Red Bugs!!!

[Kittikity]

I'm fairly new to the hobby and I haven't quarantined anything because I didn't know.. I've only heard of red bugs and those are on sps which I don't have and won't have until we can set up our 45 gal next year.. I also wouldn't have the slightest clue how to quarantine for these kinds of things.. I think somebody should do a post on how to properly quarantine fish and each type of coral and then have it stickied to the top..

I, for one, would very much like to know how to quarantine corals (since that's what I have right now).. I would have no problem setting up a small 2 gal or so quarantine tank.. A tank that small wouldn't even need MH lighting, I don't think.. (I could be wrong, still learning..) Biggest part of that would be going to the LFS for saltwater.. I do that every week for my water changes anyway so it wouldn't be that much trouble.. But I honestly never even researched it because the only one's I've heard of so far were the red bugs and a passing mention about the nudi's.. But like I said, I'm not going to have sps anytime soon so I didn't know I needed to worry about it..

 

[ReefArtist]

Kittikity welcome to TBRC. In this thread we talked about quarantining LPS corals. It's important to at least quarantine LPS's for if nothing else but what is on the rocks (inside the rocks). Just do a search and you will find all kind of articles on the subject. Also here on RC - in the LPS/softie area they talk about this.

Here are a few:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/mc/index.php - (Reefkeeping Magazine this MONTH)

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.php (Steve Pro)

http://home2.pacific.net.ph/~sweetyummy42/quarantine.html

http://www.reeftectonics.com/quarantining.htm

http://www.qualitymarineusa.com/article.asp?page=feature&id=FA22AE9A-A335-4F27-A5C5-0913F83DCB60

http://www.fishlore.com/QuarantineTankSetup.htm

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=23494 (Good list of pest - what they look like)

A few Treatments:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=756327

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=688833&highlight=reef+temperature

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...page=25&highlight=AEFW treatment&pagenumber=1

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=899108&perpage=25&pagenumber=9


http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/simplebiofilter.html (DIY - filtering system)


This is a small list of articles - hope this helps in making it clear the damage not quarantining can do.

In Reef keeping - Only bad things happen when you're in a hurry.

 

[Kittikity]

Thank you, I will definitely read through those.. But my point was that if something about quarantining and treatment was stickied at the top of the forum then people (assuming they read all they can) will learn about this stuff right away.. I know I would have.. Even if it's just a list of those articles, I think it would help immensely with the awareness factor..

 

[rogergolf66]

Well a 2 gallon tank would make it cheeper but how would you maintain a max of 2 deg temp change per 24 hour period. obvious the use of a 2 gallon tank is to save on $ then you don't have a chiller for it.

Well I think that most people plain don't know. other don't have the extra $ to setup a Q tank. Time I don't know it dosn't take that much longer with the Q tank then what I already do everyday.

I have started a Q tank but I am still learning I don't know all the proper methods of quarantining. Read Read Read that is all I do but I need to learn how to speed read because by the time you read about the propor way to setup your system with lighting, filtration, sand bed, flow, pumps, plumbing, cycle, what fish don't go together what corals require what lighting ect. you have already purchased your first iteams to go into the tank. Then you get to your first problem and you find out. you should have been quarantening all of your coral and live stock. Then you go o sh*t I didn't know that.

quarantining is not the first thing read about in this hobby that is all I am saying. I know when I bought my first SPS the store didn't tell me it is best to quarantin. Even when I bought my first SPS from someone on RC I wasn't told. I am not saying that someone should have to tell me. I am saying it is not talked about enough. It is almost like a secret. IMO

Roger

 

[mflamb]

I believe that some LFS do such a good job with their livestock that quarantine MAY NOT be necessary, but I still quarantine. For some LFS, quarantine is an absolute necessity. If a LFS tells you to quarantine, some folks will think that there is something wrong with the livestock, and some folks won't get into the hobby due to the added expense. I definitely think that livestock from other hobbyists should be quarantined, no matter how good you think their system is. For example, Hawk'ster (Paul) has some very fabulous and desireable corals and his system looks great, but recently, due to frag trading/purchasing from locals, he recieved some unwanted pests with his new corals. If I had recieved some corals from Paul right after that, I would also have these pests. Even though Paul's system seems to be perfect, others systems are not, and Paul recieved some of that "not perfect". In a perfect world, folks would not sell/trade frags from a contaminated or infested system, but we don't live in that world yet. So for me QT is the standard protocol.

 

[Kittikity]

What would you suggest would be a good QT size?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10804527#post10804527 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rogergolf66
Well a 2 gallon tank would make it cheeper but how would you maintain a max of 2 deg temp change per 24 hour period. obvious the use of a 2 gallon tank is to save on $ then you don't have a chiller for it.

Well I think that most people plain don't know. other don't have the extra $ to setup a Q tank. Time I don't know it dosn't take that much longer with the Q tank then what I already do everyday.

