Do you QT macro algae?

[pyithar]

i'm planning to add some chaeto to my fuge. i like caulerpa more but i've read many sad stories about caulerpa going "sexual". anyway, should i quarantine new chaeto? do you quarantine macro algae? if so, for how long? can i dip it in fresh water? how about dipping it in cupramine? will chaeto survive? thanks for reading!

[Pife]

I haven't qt it in the past but with my new setup that I am working on I think I am and I am only going to start off with a very small clump. I wouldn't do any copper as I would think that it would soak into the plant.

[Scott07]

Not positive about anything except that you absolutely can dip chaeto in fresh water. If you're concerned... i'd probably just give it a quick rinse under the sink or in some RO/DI. Chaeto is pretty close to indestructible IME....

[pyithar]

I haven't qt it in the past but with my new setup that I am working on I think I am and I am only going to start off with a very small clump. I wouldn't do any copper as I would think that it would soak into the plant.

i did not quarantine chaeto in my previous system either. but i guess i'll quarantine them this time. if i can't use copper that means longer qt time.

[pyithar]

Not positive about anything except that you absolutely can dip chaeto in fresh water. If you're concerned... i'd probably just give it a quick rinse under the sink or in some RO/DI. Chaeto is pretty close to indestructible IME....

i once dip chaeto in freshwater for 7 minutes. but before that i put them in a 5 gallon bucket of saltwater+ 1 bottle of tincture of iodine soultion for 20 minutes. i don't remember what i was trying to accomplish. after all that, they looked like fried veggies( became soft and brownish color). :D so i figured they are dead so i threw them away.

[MondoBongo]

if it is wet, it goes through my QT system.

i actually have a big ball of chaeto in there now.

[pyithar]

ya. that is the right thing to do. quarantining everything wet. thanks guys. btw, do you qt chaeto for 4 weeks?

[MondoBongo]

personally i do a little longer, but i also tend to group it with things like inverts.

since the QT period can be so lengthy, i typically go stock up on CUC and whatever else i need like more macro, then put them all in QT at the same time.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I suppose it depends on where it came from. I've never done so, but if I thought it came from a tank with significant disease, I might confine it for a while after rinsing very well.

I too have freshwater dipped Chaetomorpha. In my case, it was to reduce cyano on it.

[pyithar]

personally i do a little longer, but i also tend to group it with things like inverts.

since the QT period can be so lengthy, i typically go stock up on CUC and whatever else i need like more macro, then put them all in QT at the same time.

thanks. i really like your idea. hitting two birds with one stone. i think i'll do it your way. i also need to quarantine a diadema anyway. i just hope it doesn't eat all the chaeto during qt.

[pyithar]

I suppose it depends on where it came from. I've never done so, but if I thought it came from a tank with significant disease, I might confine it for a while after rinsing very well.

I too have freshwater dipped Chaetomorpha. In my case, it was to reduce cyano on it.

it's coming from a system with 90% certainty of ich in my case. i wanted to rinse it well and put it in my system to save time but the risk is too big i guess. it's good to know fresh water dipping reduces cyano. how long did you dip chaeto in FW? thanks.

[Spar]

i have a friend that is 100% certain he transferred over Ich via new macro algae. macro's are such a safe haven for so many things, no reason it isn't plausible.

FW dips won't impact the cyst stage (tomites) of Ich. you would need to allow enough time to pass for the cysts to hatch and then whatever QT-method being taken to take effect.

cysts have been known to stay encysted for up to 72 days. for this reason, i QT all things wet for 12 weeks to be safe. likely excessive, but I'm not willing to take the risk just to get something in my DT quicker.

[Spar]

oh, also, be very careful of using meds with macro algae, especially chaeto... they absorb like a sponge! i was being anal about red bugs so dipped my chaeto with interceptor; rinsed very well and then put the chaeto in my QT that had a bunch of peppermint shrimp and a pair of cleaner shrimp. all died within a day. i would be highly concerned about copper for this reason, just in case was being considered.

[FishNFun]

Chaeto is a great way to transfer flatworms. Don't ask me how I know that! ;)

[zeebies]

Yes, it goes in my invert only QT for 12 weeks - just like going fallow... just in case.

[pyithar]

thanks for the replies guys! i really appreciate them. i won't be using any chemical with chaeto from now on. last time i used iodine on it, i didn't notice any ill-effects because i threw them away right after thinking they're dead without putting them into my system. i was lucky :D

[hogfanreefer]

I don't QT chaeto but I do very closely inspect it after getting a ball that had about 30 aiptasia in it from a friend!