# Quarantine snails and shrimp?



## shannonpwns (Jul 15, 2013)

Do I need to quarantine snails and shrimp? If so...how do I feed them during the quarantine?

My LFS sells nerite snails for 2.99, so I wanted to get a few of those and also some ghost shrimp...but I'm not sure if they need to be quarantined like fish do...


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## Micho (Aug 22, 2011)

Any living organism that enters your tank should be quarantined, incase they're carrying some disease that'll spread throughout your tank.

Just plop them into a a quarantine tank or something along those lines, make sure it's heated and the water parameters are stabled, feed them like you would if they're in your 20g. Nerites eat algae wafers, shrimps are scavengers and will accept anything as long as they get food.


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## shannonpwns (Jul 15, 2013)

About how long should I quarantine nerite snails and ghost shrimp? 2 weeks?


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Two weeks to one month.


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## shannonpwns (Jul 15, 2013)

Thanks! Ill do that for sure, it'll give me some time to get to know my snails! :-D


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Yup! It's always a good precaution, even if it doesn't often result in anything.


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## shannonpwns (Jul 15, 2013)

Yea I definitely don't want to take any chances with my sorority (or any of my bettas!), that's why I thought it would be a good idea to ask first! Thanks.


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## Namialus (Jul 9, 2013)

I know this is an older thread that has already been answered but I was wondering - Snails and shrimp are known to *not* be carriers of fish disease. Why would they need to be quarantined? Just curious.


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## shannonpwns (Jul 15, 2013)

I read that they may carry parasites, but tbh, I Q'd the snails for 2 days and ended up putting them in my tank...maybe I'm a bad fish owner though.


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## Namialus (Jul 9, 2013)

shannonpwns said:


> I read that they may carry parasites, but tbh, I Q'd the snails for 2 days and ended up putting them in my tank...maybe I'm a bad fish owner though.


LOL. Yah, I'd probably do that too.


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## ashleylyn (Mar 30, 2013)

I didn't QT my mystery snail. *shifty eyes*


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## Namialus (Jul 9, 2013)

ashleylyn said:


> I didn't QT my mystery snail. *shifty eyes*


I'm getting ghost shrimp and a nerite tomorrow, I think... Not sure if I should QT.


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## peachii (Jan 6, 2013)

I'll be honest and admit to not doing quarantine for shrimp and snails like I do for fish. So far I haven't had an issue, although I do put them into non-fish store/shipping water slowly to acclimate them and won't introduce them to my tanks until they are in completely clean water. 

Doing a fresh quarantine tank for shrimp that isn't cycled and ready for shrimp - especially the more expensive kinds could actually be very detrimental and kill the shrimp before they ever make it to your tank to enjoy. Shrimp are very, very, very particular to water quality and fluctuations.


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## ashleylyn (Mar 30, 2013)

Namialus said:


> I'm getting ghost shrimp and a nerite tomorrow, I think... Not sure if I should QT.


You really can't go wrong with quarantining... but I'm just too impatient.  Now with my sorority I'd be a bit more proactive though as I really don't want to risk my girls.


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

Someone on the board told me they can carry columnaris. I have two mystery snails that I don't intend to put in my tank because one has something fuzzy growing on it's tenacles. They were closed when I bought them. I was having trouble find the size and color I wanted locally and they the color what I wanted. I have quarantined all of my snails. Fish and the supplies cost too much for an infection to hit.


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## fishkid (Jul 29, 2008)

Unless they were in a tank w/ fish I see no need to quarantine


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

I've never seen any snail or shrimp in a petstore not in a tank with fish. I use gallon container and keep changing it daily for at least two weeks. I figure lots of clean water is filtering through the snails system. I have one tank set aside for quarantines right now for fish but not everyone can do that.


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## Namialus (Jul 9, 2013)

That's so odd.... I've always understood that shrimp and snails do not carry fish disease so QTing them is no need... but of course, the WATER they came in could have disease so being rid of that is, of course, a must. 

I wanted to get the two for tomorrow but now I'm not sure if I should... I can't QT them.


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

You can get a food grade container poke holes in it and add a little gravel to it and quarantine them in there provided you are getting snails. I did that with my trumpet snails. I've used sterilite and food grade containers from the dollar store for fish also for temporary quarters.


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