I have started a Q tank but I am still learning I don't know all the proper methods of quarantining. Read Read Read that is all I do but I need to learn how to speed read because by the time you read about the propor way to setup your system with lighting, filtration, sand bed, flow, pumps, plumbing, cycle, what fish don't go together what corals require what lighting ect. you have already purchased your first iteams to go into the tank. Then you get to your first problem and you find out. you should have been quarantening all of your coral and live stock. Then you go o sh*t I didn't know that.

quarantining is not the first thing read about in this hobby that is all I am saying. I know when I bought my first SPS the store didn't tell me it is best to quarantin. Even when I bought my first SPS from someone on RC I wasn't told. I am not saying that someone should have to tell me. I am saying it is not talked about enough. It is almost like a secret. IMO

Roger

 

[ReefArtist]

It all depends on the size of corals you will be keeping. I have a 280g tank but I know a 20g L will be great for me. I only purchase one - three corals at a time and they will not fill a 20g tank. Mike has a 50g and he feels he needs that much room to QT his corals. He's starting up a new tank as I am but I now have two tanks full of SPS/LPS that are pest free. He will need lots of room in the beginning to fill his 380g tank with SPSs. Just depends on how large of a coral you plan on purchasing and how much room you have to put them in.

 

[brucem]

I received some of those pests also

 

[rogergolf66]

I think is question was not so much room but stability. Kitti I would not be the best one to answer this question as I am new to the QT tank also. however I do know that a 2 gallon system would be very difficalt to maintain do to swings in water parameters in a short period of time. I have a 10 gallon and it is not much easier to keep stable. I am looking for a used 20 gallon that holds water.

Here is a question Mike you seem to be the one with all the info in this topic. Lets say I have 4 SPS in my QT tank and It have been 2 weeks. I am at the LFS and I see a peice I really want to add. can I put that in with the 4 that are in the QT tank allready and do I have to start over with the QT time with the origonal 4? or do I just pass on the coral at the LFS because I can't add them to the QT tank till the others are out of the system?

Roger

 

[ReefArtist]

I was with Paul when he dipped his and saw what came off them. I really thought after the dip they would be "OK" to add to the tank - he found out that it wasn't. I was lucky but I don't purchase that many corals from other reefers mainly LFS (John). If you ask John/Jennifer they will tell you that yes they treat but you need to do the same. Corals are no different then fish as far as QT.

 

[ReefArtist]

Roger - in the articles they tell you to start over. If you see a pest after the treatment - start over, etc. If you add anything after the treatment has started - start over.

 

[poknsnok]

can you get away without skimmimg on a sps qt tank?? sps produce waste but nowhere near fish, I think you could with 10-20 pct weekly water changes...

 

[mflamb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10804750#post10804750 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by poknsnok
can you get away without skimmimg on a sps qt tank?? sps produce waste but nowhere near fish, I think you could with 10-20 pct weekly water changes...

Possibly, but I bought the Coralife 125 skimmer for $40 used.

 

[poknsnok]

Im scanning the reef classifieds... ill get something. my 20L will be my coral qt and 55 for fish when things get serious

 

[Kubi]

Ok. hopefully last night was my last treatment.

This is how I am treating for red bugs. I removed filter socks and turn off skimmer. Take all hermits and shirmp out of tank and place in QT. Then I take a full tab of interceptor and mix in 1000mls of fresh RO water (thanks John for the suggestion) Then add 25mls of solution per 10 gals of tank water.

Treatment #1 added 325mls solution to tank. 1 week later I do a 15% water change turned skimmer back on replaced filter sock and run carbon for 24hrs. ( Red bugs still present and alive, shrimp..could not catch and pods are also still kicking)

I followed the treatments I did as # but with stronger dosages

Ttreamtent #2 added 400mls of solution to tank. 1 week later I did another 15% water change turned skimmer back on replaced filter sock and ran carbon for 24hrs. ( Red bugs still present and alive, shrimp..could not catch and pods are also still kicking) go figure..... SUPER BUGS or Bogus Medication.

Treamtment #3 added 475mls of solution to tank. Go to Denver for 10 days. come back and the freakin bugs are still alive and kicking along with my cleaner shrimp and pods. I did another 15% water change turned skimmer back on replaced filter sock and ran carbon for 24hrs.

Treament #4 added 550mls of solution to tank. Shrimp finally dies no signs of red bugs, but pods are still alive. I did a 25% water change turned skimmer back on replaced filter sock and ran carbon for 24hrs.

last night Treatment #5 I added 1000mls 1 full tab of interceptor. I will give you a status on what is going on later tonight.

Like poknsnok said out of all the pest I rather get red bugs then any others.

This is what is going to happen and I can not help but to believe this because what I have been experiencing with them. If you treat for red bugs and do not follow the full instruction and the recomended treamtements and get a 100% kill rated they will build immunity to the medication. Stronger dosages and longer treatment times will be need and possibly a new treatment might have to be found.

 

[DaddyJax]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10804750#post10804750 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by poknsnok
can you get away without skimmimg on a sps qt tank?? sps produce waste but nowhere near fish, I think you could with 10-20 pct weekly water changes...

The only thing I see is the ORP in the tank may suffer without one. You could get a bubbler.

 

[CMcNeil]

since this whole topic of QTing has come up,i have a question.what if any treatments or QT procedures do you do for clams?do you treat them just like SPS,or something else?

 

[mflamb]

James Fatheree said at SRC that the biggest concern is a certain small snail (don't remember the name) that attaches to the shell. He said he checks the shells closely and cleans them with a toothbrush. He said something about freshwater dips, but I didn't get any details.

 

[CMcNeil]

pyramid snails is what he was talking about.i guess the real question is can they bring in flatworms or redbugs?

 

[mflamb]

It's research time.