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Frag tank/quarantine tank question


catfish2

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Hi all, it's been a while since I've posted. I moved to Southern California and I haven't found a group of reefers I trust so I thought I would post my question here.

 

I'm looking to set up a frag tank, but I'm wondering if I can plumb a quarentine tank (for coral only) into the frag tank's sump (the frag tank and quarantine tank will share a sump.) Basically, the question is: what is the likelohood that coral threats (AEFW, Monti eating nudies, red bugs, bubble algae...) will go from the quarantine tank to the sump then into the frag tank?

 

I would really like to avoid setting up a separate quarantine system and I want the stability of the larger water volume.

 

Thanks for your input!

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Hey man, good to hear from you! I think you'd definitely be asking for trouble by rigging the system that way. I'm sure you could have an experience where a random pest actually stays in the QT setup, but the more likely event is transferring things between tanks.

 

And just imagine a nice frag tank full of beautiful acros all infected with AEFW because one piece had some eggs you didn't detect.

 

To be honest, it's actually a step above what most people do. Typically people don't have coral QT so they just dip and add to their system. Having your new coral in a separate tank at least gives you that added layer of "protection," but I hardly think you could consider it an actual QT system. Just my thoughts though. Hope everything in Cali is going well!

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Higherthinking! What's up!? I assumed that would be the general consensus and I definitely appreciate the input. I've never quarentined coral, just dipped like you mention, even multiple dips over a few weeks time,but just returned the coral back to the display. Despite those efforts, I ended up with the dreaded Monti eating nudies. I want to avoid that this time around,but setting up another system sounds like a hassle not to mention expensive.

 

I just don't know how likely it is for an egg of some critter or a critter itself to make it from one coral through a sump to another coral in the frag tank.

 

What is more of a risk, dipping corals then putting them in the display or dipping corals and putting them in a "quarentine tank" that is tied into a frag tank with potentially lots of awesome Acro frags?

 

Anyone else have any thoughts on the matter?

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To me it's the same thing as putting them in the display. I am no expert but I imagine a lot of these bad guys end up in the water column at one point or another and once that happens it's just a matter of floating through a few baffles to a new home.

 

I don't think you can call it a qt if it's sharing water. I suppose it's another layer stuff would have to get through, but I wouldn't sleep any better at night.

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