Is your reef red bug free now whisperer
Another option for red bugs
- Thread starter Whisperer
- Start date
Is your reef red bug free now whisperer
ousnakebyte
New member
So, over the past two days, I have dipped about 35 different species of corals using the protocol I listed above. The vast majority have shown very little or no ill effects. However, a few colonies have been affected. Of course, I didn't take any before pictures b/c, well, I am an idiot. So, you'll have to take my 1,000 words in lieu of the photograph...
This A. valida already had some significant discoloration from the AEFW, but it is even more pale now. But, I think it will recover nicely:
I had three separate colonies of A. hyacinthus (at least, I think they were hyacinthus) that were all a nice red with good polyp extension and looking very healthy, and all three looked like this post dip:
These two above were all in the batch that was dipped for 15 minutes.
Finally, this frag also looked very healthy right before the dip - good red coloration, good PE, etc. I actually dipped this frag for 10 minutes instead of 15. This is what it looks like a few hours after dipping:
Again, these are three species - one that was already not doing well - out of about 35 that seemed to have been affected. All the others are doing well. It reminds me of how some colonies would look - almost bleached out - after a dip in the Revive coral cleaner.
I still think this is a worthwhile treatment for exploration, but narrowing down a treatment protocol with proper experimentation is going to be key. Perhaps - as with Revive - there are some species that just will not tolerate this type of treatment.
On a side note, there are some banded coral shrimps that hang out in this tank as well. Immediately after placing the dipped and rinsed corals back into the quarantine tank, two of them came over to the corals and started to pick stuff off the colonies - perhaps dead tissue or other affected epiphytes. A few minutes after seeing them picking items off the corals, two of the banded coral shrimp were lying on their sides. Must have been some bad pie!
I immediately removed them to a different system where they remained very lethargic - lying on their sides and not responding to stimulus, but their swimmerettes were moving; however this morning I am happy to reporty they are all still alive, but two of them were really knocked out for a few hours. This might be something to consider if you have over-zealous cleaner, peppermint, or other scavenging crustaceans you would like to keep alive...
Cheers
Mike
This A. valida already had some significant discoloration from the AEFW, but it is even more pale now. But, I think it will recover nicely:
I had three separate colonies of A. hyacinthus (at least, I think they were hyacinthus) that were all a nice red with good polyp extension and looking very healthy, and all three looked like this post dip:
These two above were all in the batch that was dipped for 15 minutes.
Finally, this frag also looked very healthy right before the dip - good red coloration, good PE, etc. I actually dipped this frag for 10 minutes instead of 15. This is what it looks like a few hours after dipping:
Again, these are three species - one that was already not doing well - out of about 35 that seemed to have been affected. All the others are doing well. It reminds me of how some colonies would look - almost bleached out - after a dip in the Revive coral cleaner.
I still think this is a worthwhile treatment for exploration, but narrowing down a treatment protocol with proper experimentation is going to be key. Perhaps - as with Revive - there are some species that just will not tolerate this type of treatment.
On a side note, there are some banded coral shrimps that hang out in this tank as well. Immediately after placing the dipped and rinsed corals back into the quarantine tank, two of them came over to the corals and started to pick stuff off the colonies - perhaps dead tissue or other affected epiphytes. A few minutes after seeing them picking items off the corals, two of the banded coral shrimp were lying on their sides. Must have been some bad pie!
I immediately removed them to a different system where they remained very lethargic - lying on their sides and not responding to stimulus, but their swimmerettes were moving; however this morning I am happy to reporty they are all still alive, but two of them were really knocked out for a few hours. This might be something to consider if you have over-zealous cleaner, peppermint, or other scavenging crustaceans you would like to keep alive...
Cheers
Mike
Last edited:
ousnakebyte
New member
Without a doubt - this cannot be an in-tank treatment. Only dip corals outside the main display. When those shrimps had that "bad pie," I immediately thought of that Trapper Keeper episode of South Park where Cartman ate Rosie O'donnell:
I have another frag in a different system that I just found AEFW on. Today, I am going to try the Ivermectin treatment to see if there are similar results. I will post BEFORE AND AFTER pics this time...
Cheers
Mike
ousnakebyte
New member
Okay, as promised, I found an ORA german blue polyp frag confirmed with AEFW. I tried the Ivermectin treatment described here:
Ivermectin to control Red Bugs
I used about the same concentration described in that treatment.
Here is what the frag looked like pre-dip; decent polyp extension:
15-20 minutes after placing in the dip, I found 5 AEFW that had fallen off; they were still moving around:
Here is what it looked like 4 hours into the treatment - you can still see the original 5 AEFW, but they were no longer moving:
I left the frag in the dip for the recommended 6 hours. Here's where the story takes a turn.
I then did this Bayer dip on the same frag for 10 minutes using 2mLs of the Bayer treatment in 1/2 liter of tank water. A few minutes after placing the frag in the dip, 4 more AEFW fell off and started writhing in pain (much to my pleasure...). So, it seems they were still alive.
Hmmmmm.... why did some fall off in the Ivermectin treatment and others were seemingly unaffected...? I did have the frag in with an air stone, not a powerhead. Perhaps if I had performed the dip in Ivermectin using a powerhead instead of an airstone, the remaining (presumably weakened?) AEFW would have had a more difficult time clinging on...? I should like to repeat this experiment.
