Red Bugs, anybody dealt with them?

[dough]

Reading through other forums, theory is if you have them in your tank you need to treat the whole tank. A dip in TMCCC will not kill all the red bugs in your tank. So in order to accomplish the mass killing in the tank you need Interceptor, or a dragonface pipefish.

 

[dough]

Pix of red bugs from another forum
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[dough]

Oh yeah Brandon "You funny man" :lol2:

Brandon and please give me a call about your project.

 

[cameron]

Xyzpdq0121;36598 wrote: I think nuking your tank is almost a last resort!

Unless your tank is like mine and many others where the coral has grown into the rock. It would be easier to get a good selection of inverts out easier than removing the corals. I think JustOneMoreTank was in a similar boat. Dipping is great if you can get them all out of the tank however. I dip every coral before it hits the tank.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

If you had red bugs in the display, I would still treat the whole tank. MAny people who have battled through it have said to even keep everything in circualtion (skimmer, fuge, etc.), just deactivate them (close the air inlets to skimmers, turn off UV, etc) because the red bug eggs or stray red bugs will more than likely still be in your tank.

So unless you can dip them, and then hold them elsewhere for a while while the display runs fallow, I would treat the whole tank- to your arthropods demise.:boo:

 

[glxtrix]

now I'm not too sure how valid this is but I heard that red bugs are not free swimming and can only survive if acros are present. I also left my skimmer on, but not running.

 

[siege]

The wikipedia post related by Xyzpdq notes that they live only on or around acro's - the implication being that they require acro's to survive. Apparently, if disturbed, some might come off and swim around the water column looking for another acro, but if said acro is isolated for a while in a QT tank for a week or so, I would have to assume they'd die off before too long.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

glxtrix;36660 wrote: now I'm not too sure how valid this is but I heard that red bugs are not free swimming and can only survive if acros are present. I also left my skimmer on, but not running.

Yes, but they have to leave the acros for periods- otherwise, they couldnt infect other acros. They will live on and feed off the acros, but will enter the substrate and water column as well. Treat the whole tank.

 

[suasati]

I had to treat my tank last year, I had a hell of a time finding interceptor tabs. Treated the whole tank, took carbon out, didn't stop the skimmer and do not have UV or ozone. I treated twice with 50% w/c after 24hrs of the first treatment and the second treatment after 4days. Haven't seen any infestation since.
After about 2hrs, my crabs and shrimp started to sway with the water flow, while I promptly removed (they look dazed and was easier to catch)and isolated them to a 10gallon tanks, didn't loose any of them, about 30 or so blue legged hermits, 2 blood shrimp and a cleaner shrimp. I also had an acro crab on a pocillopora, which(the whole coral) I removed, to the QT tank even before treatment began and introduced it back after the treatment along with the shrimp and crabs.

Your best bet is interceptor, either a full tank treatment or leave your tank with no acro for a good bit of time, forgot how long, if you decide on it instead.
After the treatment several of my acros started to show amazing growth and color. I had such a high infestation, within half hour of interceptor hitting the water I had redbugs floating all over the water column. Good Luck.

 

[kwl1763]

Agree with Cameron, jmaney and others. while eggs aren't a concern as they are direct brooders unless you are 100% sure you can get 100% of the acropora tissue (nothing is encrusted, etc) out then just treat the whole tank with interceptor. The worst that will happen is you will lose some crabs and pods and potentially some shrimp. It's really is a fairly easy thing to do. I've never known anyone who regretted doing it!

 

[tsciarini]

The life cycle of RedBugs is approx 5days without a host. Assuming you can remove ALL acros from your system, treat them in a QT and hold them out of the system for atleast 3 weeks... you should be fine. That should be sufficient time for any unhatched eggs etc. Otherwise treating the entire system will wipe out inverts, pods etc as others have mentioned. Its all a matter of what resources you have and risks you're comfortable taking.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

I agree with Tony here, I have set up my system to handle minor emergencies such as this. I keep hospital tanks and QT tanks for a reason. I think a nuke is the last resort for me. I would also be weary of what Interceptor will do to your clams.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Xyzpdq0121;36724 wrote: I agree with Tony here, I have set up my system to handle minor emergencies such as this. I keep hospital tanks and QT tanks for a reason. I think a nuke is the last resort for me. I would also be weary of what Interceptor will do to your clams.

Rest assured Brandon, interceptor doesnt harm clams, but will negatively effect shrimps, crabs, and arthropods. I think "nuking" the tank is a bit extreme- it wont harm anything other than described if used as offered by other reefers. I have never had red bugs, but have heard from other who have that treatment of the entire tank is almost a requirement, because otherwise they will and have shown up again.

As stated, interceptor is not necessarily easy to come by. It is a prescription med, and the veterinarian who prescribes a med for non-labelled uses is risking his license for doing so. This is why many vets are apprehensive to do so.

 

[glxtrix]

I can assure you it does not harm clams. I had two clams back when I did the treatment and they were perfectly fine, didnt even look like they noticed any change in the water.

 

[showtime305]

Ok, so who here has some Interceptor or can direct me to some underground connections to get some ?

 

[dough]

Ok, so who here has some Interceptor or can direct me to some underground connections to get some

HEY HEY HEY, Wait just a minute. This is my thread I am first in line.

So who has some Interceptor that they want to part with or directions to whom may have some. I may split it with AJ! Maybe.......

AJ did you call around yet? I am going to call my vet tomorrow and ask. You do need a prescription to order it off the internet.

 

[dough]

Of course our vet gave my dog Heartguard.

 

[showtime305]

:tongue: Of course I was going to share with you. I'm going to make a few calls tomorrow. I'll let you know if I find some.

 

[dough]

AJ I sent you a PM...........

 

[xyzpdq0121]

My best friend in Texas is a Vet, I can see if she call call me in an RX to DR. Fosters.