies, etc.) in a QT Tank that is not as stable as your display for 76 days to starve ich/velvet/etc. resulting in more coral death because of quarantine tank instabilities. Let's be realistic here, running TWO aquariums as an adult with responsibilities is not great and the hobby becomes more of a job. This is an opinion based on my experiences. Can be costly - who here TRULY QUARANTINES an acro frag for 76 days? Are you dosing your QT, same lights, etc.?
* No need to keep a quarantine tank running 24/7 just incase for emergencies due to the additionof something new infecting your already established fish. Netting the fish out, (well, all the fish because once 1 has it they all have it).
* Stability in your tank due to continuous running equipment. For example, no need to turn off your skimmer, GFO, carbon, UV, etc. because you're dosing a medicine and in turn affecting the balance of your water.
* Less water changes, less messing with the tank. A beginner can focus on keeping water, not trying to save their fish.
* Effectively run your tank *fallow* for over 4 months or longer. Everytime you add a new coral, re-start the 76 day process. The bigger the tank, the longer you wait.
Cons:
* No cool fish for a good while (just bare coral, which is still cool but you get the point).
* If one of your coral dies after all this, you'll have to quarantine your coral anyways. But, maybe finding a local hobbyist that has a beautiful aquarium that is as far as you can see 100% healthy, will mitigate the risk and trade corals with them instead.
* To the previous point, a coral died but you at least didn't loose hundreds if not thousands on fish. More of a pro, but I can see the downside.
At the end of the day I understand everything has its flaws. But, the reduction of risk on this approach I think is worth looking into. New way to make a tank (I know in the future I'll be doing this):
1. Cycle the tank
2. Stock it up with your frags/inverts
3. leave fallow for 90 days (I know it doesn't need to be 90 but for the sake of precaution).
4. Buy quarantined fish only
5. Happy reefer
What are your thoughts?