CayoHueso
Community Member
Setup my first coral QT about a two weeks ago now. I've had my DT running for 6 months now. But I haven't had any lights on the tank, since I haven't had any corals. So I didn't realize quite how quickly nuisance algae can tank over a tank. Especially one that is fresh and clean like a freshly setup temporary coral QT. Needless to say there are a bunch of different nasties popping up in the QT. Some on the skeletons of the LPS, which could be a cyano, maybe BJD, and some on the surfaces of the frag rack (looks like black paint or ink with just a few individual small strings floating up) which could be cyano or... Dinos. Seems like it's fairly difficult to actually ID Dinos for a beginner.
My question is; is it futile to try and battle the Dinos and risk transferring them to my DT?
I don't want to end up braking down my tank and giving up in the first year like I hear about many people doing. As a beginner, should I really place that burden and risk on myself if these are possible Dinos?
Right now I plan on fighting them. I have the equipment and supplies. I have a HOB UV filter I plan on adding, I've got Dr. Tim's Waste Away, MicroBacter 7. I'm going to dip the corals in H2O2 per instructions I got from Humblefish. Clean off what I can see. I'm going to break down the tank, sterilize it and seed it again with bottled bacteria and fresh saltwater. This time making sure I ghost feed or dose Nitrate and Phosphate ( I have NeoNitro and NeoPhos). I also have Cipro if it turns out to be BJD. I have new CUC specifically for the tank being delivered tomorrow as well. I've got a small pocket microscope (1000x), and I'm going to try and grab some photos during this cleanup/breakdown process.
All of these extra supplies add up to more than the cost of the frags in the QT. So again, really, is it actually a battle that can be won? I'm more afraid I'll eliminate what I can see and keep them out of sight (manage them sort of like ich) and still introduce them to the DT.
The frags are opening up beautifully, and I really enjoy looking at them, especially since they are my first ones. I also appreciate that they are animals, and fell like I should give it my all. At the same time if I ordered a fish that I noticed had an infectious disease that I couldn't treat, I wouldn't add it my DT. That's what QT is for. I've read and witnessed other people say that at the first signs of BJD in QT they will toss a frag. And BJD seems easier to treat than Dinos.
Do I chalk this one up to beginners mistake, protect the integrity of my DT, breakdown the QT and move on, setting up better and for success the next time? Or do I try and beat what many seem to find unbeatable?
Any thoughts?
My question is; is it futile to try and battle the Dinos and risk transferring them to my DT?
I don't want to end up braking down my tank and giving up in the first year like I hear about many people doing. As a beginner, should I really place that burden and risk on myself if these are possible Dinos?
Right now I plan on fighting them. I have the equipment and supplies. I have a HOB UV filter I plan on adding, I've got Dr. Tim's Waste Away, MicroBacter 7. I'm going to dip the corals in H2O2 per instructions I got from Humblefish. Clean off what I can see. I'm going to break down the tank, sterilize it and seed it again with bottled bacteria and fresh saltwater. This time making sure I ghost feed or dose Nitrate and Phosphate ( I have NeoNitro and NeoPhos). I also have Cipro if it turns out to be BJD. I have new CUC specifically for the tank being delivered tomorrow as well. I've got a small pocket microscope (1000x), and I'm going to try and grab some photos during this cleanup/breakdown process.
All of these extra supplies add up to more than the cost of the frags in the QT. So again, really, is it actually a battle that can be won? I'm more afraid I'll eliminate what I can see and keep them out of sight (manage them sort of like ich) and still introduce them to the DT.
The frags are opening up beautifully, and I really enjoy looking at them, especially since they are my first ones. I also appreciate that they are animals, and fell like I should give it my all. At the same time if I ordered a fish that I noticed had an infectious disease that I couldn't treat, I wouldn't add it my DT. That's what QT is for. I've read and witnessed other people say that at the first signs of BJD in QT they will toss a frag. And BJD seems easier to treat than Dinos.
Do I chalk this one up to beginners mistake, protect the integrity of my DT, breakdown the QT and move on, setting up better and for success the next time? Or do I try and beat what many seem to find unbeatable?
Any thoughts?
