Is Intercpetor the only "in tank" treatment for Red Bugs?

waverz

waverz

Slave to the reef!
I have been noticing a few of my acros slowly browning out on me over the last few weeks. Upon closer examination it appears I have a pretty bad case of red bugs.

I've had them in the past and thought it wouldn't be a big deal, just get some Interceptor, treat a couple times and they will be gone.

WRONG!

Turns out you can't even get Interceptor anymore and now I'm pretty much up **** creek.

I really don't want to pull all my SPS and dip it. Is Interceptor the only "in tank" treatment that is safe? I would give my youngest born for a single tablet at this point.
 
dvanacker said:
Uh...interceptor shortage....that could be bad...well at least for those with red bugs right now.
Click to expand...


Ya' think? I'm watching these little bastards having a party on some of favorite Acros and there's nothing I can do about it.

This is bad.
 
Go to a vet, bring an infected frag with you as well as print out info on red bugs. The vet will give you Interceptor. If you have dogs you can order it online as well. There are also generic brands of interceptor or you can use Ivermection which is a liquid animal de-wormer and works the same as the pill version/Interceptor.
 
You have options, you just might not like them for the work or struggle involved.

This isn't a full proof method but many report dragon-faced pipefish and various wrasses working well at reducing populations.
Pros: In tank, reportedly works, don't have to disturb any inhabitants for treatment
Cons: Might not work, additional feeding of pipefish, potentially bad husbandry

Rip out every acro you have and dip the biggest pieces in Bayer Insect Killer and quarantine. Kill encrusting areas all together. "Reboot" your acroporas.
Pros: Nearly eliminate red bugs overnight, cheaper than interceptor, doesn't kill microfauna in the display tank
Cons: Depending on how many acros you have this could actually be impossible without just starting over, certain rocks may need to be removed and either killed entirely or the encrusted area chipped away, labor intensive, disheartening

I guess it all depends on how bad your infestation is. Maybe you can just wait for interceptor to be available again. But maybe it makes you so angry that you're willing to go to extremes to rid yourself of this pest as I have. I hope you are able to solve your issue with them. Good luck!
 
Problem with pipe fish is they are a lagoon fish and a reef dwelling fish. That are not strange swimmers and most sps tanks have way to much flow for them to handle. There are some many fish that "help" or "eat" red bugs but in very few cases do they actually eat any at all of help to control an out break. You need to treat for the red bugs then adding a fish like a wrasse to help control any that many come back. Again this method is hit and miss but more miss than anything.
I would start by removing and dipping with Bayer.
 
FYI, I have used interceptor at very high dosages to kill some sea spiders that were difficult to rid of. I also did not do a water change for over a week with absolutely no ill effects on the corals or clams. It's a good precautionary measure to prevent them from coming back. GL
 
You can get interceptor from megapetsupplies.com. Just received my order from them. Shipping was only $6 from Australia and took a week and a half to get to my mailbox
 
allsps40 said:
Problem with pipe fish is they are a lagoon fish and a reef dwelling fish. That are not strange swimmers and most sps tanks have way to much flow for them to handle. There are some many fish that "help" or "eat" red bugs but in very few cases do they actually eat any at all of help to control an out break. You need to treat for the red bugs then adding a fish like a wrasse to help control any that many come back. Again this method is hit and miss but more miss than anything.
I would start by removing and dipping with Bayer.
Click to expand...

agreed, althought, my pipe fish can swim against a MP60 !!! haha, suprising I know but those guys can take a lot of flow !

but mine does not eat red bugs :(
 
I dont think there is that much of a shortage....i got a few for my dog not too long ago. They were ready to sell me their whole stock of it lol
 
There is a shortage of Interceptor in the USA due to problems at the manufacturer. Company not telling when they will be back up and running. The only interceptor out there is the ones vets had from previous orders.
You can get from overseas, but i wouldn't TRUST the sources.
 
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