red bug treatment, starting tomorrow

[nikesb]

im gonna start treatment tomorrow and have a large pill.

my total volume is roughly 50-60 gallons

would it be ok to split up 1 large pill three times or is that too much over dose. its about 2.6x the dose

 

[Enzel]

I would just use 1/4 of a pill for your total water. I used 3/4 on 150g and everything turned out great

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

Yep, I used a whole pill on my 200g system and worked great. One dose and they never came back but I don't think that is normal. Most people plan on two doses.

I've treated for just about every pest and this one is the easiest to treat for. For some reason, I didn't loose any hermits or snails either.

 

[nikesb]

ok ill probably just use 1/4th the pill. i may have a gram scale laying around. im thinking of doing 8 hour treatments, or is it better for 12 hr

 

[preef]

1/4 pill is plenty. Mine were dead in about an hour in my 72. I did 12 hours but I think 8 would be fine.

 

[Brian Chong]

I'm starting my treatment tonight with similar volume tank. I'm planning to use 1/4. Hopefully my cleaner shrimp makes it.

 

[James404]

I did 1/2 a pill for my 75 and left it in about 12 hrs. A few corals started STN and I am having a dino outbreak

 

[Brian Chong]

I did 1/2 a pill for my 75 and left it in about 12 hrs. A few corals started STN and I am having a dino outbreak

Sorry to hear that. Did you do a water change and add carbon after 12 hours? I heard some people leave it with no problems. Maybe the dose was too large.

 

[James404]

Yep did a 15% change and added new ROX carbon, I heard others use this dose with no problems. It probably was too much or too long. Of course its my favorite corals that are dying including an icefire echinata and $500 efflo, oh well at least I dont have RB any more lol

 

[Brian Chong]

"I heard some people leave it with no problems" ~I meant the interceptor. i rarely use carbon for my tank but i bought 2 chemi-pure, poly-filter, new salt water on hand for a 20% water change and set the alarm for 10 hours. Hopefully everything will be ok. This is my first time so i'm very nervous.

 

[nikesb]

i'm very nervous as well. i will be doing 8 hours and start at 12 noon tomorrow

 

[smtank]

You will be happy with the results. Much better PE, coloration and growth. Even corals that you thought did not have RB show a significant improvement after treatment. As you know your crabs, shrimp may not survive and pods seem to take a hit, but over all it is an easy effective treatment that I wish I had done when I first noticed RB.

 

[byrdman81]

I have a 40breeder with around 50 gal with the sump, I broke mine down and probably got a little less than 1/4. I dosed for 24 hours no problem. After 24 hours done W/C and added some carbon. No red bugs anymore.

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

Yep did a 15% change and added new ROX carbon, I heard others use this dose with no problems. It probably was too much or too long. Of course its my favorite corals that are dying including an icefire echinata and $500 efflo, oh well at least I dont have RB any more lol

That sucks, sorry to hear. After looking back on it, I didn't have any extremely delicate species in the system when I dosed. I can easily see the treatment being tough on echinatas and a few others.

 

[Reef obcession]

I have a 400 gallon system, 250 display 40g fuge,30g frag, 100g sump. My system is all tied into the same sump. I noticed only in my frag tank red bugs. I know I got them from this one piece of rock I added from a sady sorce. I got interceptor for large dogs and croshed it into a powder and mixed it with heated seawater. I added it to the system when lights where off and I shut down the air into my skimer keeping water flowing thu it. I also shut down all reators. I waited till the next day 12hours and noticed a lot where gone but not all. I spoke to a fellow RC member and he told me add two more tablets, so I did. I lost most of my hermits ,crabs and shrimp.

I re inspected my frag tank and see them still clinging to life! ***. I wait another 4 dayswithout doing a water change, I do a waterchange and dump all the water in the reactors and run full carbon. Skimmer is now back on line. I wait another day and still see bugs, so guess what I add anothe 2 tablets and nothing. I think the bugs like this stuff. Today 8 am I go to inspect my frag tank and see more bugs then ever. Guess what I remove all live stock (snails& fish ) and move them into a quarentine system thats 100% stand alone. and shut the flow thru the frag tank and pump all the water out till the tank is dry. I left the rock in the empty tank becuase I just cant trust it. I will leave this system dry for a good few days. If that doesnt kill them I give up.

 

[nikesb]

seems like you would want to do the seoncd and third treatments

 

[vdubfiend]

I followed directions on Melev's site and never had a problem... You have to do all 3 doses or you risk survival (of the red bugs)

I caught as many crabs and shrimp that i could

the emeralds survived treatment.

 

[nanotank]

I never do a water change and have never had a problem. I used full pill on 250 net and only needed 1 treatment each time. 3 different occasions. After 24 hrs I put the carbon back in.

 

[ousnakebyte]

I have a 400 gallon system, 250 display 40g fuge,30g frag, 100g sump. My system is all tied into the same sump. I noticed only in my frag tank red bugs. I know I got them from this one piece of rock I added from a sady sorce. I got interceptor for large dogs and croshed it into a powder and mixed it with heated seawater. I added it to the system when lights where off and I shut down the air into my skimer keeping water flowing thu it. I also shut down all reators. I waited till the next day 12hours and noticed a lot where gone but not all. I spoke to a fellow RC member and he told me add two more tablets, so I did. I lost most of my hermits ,crabs and shrimp.

I re inspected my frag tank and see them still clinging to life! ***. I wait another 4 dayswithout doing a water change, I do a waterchange and dump all the water in the reactors and run full carbon. Skimmer is now back on line. I wait another day and still see bugs, so guess what I add anothe 2 tablets and nothing. I think the bugs like this stuff. Today 8 am I go to inspect my frag tank and see more bugs then ever. Guess what I remove all live stock (snails& fish ) and move them into a quarentine system thats 100% stand alone. and shut the flow thru the frag tank and pump all the water out till the tank is dry. I left the rock in the empty tank becuase I just cant trust it. I will leave this system dry for a good few days. If that doesnt kill them I give up.

Anecdotally, I have seen red bugs make it through multiple doses of Interceptor. I do wonder if we are starting to see Interceptor-resistant red bugs and need to search for alternative treatments.

Someone else here - Whisperer - posted a good thread about an alternative treatment using some household yard pest management product (can't remember the name).

I have been working on a protocol using Ivermectin, which seems to be working wonderful for me.

HOWEVER - neither of these treatments are full-tank remedies. These are only for "bath treatments" in a separate container.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Brian Chong]

You're scaring me Mike. It's been an hour since I began treatment and i see some dangling and some still crawling on the acros. Is this normal or am I just being impatient? I was tempted to add a tiny bit more. Btw, can I do the second treatment sooner than a week if i still see redbugs?