Saltwater Quarantine

Cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis), peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni), fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius), pistol shrimp, sexy shrimp, trochus snails, astrea snails, cerith snails, nassarius snails, blue-leg and scarlet hermit crabs, tuxedo and pincushion urchins, serpent and brittle stars, emerald crabs, conch (Strombus), feather dusters, and sand-sifting starfish.

Reef invertebrates are LETHALLY sensitive to copper at any therapeutic level — never expose them to a tank that is currently treating with copper or that has had copper in the past unless you have stripped it with a high-grade carbon and resin (Cuprisorb) and confirmed copper is undetectable. They are also intolerant of formalin, hyposalinity below 1.020, organophosphates, and most antibiotics. Echinoderms (urchins, stars, cucumbers) are particularly fragile and require the longest drip-acclimation. Sudden salinity, pH, or temperature swings can kill within hours — they have no osmoregulation buffer.

1. Open the shipping box in low light. Float the unopened bag in your QT or reef for 15 minutes to equalize temperature.
2. Transfer the invertebrate and shipping water into a clean (copper-free) bucket placed below the tank.
3. Drip-acclimate from the destination tank at 2-4 drops per second using airline tubing.
4. Drip for 60 minutes for shrimp/snails, 90+ minutes for urchins, stars, and cucumbers, until volume has at least tripled.
5. Match salinity to within 0.001 sg before transfer. Net or scoop into the tank — never pour shipping water in.
6. Place in a low-flow shaded area for the first 24-48 hours. Keep lights dimmed on day one.

• Day 0: Drip-acclimate, place in shaded low-flow zone, observe for righting response (urchins/stars).
• Day 1: Look for active grazing in snails, tucked-in tube feet on stars, and shrimp grooming behavior.
• Days 2-7: Watch for tissue erosion on stars (a death sentence — isolate immediately), shell damage on snails, and molt activity in shrimp.
• Weeks 2-3: Confirm steady feeding and no aggression from existing tankmates. Hermits and emerald crabs may need supplemental feeding.
• Week 4: A successfully acclimated reef invert is grazing actively, moving with purpose, and shows no tissue, shell, or limb degradation.

Most reef invertebrates cannot be medicated at all. Reef-safe options are: freshwater dip (pH and temperature matched, 1-3 minutes) for external parasites on shrimp ONLY, iodine dips (Lugol's at 1 drop per cup, 10 minutes) for shrimp and snail wounds, Flatworm eXit (rapra-praziquantel) for flatworms on corals/snails — risky, do a small test first and run carbon after, and ReVive coral cleaner at half-dose for surface bacteria. NEVER copper, NEVER formalin, NEVER hyposalinity. For pest control, manual removal or wrasse/peppermint shrimp predation is preferred over chemical treatment.

Aiptasia and majano anemones (peppermint shrimp or Aiptasia X), bristle worms (mostly beneficial — only Hermodice carunculata is harmful), vermetid snails (manually crush), pyramidellid snails (lethal to clams/snails — remove on sight), red bugs and acro-eating flatworms (interceptor or FWE), zoanthid-eating nudibranchs (manual removal), montipora-eating nudibranchs, asterina stars (mostly harmless, a few eat coral), mantis shrimp (trap and remove), gorilla crabs (remove), and the occasional bonus copepod/amphipod bloom (great food).

A 10-20 gallon bare-bottom QT or refugium with cured live rock rubble, a small heater, a powerhead for moderate flow, a refractometer (NOT a swing-arm hydrometer), high-quality salt mix, a copper test kit (Salifert/Hanna), a tight-fitting lid (shrimp jump, stars climb), and equipment that has NEVER touched copper. A small frag rack for surface hitchhiker observation is useful.

Temperature 76-80°F, salinity 1.025-1.026 (NEVER below 1.022 for echinoderms), pH 8.1-8.4, ammonia and nitrite 0, nitrate under 10 ppm, phosphate 0.02-0.08 ppm, alkalinity 8-9 dKH, calcium 420-440 ppm, magnesium 1300-1400 ppm. Copper MUST be undetectable (under 0.01 ppm). Avoid swings of more than 0.001 sg or 1°F in 24 hours.

…a starfish or urchin starts deflating or losing limbs

Salinity shock or copper exposure. Test salinity and copper immediately. If salinity is off, perform a slow drip-correction over 4-6 hours. If copper is detected, move the animal to a confirmed copper-free system. Tissue loss past 24 hours is usually fatal — remove to avoid ammonia spike.

…shrimp die immediately after a water change or new addition

Likely an osmotic shock (mismatched salinity/temperature), a contaminated bucket, or undetected copper. Test new salt mix, calibrate refractometer with 35 ppt calibration fluid, and run a Cuprisorb cycle in the sump.

…snails fall and stay on their back

Many trochus/astrea cannot right themselves — flip them upright when you see them. If repeatedly inactive, check salinity, alkalinity, and temperature. Hermits will sometimes flip snails to attack them — count shells.

…aiptasia is spreading

Spot-treat with Aiptasia X or kalkwasser paste, add 2-3 peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni, NOT camel shrimp), or introduce a Berghia nudibranch in a heavily infested tank. Never cut or break aiptasia — fragments regenerate.

…a hermit crab is attacking snails or shrimp

Provide more empty shells slightly larger than the hermit's current one. If attacks continue, remove the offender — some species (especially large blue-legs and red-legs) are obligate predators.

…the entire reef goes cloudy after introducing a sand-sifting star or cucumber

A dying or expelling cucumber can wipe out a reef in hours. Remove the animal immediately, run carbon and a polyfilter, perform a 30-50% water change, and increase aeration.