Since my tank is still pretty new, I haven't done much for quarantining. Just my two cinnamon clownfish. The other 3 fish I just acclimated straight into the main tank. If I get anything from Gold's that comes from the uber-medicated system, I'll definately quarantine it. You know, the system with the perpetually green water? ;)

I would like to quarantine certain corals, but I don't have a proper setup with the proper lighting yet. I'm still very indecisive whether I'm going to tap the nano I'm putting together into my main system or not. Would make it way easier to maintain, but then I wouldn't have the peace of mind of a separate system just in case I need it... We'll see.

Historically, I didn't quarantine. As a result, I now have both red flatworms and red SPS bugs.

While I am aware of "cures" for both of these, the cure would wipe out a large number of other critters and that is not acceptable to me. Nothing will go into the new tank without being quarantined. That's my lesson learned.

interesting. would you be able to treat the bug problem in a separate tank? or has it infected other corals?

You want a horror story? How about 2??

#1-50g FOWLR....well established, Niger Trigger, True Percula, Orchid Dottyback, and Yellow Wrasse. The last fish I was to add was a Kole Tang. The tank was doing exceptionally well, all healthy, got the Kole Tang...didn't QT and it wiped out everything but the Niger. It came from a fantastic place BUT it had Velvet. Can't see it, but WOW does it spread like crazy! Watched our Perc die, our Dottyback die...it was nasty! Pretty upsetting...to say the least

Should've learned my lesson......

#2-120g FOWLR.... several months old and doing well. Pair of Blue Throats (very small), CBB, Golden Spotted Rabbitfish, Valentini Puffer, trio of Saddleback clowns, Rusty Angel, got a tiny Sailfin Tang, Cleaner Wrasse and my much awaited Moorish Idol.....no QT, Moorish Idol came with Ich, wiped out the Idol, Tang, and Cleaner Wrasse. Then I had Ich on each and every fish to try to deal with. They were all very very sick, I tried everything that I could do to deal with it or treat it other than actually medicating with drugs. With the fish that remain I still take risks as the Porcupine Puffer I added after it "looked" gone for several months comes down with spots every now and then....I have added Neon Gobies to help deal with it...another Cleaner Wrasse, and a 40W UV sterilizer. The wrasse and gobies succumbed to Ich and it's complications. If I could do it all over again I would have had a QT tank, treated any problems and would have those fish still.....I HATED looking at the tank after the Ich infection, and the devastation that it caused....now I have a QT tank...I won't take the chance again...

Sorry long post but you wanted horror stories. Now you have 2

Horror stories! Man I've got well, ummmmm, NONE. Thats because I quarantine everything. Thats kinda the point I guess. I have however avoided flat worms, red bugs, zoo eating nudibranchs, ich and possibly a plethora of other shizen that never did make it into my display tank. Grim, no offence taken man, just don't want to see another thread that starts like this.


"Hmmm, I put a new fish in my display tank and now all of my fish have these white dots on them?"

Or like this.

"I've had it with this hobby, I can't seem to keep my fish alive."

Come to the dark side Grim. Set up that quarantine tank. :twised:

What should you look out for when you have things in a QT?

In other words, what are the criterion that you need before putting it in the main display?

Moog, great question! There's all kinds of things that people look for when either their fish or their coral are in quarantine. Everything from ich to bubble algae. I've placed a few links below to help a brother out when it comes to identifying all those nasty little critters that wreak havoc on a persons tank.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com./mardisindex.htm
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...2003/mini1.htm
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...03/feature.htm
http://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=127010
http://www.melevsreef.com/

Happy reading. It'll be worth it when your done.

Red Bugs are an interesting lot. I have two corals that actually got them, suffered, then eliminated them and are now thriving. I have one other that seems to be slowly losing it's battle to them...and another that just exists with them, but isn't thriving. I'm starting to think that a really healthy coral fights them off somehow.

I do intend to transfer a lot of things from the small tank to the new one. That will mean quarantining and treating things just as if they were coming from somewhere else.