blue-thumb
Community Member
I have been in the hobby for five years. I have been able to achieve good growth and color from both soft and hard corals (lps & sps). I was feeling pretty good about myself. Maybe a little cocky. I have never had a significant aquarium pest. I had aptasia and bristle worms. I researched the life cycle of these organisms. I found good natural solutions for each pest. I've always dipped my new acquisitions and removed them from their plug. I do not typically buy a lot of new stock.
Last winter I upgraded to a new 340 gallon tank. I was pumped. I wanted to grow sticks. I have always been blown away by the reef spotlights. Tanks overflowing with color. I thought ... I might even be able to sell a few 1/2 inch frags to help pay for my addiction. I had a few large acropora colonies with good color. I decided to fill in the bare areas of my tank with some new specimens. I got out the credit card and bought several new acropora corals from two very highly regarded vendors. I got two frags from one vendor and 10 from the other. I have never had a nasty pest in my tank. Since I was purchasing from two reliable vendors, quarantine wouldn't be necessary. Right?
I am a skeptic and a bit of a pessimist. I typically make decisions logically. I am not very trusting. For some reason, I decided to take a short cut. WRONG! About three weeks after introducing these new corals directly to my tank, my largest acro colony lost it's color and polyp extension. I had a recent alk swing ... I thought that this was the culprit. Of the twelve frags I purchased, I lost two. That's not typical for me. Shortly thereafter, I took my baster and blasted the colony and it started to rain small potato chips. At that moment, I shouted foul language so loud that I could be heard in Antarctica.
I took me more than one year to grow my beautiful acro colony. On a daily basis, I have watched these little jerks (acro eating flat worms) devour my colony. I have found them on every acro in my tank. Their eggs are large enough to be seen with my naked eye. I dipped my colony and it rained little potato chips. I am a physician. I have dewormed people. Typically, you treat the person. Wait for the eggs to hatch. Treat again and your done.
An aquarium isn't as simple. First, the organism has a 30 life cycle. They only eat acros. Remove the acros from the tank for 30 days and all the little turds in the main tank should starve to death. Right? What do I do with the Acros? Put them in a quarantine tank during that 30 day period and treat them with a drug for 30 days. As the worms hatch they die. BUT .... I don't have a mature quarantine tank. Ut OH!
So what did I learn. It's not the vendors fault. If you don't quarantine then this will happen to you.
Last winter I upgraded to a new 340 gallon tank. I was pumped. I wanted to grow sticks. I have always been blown away by the reef spotlights. Tanks overflowing with color. I thought ... I might even be able to sell a few 1/2 inch frags to help pay for my addiction. I had a few large acropora colonies with good color. I decided to fill in the bare areas of my tank with some new specimens. I got out the credit card and bought several new acropora corals from two very highly regarded vendors. I got two frags from one vendor and 10 from the other. I have never had a nasty pest in my tank. Since I was purchasing from two reliable vendors, quarantine wouldn't be necessary. Right?
I am a skeptic and a bit of a pessimist. I typically make decisions logically. I am not very trusting. For some reason, I decided to take a short cut. WRONG! About three weeks after introducing these new corals directly to my tank, my largest acro colony lost it's color and polyp extension. I had a recent alk swing ... I thought that this was the culprit. Of the twelve frags I purchased, I lost two. That's not typical for me. Shortly thereafter, I took my baster and blasted the colony and it started to rain small potato chips. At that moment, I shouted foul language so loud that I could be heard in Antarctica.
I took me more than one year to grow my beautiful acro colony. On a daily basis, I have watched these little jerks (acro eating flat worms) devour my colony. I have found them on every acro in my tank. Their eggs are large enough to be seen with my naked eye. I dipped my colony and it rained little potato chips. I am a physician. I have dewormed people. Typically, you treat the person. Wait for the eggs to hatch. Treat again and your done.
An aquarium isn't as simple. First, the organism has a 30 life cycle. They only eat acros. Remove the acros from the tank for 30 days and all the little turds in the main tank should starve to death. Right? What do I do with the Acros? Put them in a quarantine tank during that 30 day period and treat them with a drug for 30 days. As the worms hatch they die. BUT .... I don't have a mature quarantine tank. Ut OH!
So what did I learn. It's not the vendors fault. If you don't quarantine then this will happen to you.
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