do I need to quarantine corals?

[coralin]

Just got some new Zoanthids and a Duncan from my LFS. They look healthy but I've heard mixed things about quarantining. My tank's a 40-gallon with a pair of Clowns, a Cleaner Shrimp, and some softies. Running a Fluval 307, salinity at 1.025, temp 78. Should I set up a QT or just dip and add?

[chubsy]

Quarantine is a must if you don't wanna risk pests like flatworms or nudis. I lost a whole colony of Acans once because I skipped QT. Now I always use a 10-gallon with a HOB filter, heater set to 78, and monitor for a week. Dip with CoralRX first, then observe. Better safe than sorry.

[oceanite]

Yep, QT is the way to go. I've seen too many tanks get wrecked by hitchhikers. My routine is dip, then QT for at least 10 days under low light. Keep an eye for weird vibes, like closed polyps or slime. If they're chill after that, toss 'em in the display.

[Kairos]

Quarantine is a must if you don't wanna risk pests like flatworms or nudis. I lost a whole colony of Acans once because I skipped QT. Now I always use a 10-gallon with a HOB filter, heater set to 78, and monitor for a week. Dip with CoralRX first, then observe. Better safe than sorry.

This. Also, if you're tight on space, a cheap plastic tub with an air stone works. Just keep params stable, no need to go fancy.

[legendry]

I'm kinda lazy with QT, but I always dip. Bayer works better than CoralRX for me, kills everything. My tank's a 75-gallon with mixed LPS and SPS, no issues so far. But if you've got expensive stuff, maybe don't cut corners like I do.

[coralin]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'll set up a QT tank this weekend. Gonna grab a small heater and an air pump. Any tips for keeping the water stable in a small QT?

[chubsy]

Small water changes every other day, like 20%. Test ammonia daily, it spikes fast in tiny tanks. I use Seachem Prime to bind any nasties. Also, keep the QT near your display so temp stays consistent. Oh, and don't feed much, just enough to keep 'em happy.

[oceanite]

Small water changes every other day, like 20%. Test ammonia daily, it spikes fast in tiny tanks. I use Seachem Prime to bind any nasties. Also, keep the QT near your display so temp stays consistent. Oh, and don't feed much, just enough to keep 'em happy.

Spot on. I also throw in a piece of live rock from my display to help with bio filtration. Just make sure it's pest-free first.

[Kairos]

If you're gonna QT, might as well grab a cheap LED too. Some corals get sketchy in the dark. I use a Nicrew from Amazon, does the job. And yeah, Prime is a lifesaver for small volumes.

[legendry]

Honestly, if you're dipping and QTing, you're already ahead of most folks. Just don't stress too much. Corals are tougher than they look, unless they're Acros. Those things are divas.