Is this Red Bugs?

DopeCantWin

Active member
I'm having issues with a few corals, do you see any pests on these? I need to order a Macro lens.

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Can't see anything. Red bugs are easily distinguishable. Do you see any moving red dots on your blue acro?

No. Some more info. I use to have Red Bugs. That Blue guy was one of the worst effected, had no polyp extension. I treated for red bugs and the polyp extension came back, but now it's starting to go away again.
 
Well I blew your pics up on my iMac and filtered out some temperatures in the picture and nothing looks like red bugs. A macro lense would tell for sure but is say your 80% clear of them, maybe AEFW?
 
Well I blew your pics up on my iMac and filtered out some temperatures in the picture and nothing looks like red bugs. A macro lense would tell for sure but is say your 80% clear of them, maybe AEFW?

How soon would AEFW be noticed? The last time I put in an Acro in my tank was maybe 6 months ago. Since then I've put a Monti in my tank. Everything gets quarantined for 3 weeks and dipped repeatedly in CoralRX before going in the tank.
 
Turn off all your pumps, get a turkey baster and wait for all water movement to stop. Suck water in to the turkey baster (don't let bubbles get in it) blow the acro off with a short burst of water and see if any tiny strings fly off into the water or hang off the acro itself. If you have a curious wrasse, or atleast a hungry one, they'll be eating them like Christmas dinner.

But honestly judging by your pictures I don't think that's the case. Has your coral lost color as well? Have you changed lighting schedule recently or started doing anything out f your normal routine?
 
Turn off all your pumps, get a turkey baster and wait for all water movement to stop. Suck water in to the turkey baster (don't let bubbles get in it) blow the acro off with a short burst of water and see if any tiny strings fly off into the water or hang off the acro itself. If you have a curious wrasse, or atleast a hungry one, they'll be eating them like Christmas dinner.

But honestly hiding by your pictures I don't think that's the case. Has your coral lost color as well? Have you changed lighting schedule recently or started doing anything out f your normal routine?

I'll give the baster a shot. I've been looking hard for AEFW bites but don't see much that could qualify. I have a 6 line and a Candy Hog. This same coral use to be bleached, so I lowered the photoperiod a little. After that it browned out.
 
I see it's encrusted onto the rock already, maybe instead of adjusting the light period are you able to move it lower or is it attached to a big one. It's lost A lot of color it looks like, do you dose amino acids? What's your potassium?
 
Whether not not red bugs are a factor, I don't think there's any way to say from those photos. However, looking at your rock I can pretty confidently say you have some nutrient issues.
 
I see it's encrusted onto the rock already, maybe instead of adjusting the light period are you able to move it lower or is it attached to a big one. It's lost A lot of color it looks like, do you dose amino acids? What's your potassium?

It's on a very big rock with several large colonies attached to it, so moving it or detaching it isn't a great option. I can break off a piece and try mounting it lower. My dosing is Kalk reactor. Reef Chilli in the morning Frozen food in the evening. Don't have a Potassium test kit. If it helps the Acro is Vivid's Rainbow, a known hard to work with coral.
 
Whether not not red bugs are a factor, I don't think there's any way to say from those photos. However, looking at your rock I can pretty confidently say you have some nutrient issues.

Good catch on the rocks, I was so just looking at the coral I didn't see it! What are your phosphate and nitrate at?
 
Whether not not red bugs are a factor, I don't think there's any way to say from those photos. However, looking at your rock I can pretty confidently say you have some nutrient issues.

I don't test nutrients much, but last time I did, Nitrates were at .5 and Phosphates are always 0. I've always had just those tiny short hairs on rocks, but absolutely no patches or anything else. I have no clean up crew at all in my 210, but several baby tangs.
 
I started dosing Reef Chilli and overfeeding because Acros were looking bleached. Also I wanted some more of that hair on the rocks for Tang food.
 
I started dosing Reef Chilli and overfeeding because Acros were looking bleached. Also I wanted some more of that hair on the rocks for Tang food.

I wouldn't feed so much of reef chili especially everyday, I'm sure it adds a ton of nutrients in the tank. Try dosing some amino acid to your tank. You might have 0 phosphates on a test kit but it could all be eaten up by algae. ( I know everyone says it and is a broken record)

I'd cut back a bit on the feeding and get a bottle of amino acid. For your tangs why don't you just put nori in?
 
I wouldn't feed so much of reef chili especially everyday, I'm sure it adds a ton of nutrients in the tank. Try dosing some amino acid to your tank. You might have 0 phosphates on a test kit but it could all be eaten up by algae. ( I know everyone says it and is a broken record)

I'd cut back a bit on the feeding and get a bottle of amino acid. For your tangs why don't you just put nori in?

My full schedule is 5 days a week morning Chilli 2 days a week morning Nori(weekend). Is the Algae a problem? there's so little of it and it's so short trimmed I don't notice. I have Cheato in the sump.
 
Is the color of the algae a dark red almost purple?

And any kind of algae is a sign of extra nutrients in the tank, a little is fine and everyone has a bit.
 
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