OBJECTIVE 3: PEST FREE: The aim here is to use effective preventative quarantine procedures, medication and observation to reduce the probability of pests entering my system. The hope is to achieve ICH and disease irradication in my fish (plus learn a new reefing skill), and for the Corals it is all about pest identification and removal. Note. In addition to chemicals and medications I will also use the natural ecosystem to keep pests at bay. Wrasses, Cleaner shrimp, file fish etc etc In order to implement I have two small cheap 20L tanks which have their own HOB waterfall filters and link to a DIY chiller. Also I monitor Ammonia via the Seachem Badge which is really handy. The tanks allow for me to perform the 'two tank transfer' method as well as prophylactic medication of the fish. In addition to the two tanks I have a 50L observation tank for corals I picked up second hand, and a small 10L tanks for coral bathing. (Just a tip I got hold of a glass marker and i use it to write on the face of the tank what treatment is currently happening, is good to keep track as to what meds are in the tank and when you need to transfer them again). CORAL Corals are removed from plugs and dipped in the 10L tank with some Coral RX. The tank has a small circulating pump (want to find a mini wavemaker). After 30 mins they are inspected woth a magnifying glass and then placed in to the 50L tank where they stay for at least a month. They are dipped a few extra times during their stay in quarantine. For my dips I use Byer, RX and Hydrogen Peroxide (if I know the coral can handle it). Why quaratine coral? Well, just to give you an idea. I picked up some frags from fellow reefers prior to the covid CB, between them the frags had Aiptasia, Vermetid Snails, Red Bugs, Nudibranch and various worms. I would hate to imagine what would happen if I placed all of those pests directly in my tank. My rule is simple. NOTHING gets into my tank that hasn't been quarantined and is pest free (I even quaratined the macroalgae!) FISH As for the fish they initially get a commercial dip before going for a fresh water swim for 3-5 mins. After that initial treatment they are placed into one of the 20L tanks, which is what I use for the two tank transfer method. The tranfer method basically involves keeping the fish for 72 hours in one tank before moving them into another tank. This is repeated four to five times. Each time you do it you clean out the old tank, to make it sterile. The two tank method significantly reduces the probability that ICH is still on the fish. I fresh water dip during transfers just to make sure any flukes etc are gone and to make sure there is limited water droplets transferred from one tank to the next. I use water from the main display so the fish are acclimated to the main tank at all times. During the first tank transfers I use methleyne blue to remove any fungal disease. For the second and third I use Prazipro. For the third and fourth transfer I also treat with the likes of metroplex, kanaplex or neoplex (which you can bind to fishes food with the use of Focus). If a specific fish is susceptible to a particular ailment i will tailor the treatment. The tanks also have a dedicated mini 9w UV to kill any free floating parasites. Well that is the hope. Obviously if a fish has a particular issue then I treat for that. After the transfer method is complete. I move the fish for a fifth time and treat with copper for 15 days. All in all it takes about four weeks and the fish are ready to go into the main display. Honestly, yes it is a big pain in the butt as if you miss the transfer window you have to start over, but once you get into a rhythm it doesn't take too long to do. To me having healthy fish and corals is important. There is something rewarding letting the little fishes out after quaratine knowing you did what you could to improve their health. Anyway I hope that gives you a good idea of what my quarantine set up is like. Next update I will start to discuss one of the most important aspects of the reefing hobby, the water! Until then happy reefing. Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app