Quarantine Tank? FW Dip? Is it all really necessary?

I actually have a thread about this.

http://www.3reef.com/forums/general-reef-topics/preventive-measures-89024.html

"...drip acclimation is not good for all fish or corals. IMO, many times, the length of time it takes to do it will stress the fish out even more. Also, IMO, corals just need to be temp acclimated, then you can just add them to your DT or quarantine tank."

 

Use the commercial coral dips to kill hitchhikers on the coral or make an iodine dip of your own.

 

Is this the place to talk about acclimations as well?

I don't acclimate fish shipped overnight. I think acclimations are harmful due to the presence of ammonia. I started testing my shipping bags for th epresence of ammonia and was surprise at the levels I saw. This wasn't an "odd" experience, every shipment had ammonia and from different sources. I can't let them sit in that. Some people argue that they were in at all night, what the difference a another 30 mins. After you open that bag.... a lot. The CO2 builds up in the bag during shipping and lowers the pH. If there is ammonia in the bag (which there always is from my experience), it is less toxic at the lower pH. When the bag is opened the CO2 rushes out, the pH increases and the ammonia becomes toxic. I'd rather remove my fish from this than run the risk of them sitting in it. It may not kill your fish outright, but can definitely shorten his life expectancy.

I know a lot of people may be uncomfortable with this, but it won't make the ammonia go away. If you still like to drip acclimate, at least detox the water with ammonia "remover". Your fish can't afford the 20 minutes it takes to run a test kit.... I use a dip stick for a prelim.

These are some of my recent results......

Shipping water to the left. Control to the right.







Shipping water to the right. Control to the left.

 

I QT everything. There's no guarantee you still won't introduce Ich into the system if you don't treat for such, but a QT is the best chance we have otherwise. There are some crazy cooties out there too.... not just Ich. Some stuff requires a tank tear down and sterilization.

 

I never have and don't plan on it.

 

will you have it as part of the sump? doesnt that still run through the display tank?

 

does this mean you don't QT or dip either? and you havent had any issues? if so do you mind me asking how long? like i said so far i am on 2 years and have had one incident... just trying to see if ive just been lucky like i said, but if theres someone out there who has been doing it for 10 years with little to no problems then i would think it isnt completely necessary

 

wow thats strange because i was told after the ich issue a while back that one of the hardiest tangs are the Kole tangs and that they are one type that can usually get through it... i suppose its just an opinion though, but sorry to hear that happened was the Kole tang one of the two survivors?

 

very true i guess its pretty much follows the saying "better to be safe then sorry" it just seems like a long process thats pretty time consuming just for a precaution

 

haha glad im not alone