Put me on the I got red bugs list.

[jaustin]

Why not, let there be red bugs in my tank. I do not qurentine my coral so it was only a matter of time. Also I did not know that iodine dipping corals won't kill red bugs. I know now. I won't be setting up a quarentine tank because I don't have anywhere to put it but at least i'll be dipping in iodine, then flatworm exit, and then a few hrs in interseptor. That plan should work great for getting rid of any incoming pests, that and a good inspection for eggs.

Anyway back to the red bugs. I just dosed the tank with 5mg of interseptor (i've got almost 70g of water volume). I have chosen to leave my hermit crabs in there because I don't want to run the risk of bringing red bugs back in when it comes time to add the crabs.

Half of my hermit crabs are now dead and it's been 1.5 hrs since initial dosage. Not too bad though, i only have 15 or so crabs and no shrimp.

I can still see the red bugs on a couple of my SPS, from what i've read it isn't untill the 4hr mark that they start to die off. I'll keep this thread updated.

Oh and my carbon and skimmer are offline. The skimmer is covered in coraline algae and needed to run in vinigar anyway so that's where that is. I've got 15g of water mixing now and i'll change it out tomorrow morning at 5am and i'll get the carbon reactor back online. I've got enough interseptor for two more treatments in the weeks to come.

Happy reefing!
Jason

 

[jaustin]

might not need 2 more treatments. I did 2 total, no redbugs that I can see months later.

So, you did two treatments in 2 weeks? How many months has it been since you treated?

Everything make it (minus crustations)?

 

[jaustin]

2 hrs into treatment:

Hermit crabs dead.

Red bugs don't look happy. They aren't moving around alot.

 

[jaustin]

As long as you dont saw the words nudi or flat worm, im not that worried anymore.

Thank god.

2.5 hrs and there are a few bristle worms floating around the tank......makes me happy they are in pain....my fingers hurt from the other day. I had an encounter with one when i fliped over a small rock.

 

[ricksconnected]

red bugs only attract to corals i thought. they dont go after crabs.

 

[sra_chipmunk]

ricksconnected;402878 wrote: red bugs only attract to corals i thought. they dont go after crabs.

They dont, but the medication kills the crabs.

 

[jaustin]

red bugs only attract to corals i thought. they dont go after crabs.

They don't bother crustations....the interceptor kills the crabs.

 

[jaustin]

3hrs into treatment:

Red bugs are dying now, they are hanging off SPS and their #'s are dwindleing. Many more bristle worms are floating around the tank. I'll be goin on net patroll to fish out the dead bodies and i'll be bobbing for dead crabs.

 

[ricksconnected]

so why not just pull the crabs out so they dont die?

 

[weaglereefer]

Just curious if anyone knows the shelf life of interceptor. I have access to it legally, but would hate to need it on a weekend or holiday, or any other time when I can't get to my vet, and not have it on hand, or have it and it be past expiration.

 

[smoothie]

I have a qt tank in the garage if you ever need one. It's around a 10g hex front.
I also have plenty of bristle worms in my planted tank if ya need more. You know you want'em

 

[ricksconnected]

au01st;402919 wrote: Just curious if anyone knows the shelf life of interceptor. I have access to it legally, but would hate to need it on a weekend or holiday, or any other time when I can't get to my vet, and not have it on hand, or have it and it be past expiration.

i do know its best stored in the fridg if not used right away.

 

[jaustin]

Hour 4:

Most of the red bugs are dead and gone. There are a few stragglers on some of the SPS. We'll see what things look like at 5 a.m. All my SPS, LPS, Zoa/Paly, and clams are all doing great with no side affects. New carbon is standing by and the skimmer is still bathing in vinigar...my bathroom reeks!

so why not just pull the crabs out so they dont die?

Don't want to risk putting them back in with more red bugs....no way to clean the red bugs off the crabs unless you QT them for weeks. Also couldn't get to all of them. The only QT tank i have also houses a Mantis shrimp named Cuddles. From what i've read not all of them die...but in my case they all died right away. It's hit and miss with crustations.

I also have plenty of bristle worms in my planted tank if ya need more. You know you want'em

Sad to say the only ones that are dying are the little ones. The big suckers are out looking for food now and still responsive to light.....was hoping they would die too.

 

[ryanh487]

get a product called "revive" by two little fishes. a 10 minute dip in that, followed by a gentle brushing with a soft bristled tooth brush to remove bodies/eggs takes care of them. i like to leave my sps on a frag rack for a couple weeks away from the rest of my corals so i can monitor them and re-dip as necessary (red bugs have about a 5-7 day life cycle). i have only had to dip a coral a second time once, and the other times there were definitely red bugs on the new frag... at least until they went into the dip. a good practice is a 10-15 minute dip in double strenght reef dip or lugols followed by a 10 minute dip (for sps) in revive. should take care of flat worms, red bugs, acro eating flat worms, and from what i've heard monti-eating nudies if you are careful to remove any eggs--though you'll still want to isolate and monitor new monties to be safe, those little nudis are TOUGH.

 

[smoothie]

On a positive note now's the time to go all snails

 

[jaustin]

On a positive note now's the time to go all snails

that's all that's left. Wiped out a hand full of pods and bristle worms. Still a TON of bristle worms left....no biggie....they can till the sand like normal and breed like rabbits. Same with the pods, i'm sure they will come back in full force. I didn't loose my live mysis shrimp, they are tooling around the rocks and sand bed.

Well @ 5am I woke up and did a 15g water change and fired up the newley packed carbon reactor. The skimmer is clean and skimming nicley.

Not one signe of red bugs on any of my acros. I'm going to repeat this treatment in 7 days and hopefully never see these guys again. I'll post my findings in the days/weeks to come in this thread so if anybody searches they can stumble apon it. Clams, SPS, LPS, feather dusters, spunges, LR, and all the fish are fine.

 

[jaustin]

1 large tab has 25mg of the active ingrediant and the pill I used has 5mg. I must have had weak crabs.