Transferring fish diseases on shrimp and snails?

[NaClH20NMYVEIN]

I'm stocking a large tank and I'm going thru all the proper QT processes for my fish and coral but what about shrimp and snails? I'm not too worried about them bring in any coral pests but is it possible for a fish disease to be on them and have it introduced into my tank as a hitchhiker?

[niqiri]

Definitely. Unless you are keeping them in a holding tank for at least six weeks, there is almost no doubt that they are carrying ich. Do not chance it. Just leave them alone and let the ich die off.

[Dr Colliebreath]

I am interested in hearing what others have to say in this regard - can fish diseases come in on the animals or just in shop water that collects on the shrimp. I acclimate my shrimp and snails and crabs, and then dip them in a small cup of DT water before transferring them to the DT. This should remove anything in water on the critters but not something actually attached to them.

I would like to add a couple more shrimp but won't do it if they may bring disease. Extended QT isn't practical as I have medicated my QT.

[Sk8r]

vaguely possible, if they come from a really infested tank: but they don't 'carry' them in the sense of hosting them, so the likelihood is small enough that I have never had it happen in many decades of keeping fish. Don't say it can't. But it's not likely. I do give mine an intermediate wash-off, and do not permit foreign tank water to enter my system.

[b0bab0ey]

Sk8r, if I'm understanding you correctly, you're saying that if corals/inverts are dipped in a cup of DT water before being introduced to the DT, that there is a very low chance of them being able to introduce, say, Ich to the DT? Or are we just talking about shrimp and snails? I guess I'm wanting to know which inverts can be (somewhat) safely added by dipping and which absolutely have to be QT'd?

I realize there is no 100% other than QT'ing.

[niqiri]

Well for most people who QT, they want to eliminate all risk, so while there might only be a small chance that shrimps or snails would transfer ich, there is still that level of risk. And you still have to consider the chance that an ich parasite could form a cyst on the shrimp or snail, which would make it nearly impossible to remove just with a wash. So, to be 100 percent sure that you don't transfer any ich, qt all corals, inverts, sand, macroalge, and live rocks you acquire from other sources. Good luck.

[b0bab0ey]

Well for most people who QT, they want to eliminate all risk, so while there might only be a small chance that shrimps or snails would transfer ich, there is still that level of risk. And you still have to consider the chance that an ich parasite could form a cyst on the shrimp or snail, which would make it nearly impossible to remove just with a wash. So, to be 100 percent sure that you don't transfer any ich, qt all corals, inverts, sand, macroalge, and live rocks you acquire from other sources. Good luck.

One thing that annoys me about QT'ing inverts is you have to make all your purchases at once or wait 6 weeks in-between. For some reason, this is easier to do w/fish than inverts. Maybe it's because I always seem to need another snail or two. For example, you buy a nice coral frag and put it in QT. The clock starts. A week or two later you notice some algae build-up in your DT, don't really want to wait another 4-5 weeks and it gets out of hand, so you buy some snails. OK, put them in QT, clock re-starts. A week after that your fav LFS is having a killer sale on fire shrimp. Clock starts again. It never fails. The only way I see around this is to have multiple QT tanks for inverts. I have a 58g reef, a 29g QT for fish, a 20g QT for inverts and a little tiny apt. 3 QTs just isn't practical for me. Believe me, I've been doing this for over 20+ yrs so I know what the "right answer" is here. And if I get burned, I've got no one to blame but myself. But I'm just wondering how low really are the odds if you dip your shrimp/snails/crabs before adding them.

[niqiri]

I can certainly see how running multiple qt's would be awful. However, if you assume that the only ich parasites present are theronts, which die within 24 hours if they cannot find a host, then a week might suffice. It's really a matter of how sure you want to be. One could argue that a 24 week period is needed to fully starve out the ich, but one also needs to find a balance between a qt period that is doable and one that is too risky.

[b0bab0ey]

I've been doing s/w since the early 1980s and it took me a long time to even begin using a QT, yet alone a QT for inverts! In the beginning, I probably went 10 years and maybe got Ich twice. I just ran FO w/dead coral skeletons so I just treated with Coppersafe and done. Back then, I was keeping fish alive for 5-10 years with tap water, u/g filter, etc. Tanks were jammed pack full of fish too, including lots of these forbidden tangs! In the 90s I started noticing diseases I never saw before (mainly bacterial, fungus, lymphocytis) so I started QT'ing my fish. I started losing fish a lot more frequently, even in QT. Those were the days when wet/dry trickle filters and bio-balls were all the rage! Fast forward to today, and I think it's awesome how we're able to keep corals/inverts with relative ease these days using new technology. I never could do that back in the day. But IMO the fishkeeping side just keeps getting worse and worse. It seems every fish I buy now looks great in the LFS but then comes down with some sort of disease I have to treat for in QT. I just assume every fish I buy now has a disease! I've tried different LFSs that use different wholesalers. I now only buy from LFSs that use Segrest Farms as their wholesaler and I've been having better luck.