Quarantine System Design - Share yours!

[hatfielj]

I want to set up a dedicated quarantine system for new coral acquisitions. I am looking for advice on the best way to accomplish this and would love to see how others are doing it. I want a system that is completely separate from my current system so that I can safely place new corals there for monitoring and dipping. It needs to be capable of stable parameters and conditions ideal for SPS because that is my primary focus. The tank will have nothing but frag racks and a few pieces of live rock for filtration reasons (but no coral will be mounted to this rock). I'm thinking I'll also keep live rock in the sump. This will allow me to pull and dip all corals easily.

What I'd like to do is place all new frags in quarantine for a period of 8 weeks after first being dipped, cut from base, and mounted to new plugs. 4 weeks of pulling each piece and dipping once per week, then 4 weeks of just observation before moving to display. It seems that it would then be impossible for any unwanted critters to make it to my display.

My feeling is that in order to accomplish this I need to have a complete system with at least some live rock present at all times and keep it running (even when I don't have new frags) in order to stabilize its parameters? Basically it will function like a second display system with skimmer, auto top off, lighting, flow, dosers, etc. But, wondering if others are do anything more simple (like bare bones set up with just water changes for maintaining parameters?). If you have pics and description of how you quarantine, please share!

 

[Ranjib]

I think its a good idea. I dont QT by corals, they go through revive dip followed by drip acclimation then to DT. 4 weeks in sandbed, and then to the final location.

But thats mostly due to space limitation, i can definitely see the advantages of a full blow separate QT tank

 

[Kyl]

I see coral QT for two reasons personally; avoiding introducing AEFW, monti eating nudibranchs and ich / velvet to my DT since everything in there is 100% quarantined. Rock in the sump is how I've seen most frag systems do it, that way as stated you have nothing but racks in the display portion so it's both easier to keep clean, and no risk of any softies breaking off and attaching themselves to your rock work.

Mine is pretty basic in function, though it is fully equipped and having 2-part dosed at about 5ml a day since the clams are sucking down the calcium. About half of the equipment is re-used from my shut down nano tank, or other equipment that has been upgraded over with the display. Here's some of the frag tank pictures, the sump will be upgraded to a 20L one of these days strictly for more water volume and to correct the sump almost overflowing when the return is shut off . Equipment is listed in my build thread.

In terms of coral it's still a bit too young for acropora, but the sticks in there are finally recovering their colours. For QT I run in 76 day fallow cycles, all frags come off plugs, are dipped in coral RX initially and then once more after about a week.

 

[hatfielj]

I see coral QT for two reasons personally; avoiding introducing AEFW, monti eating nudibranchs and ich / velvet to my DT since everything in there is 100% quarantined. Rock in the sump is how I've seen most frag systems do it, that way as stated you have nothing but racks in the display portion so it's both easier to keep clean, and no risk of any softies breaking off and attaching themselves to your rock work.

Mine is pretty basic in function, though it is fully equipped and having 2-part dosed at about 5ml a day since the clams are sucking down the calcium. About half of the equipment is re-used from my shut down nano tank, or other equipment that has been upgraded over with the display. Here's some of the frag tank pictures, the sump will be upgraded to a 20L one of these days strictly for more water volume and to correct the sump almost overflowing when the return is shut off . Equipment is listed in my build thread.

In terms of coral it's still a bit too young for acropora, but the sticks in there are finally recovering their colours. For QT I run in 76 day fallow cycles, all frags come off plugs, are dipped in coral RX initially and then once more after about a week.

Nice set up. I think mine will be very similar to yours. I already have an old frag tank (36 x 18 x 12) and my old sump and stand that I am going to use. I'm adding a skimmer, return pump, ice cap 1k, heater and controller, auto top off, and 2 part dosing system. Once I get it all running, I'll order some live rock for the sump.

 

[Joe Batt]

Might seem a little OTT but I am using a RedSea Max Nano.
I added a chiller (I live in Dubai and it gets HOT! 45C today ), an Apex to monitor basic parameters.
I added a Neptune ATK ATO that I connected to a Two Little Fishes Kalk stirrer to help maintain stable parameters if needed. Should be generally OK with the weekly water change however.
It has an AI Prime HD to keep any SPS in quarantine happy.
I use MaxSpec Nano-Tech Bio Spheres for biological filtration.
I also added another small wavemaker to increase the flow and added a hang in carbon filter with its own pump to force good circulation and remove any pathogens from so many frags in such a small place.
I made a U shaped frag rack from egg crate that goes all around the bottom and also serves to keep the biospheres contained.
Added another multi-level expandable frag rack in the middle at the bottom and a side mounted magnetic rack.

All in all it is more than capable of maintaining stable parameters for SPS. I quarantine all frags for 76 days, to ensure any fish-borne diseases are irradiated and that also gives me plenty of time for multiple coral dips and monitoring for coral pests. So far so good. So far it has definitely saved me from one monti eating nudi infection.