Red Bugs and other pests

FishPharm

FishPharm

Premium Member
How are these pests introduced into your tank. Do red bugs and other pests come from traded frags of other reefers or are they from wild colonies?
 
The pests had to come from the wild originally, so both are sources. The wild colonies sit in wholesalers tanks, which may have the pests. Once in the tanks for any time, there is a good possibility of infestation. Traded frags are a pretty large culprit, too, though. Many don;t know they have anything when they trade. One person sells 50 frags to different people at a frag swap, then they trade... It's exponential...
 
I know that QT is the best prevention. So how long would anyone suggest or recommend under QT? And wouldn't inspecting the corals prior to committing them to the tank be a way of prevention?

I guess why I'm asking is that I want to take a proactive approach to this and find out what a list of preventions might look like?
 
I should be more specific and ask at what point under QT do you feel confident you are pest free. Does it take time for these pests make themselves known or is it immediate?
 
When I got the bugs, they came from LFS. Same place I got a job at and fixed their problem with my own interceptor. Most sources aren't intentionally spreading them.

My newest tank isn't setup yet, but I will be doing a 15 hr. Interceptor dip on any SPS I get this time. ;)
 
I have been running QT for four or five weeks, hitting everything with either a Levaimsole bath for 5-6 hours, or TMPCC. Red bugs are an easy one to get rid of, but the AEFW's are not so much fun. I run the dips every week to make sure I don't introduce anything. It may be paranoid, but after losing so much in such a short time to various pests, I'll go an extra two miles if need be to prevent them. One AEFW's, most are treating four or five times just to be safe. Right now, those seem to be the worst things out there...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7951530#post7951530 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SVXH6
wil the TMPCC kill red bugs as well?? on new incoming frags of course..
Click to expand...

Yes it will, and IMO its a much better treatment for redbugs. After about 10 min in a dip they die and float to the top. Whereas with interceptor you need to treat for as many as 6 hours.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7952301#post7952301 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by impur
Yes it will, and IMO its a much better treatment for redbugs. After about 10 min in a dip they die and float to the top. Whereas with interceptor you need to treat for as many as 6 hours.
Click to expand...

impur- at what dosage?
 
But isn't that mostly iodine?
IME, I can put an Acropora in a bucket with powerhead, heater, and interceptor for 5-6 hours with complete redbug removal - or could leave it in there for 18 hours without issue.

A little too much iodine [or even dipping] and I've had corals lose color or life. Personally, I'd go with interceptor every time, as even overdosing and leaving in `too long' hasn't harmed my coral. When I have two options and one seems to incur more risk and possibility of problems - I lean towards dog medicine.

But that's my choice, sure doesn't need to be yours :)
 
TMPCC has to be more than iodine . Especially since I can leave lugols in a cup and it always is brown . TMPCC turns clear .

Also lugols never worked on my AEFW's but TMPCC did.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7970644#post7970644 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by clkwrk
TMPCC has to be more than iodine . Especially since I can leave lugols in a cup and it always is brown . TMPCC turns clear .

Also lugols never worked on my AEFW's but TMPCC did.
Click to expand...

I concur, the lugols did nothing to the AEFW I had, but TMPCC killed them in under 10 minutes.
 
Heres an email(Thanks Neptune) I copied from Melev's AEFW thread concerning TMPCC makeup. :


Here is the correspondence I had with Tropic Marin...



From : Hans-Werner Balling
Sent : Tuesday, August 8, 2006 9:19 AM
Subject : Re: [?? Probable Spam] Re: Pro Coral Cure

| | | Inbox


Dear Dave,

yes, PCC does not contain any other anti-parasite chemical apart of the iodine component.

With best regards

Hans-Werner

Tropic Marin


----- Original Message -----
From: David Brahms
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 8:45 PM
Subject: [?? Probable Spam] Re: Pro Coral Cure


Thank you Mr. Balling!

So the TMPCC is an Iodine formula without some other anti-parasite chemical? -Dave




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Hans-Werner Balling
Subject: Re: Pro Coral Cure
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2006 08:25:02 +0200


Dear Dave,

Thank you for your e-mail.
When applied in the described way PRO-CORAL CURE will kill the flatworms or at least loosen and detach them from the corals, so that they fall off, when you turn the Acropora coral upside down in the PRO-CORAL CURE bath.
Several different substances are containing iodine. PRO-CORAL CURE is one that is efficient against parasites and relatively mild to corals.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Kind regards

Hans-Werner Balling


Dr. Biener GmbH
Steinaeckerstr. 3 - 5
36367 Wartenberg
Germany
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7969531#post7969531 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MiddletonMark
But isn't that mostly iodine?
IME, I can put an Acropora in a bucket with powerhead, heater, and interceptor for 5-6 hours with complete redbug removal - or could leave it in there for 18 hours without issue.

A little too much iodine [or even dipping] and I've had corals lose color or life. Personally, I'd go with interceptor every time, as even overdosing and leaving in `too long' hasn't harmed my coral. When I have two options and one seems to incur more risk and possibility of problems - I lean towards dog medicine.

But that's my choice, sure doesn't need to be yours :)
Click to expand...

I agree 100%. I killed off my whole rb infestation with a 20 minute interceptor dip(1/4 tablet/5g water). No need to try iodine, Interceptor is an actual pestacide designed to kill bugs/parasites. :)
 
But if you dose your display with interceptor you will also kill off all hermits, crabs, most of your pods, and any other inverts. Doing it purely as a dip will not rid your tank of redbugs.

I had a terrible experience using interceptor in my display and would not subject it to the same fate again.

FWIW, I've used TMPCC at 3X the recommended dosage with no negative effects.
 
I generally use interceptor at a very high dose. Ten minutes, and theyre all dead. Acros dont seem to care about interceptor.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8144067#post8144067 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by impur
But if you dose your display with interceptor you will also kill off all hermits, crabs, most of your pods, and any other inverts.
Click to expand...
I agree

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8144067#post8144067 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by impur

Doing it purely as a dip will not rid your tank of redbugs.
Click to expand...

If you quarentine afterwards it will and that is what I meant. Any redbugs left in your display will starve in a matter of weeks. No mass death of micro-organisms.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Leather coral pest or disease
Replies
5
Views
146
kfisc
kfisc
M
ID Please
Replies
3
Views
109
griss
griss
K
Help: SPS peeling strangely.
Replies
5
Views
211
griss
griss
Tamara Marshall
Comprehensive Article About Aiptasia - Manta Systems Article
Replies
0
Views
106
Tamara Marshall
Tamara Marshall
8
Pinks, reds, oranges.
Replies
7
Views
338
Reefing102
Reefing102
Back
Top