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An overview of coral quarantine procedures
What is Quarantine?
Quarantine in reef aquariums is a period of isolation and observation for new additions in a separate aquarium before being introduced into the main display tank. The purpose of quarantine is to minimize the risk of introducing pests and diseases into your main reef tank as it is far easier to observe and treat new additions in a quarantine tank than it is in a larger display aquarium.
Here at Tidal Gardens we dip new arrivals and quarantine specimens that we plan to farm long term. We use a variety of dips to eliminate pests as well as an antimicrobial bath to combat undesirable bacterial pathogens. On average corals go through a 60-70 day quarantine before entering our farming tanks. In between batches we fully drain and clean the quarantine systems to start fresh on the next group.
Corals that do not get selected for long term farming still receive dips and treatments on arrival but are housed in a separate building. Also, we periodically treat entire systems in our facilities as another layer of control and select fish and inverts that further control undesirable organisms.
What does a Quarantine Setup Look Like?
A quarantine tank is essentially a fully functioning reef aquarium complete with lights, pumps, and filtration. We have set up a few different types of quarantine tanks here and made videos on them. The smaller tanks are in the 50 to 60-gallon range and the large quarantine tank is roughly 150-gallons.
We decided to go high end with our quarantine setups because the process of multiple rounds of dips and antibiotic treatments is inherently stressful on the animals. It is important to give the corals the best chance of survival during this process.
Having said that, a side benefit of a quarantine system is that it is useful as a utility tank even if you have no new corals to quarantine. If ever a fish or coral needs to be removed and isolated from the main display, it can be done in this aquarium temporarily if there is no active quarantine protocol in effect. A secondary tank is always helpful in a pinch.
How Long Should I Quarantine?
We typically quarantine for 60-70 days, but the length of time is less important than the activity during that period of time. Quarantine is an active process of treatment and observation. Merely isolating a coral in a separate aquarium does not do a lot.
Is Quarantine 100% Effective?
No. It is important to have realistic expectations with quarantine. Online reef hobbyists throw down that term like it is the magical cure for everything. In practice it is not. First off, the diligence of the person doing the quarantine matters. A beginner who has never quarantined a coral before will have different results than a more experienced hobbyist that knows the signs of pests and diseases.
Also, many pests are VERY capable organisms. That’s why they are considered pests! Microscopic larvae and eggs have a way of infiltrating tanks despite our best efforts.
I will never discourage anyone from setting up a quarantine system. Even preventing a single problem makes the whole effort worthwhile but again, if the expectation is for quarantine to completely eliminate all problems you will likely be disappointed.
Full exclusion should not be the point. Quarantine is a very useful tool and is always impactful. Addressing a problem at the early stages is very different than trying to address a full blown explosion in your display tank. Quarantine gives you an opportunity catch and treat these problems.