Oh, and the frag is perfectly fine.
My hypothesis is that both this Bayer treatment and Ivermectin can be used to fight the AEFW (and Red Bugs too), but I think it is clear that the Bayer treatment is much stronger. However, it does seem to negatively affect some corals, at least... in the concentrations that have been tested.
I should like to try another dip with this Bayer treatment in a lower concentration on the same colony of A. hyacinthus to see if 1) it will still get rid of the AEFW and 2) if it does not harm the colony.
I should also like to repeat the Ivermectin study in the same concentration, but this time with stronger flow (powerhead) and then repeat with a follow-up dip in Bayer.
Now, I need more AEFW......... :thumbsup:
Cheers
Mike
Ivermectin to control Red Bugs
I used about the same concentration described in that treatment.
Here is what the frag looked like pre-dip; decent polyp extension:
15-20 minutes after placing in the dip, I found 5 AEFW that had fallen off; they were still moving around:
Here is what it looked like 4 hours into the treatment - you can still see the original 5 AEFW, but they were no longer moving:
I left the frag in the dip for the recommended 6 hours. Here's where the story takes a turn.
I then did this Bayer dip on the same frag for 10 minutes using 2mLs of the Bayer treatment in 1/2 liter of tank water. A few minutes after placing the frag in the dip, 4 more AEFW fell off and started writhing in pain (much to my pleasure...). So, it seems they were still alive.
Hmmmmm.... why did some fall off in the Ivermectin treatment and others were seemingly unaffected...? I did have the frag in with an air stone, not a powerhead. Perhaps if I had performed the dip in Ivermectin using a powerhead instead of an airstone, the remaining (presumably weakened?) AEFW would have had a more difficult time clinging on...? I should like to repeat this experiment.
Oh, and the frag is perfectly fine.
My hypothesis is that both this Bayer treatment and Ivermectin can be used to fight the AEFW (and Red Bugs too), but I think it is clear that the Bayer treatment is much stronger. However, it does seem to negatively affect some corals, at least... in the concentrations that have been tested.
I should like to try another dip with this Bayer treatment in a lower concentration on the same colony of A. hyacinthus to see if 1) it will still get rid of the AEFW and 2) if it does not harm the colony.
I should also like to repeat the Ivermectin study in the same concentration, but this time with stronger flow (powerhead) and then repeat with a follow-up dip in Bayer.
Now, I need more AEFW......... :thumbsup:
Cheers
Mike
"Now, I need more AEFW........."
Me too.... I have been basting and such - and had been able to collect a few. But now I can't get any to fall off of the tricolor I had been using.
Not too often do two people (let alone one) say they need more AEFW!
I'm wanting to sustain them (attempt at least) in a pico tank in order to study their life cycle a bit. The AEFW in my tank apparently read RC, because since I posted that, they haven't showed their ugly little butts since.
Me too.... I have been basting and such - and had been able to collect a few. But now I can't get any to fall off of the tricolor I had been using.
Not too often do two people (let alone one) say they need more AEFW!
I'm wanting to sustain them (attempt at least) in a pico tank in order to study their life cycle a bit. The AEFW in my tank apparently read RC, because since I posted that, they haven't showed their ugly little butts since.
ousnakebyte
New member
I honestly have not read up a ton on them. Is it known how long it takes the eggs to hatch? I think I remember reading the Coral Zoo Workshop paper that said 4 treatments a week apart to get the "hatchlings." But, I don't know for sure.
Cheers
Mike
I love to see threads like this, that prove this hobby is still evolving with new ways to make it better for all.
Good Job Whisperer.
I am surprised the dips have been sufficient to rid tanks of RB. I would have assumed there would almost always be a few RB left behind in the DT that would simply re-colonize.
I can only assume there must be some absorption within the coral for at least the short term, that is killing the RB when the corals are returned to the DT.
Good Job Whisperer.
I am surprised the dips have been sufficient to rid tanks of RB. I would have assumed there would almost always be a few RB left behind in the DT that would simply re-colonize.
I can only assume there must be some absorption within the coral for at least the short term, that is killing the RB when the corals are returned to the DT.
gary faulkner
New member
White bugs are usually good bugs. What do they look like?
lecher
New member
Be sure to report back with your results good or bad (hopefully good), so the rest of us can learn too. Good luck.
BrassMonkey
Member
should i pull all sps out of the tank and dip or just acros? this is for red bugs. id like to dip every 5 days. soo0o can red bugs live off of other sps besides acros?
also whats the revised safe dose? i will be using the home pest version. .75 ml per cup?
also whats the revised safe dose? i will be using the home pest version. .75 ml per cup?
scionreefing
New member
SputnikNYC
New member
Great method unless you got a coral encrusted to a huge piece of rock!
Rickyrooz1
Acropora Nut
Not sure if anyone has posted this but I like watching the AEFW die while in this solution.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UZ4RZUIpdE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UZ4RZUIpdE
NICE!!! What dosage did you use?
So I completely wasn't following the thread as closely as I should of and tried 10 mL of the Bayer Complete Insect Killer concentrate in half a cup of water and dipped my coral for 10 minutes and completely melted the skin off the acro. However, there is still polyp extension soo I didn't completely kill of everything which is interesting to say the least.
