Redbugs Rampant in home systems....

[marine_freak]

Hey all just wondering why it seems like lately many people are getting red bugs...... are people getting from home dealers or are most of it coming from wild caught colonies???? Are they that bad?? I have seen people post and say they have them and have no problems... then some people say they are the scourge of the earth....... I do not think I have any luckily I look very close but these are questions I do have......... If they are coming from wild colonies how is it impacting the natural reefs??? If there are natural predators in the oceans then what is it that eats them????

 

[tangwang]

I think they come in on the propegated colonies mostly. I've not had any wild colonies come in with RB's, but I have had alot of propegated java colonies come in with them, to the extent that We no longer order them.....



Matt

 

[fishdoc11]

Red bugs are not new. Dustin came up with the treatment in 2000 and I have seen people post that they had them years ago. They started showing up a lot on this board several years ago from what I can tell.
They exist in the wild or they wouldn't exist in our tanks. They come in on wild colonies, aquacultured colonies and tank raised specimens. Ceartain corals are more effected by them than others and IMO this is one reason some people seem to think they are not particularly harmfull, ie they have mainly corals that are not adversely effected. I can also speak from personal experience when I say you do not know how much your corals are effected until you get rid of the bugs. They are also very hard to see until you know what you are looking for. We are very fortunate to have well established safe effective treatment and prevention methods for Red bugs....something we don't have yet for things like Acro eating flatworms. Lots of reading on the bugs if you want to do a search
Chris

 

[marine_freak]

Thanks for the info...... I guess I just want the 411 on the whole situation.... I have noticed a demise in color on my purple Echinata... I have looked very close at the coral but have been unable to see them.... I have also looked at my other corals...just started 4 months ago with acros so they are still small frags but I still cannot see nothing, I am afraid that I might be missing them any suggestions on positive ID???? All corals have good polyp extension, all other corals seem to be holding there color ok... except my blue milli, it has really lightened up and is now powder blue on the tips...... I certainly have enough light 2 400 watt radiums and 2 4ft URI actinics...parameters are all within range I did go bare bottom but it has not been long enough to affect my corals... any suggestions???

 

[sushiking]

I'd trade red bugs for Acro Eating Flatworms anyday !

 

[fishdoc11]

Look with a flashlight with the lights out, early in the AM is a good time to look. Look for little dots and then keep your eye on them to see if they move. They typically avoid milles FWIW.
Chris

 

[gflat65]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7318558#post7318558 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sushiking
I'd trade red bugs for Acro Eating Flatworms anyday !

Am I understanding that you are saying you'd rather have AEFW's than something we have a known treatment for? If so, I've never heard anyone go that direction. I just went through the AEFW treatment and lost 90% of my corals. Didn't lose a single coral in the interceptor treatment...

Here are some pics of the RB's on my Mike Paletta Blue. You can see that the tissue has lightened and the skeleton is starting to show through. Besides a few unwanted side effects (cyano outbreak and a bryopsis outbreak that may have just coincidentally happened with the RB treatment), nothijng worse for the wear.

 

[Sk8r]

I heard somewhere that mandarins eat red bugs. Is this wishful supposition or fact?

 

[Tomoko Schum]

LiveAquaria says this about red bugs and dragonface pipefish:

"This species of pipefish has been found to consume the micro-amphipod commonly referred to as the dreaded "Red Bugs" that have now become prevalent in reef aquariums that contain Acropora coral. Red Bug infestations on Acropora corals have been shown to inhibit polyp extension and growth, while causing shifts or loss in coloration. After the pipefish is accustomed to the surroundings and tankmates in the reef aquarium, they will quickly seek out these red bugs as a food source. "

If this is true, I'd keep a couple in my QT/observation tank just in case I end up with another frag with redbugs.

Tomoko

 

[MiddletonMark]

Wishful supposition, IMO.

I just QT, treat all incoming Acropora for red bugs. While any natural predator might eat them - it might not eradicate them. I don't want `some red bugs' [etc] ... I want none. That's the only way I'm not going to then pass them along to my buddy ...

IMO, the mass gathering of Acropora for mariculture [huge racks of Acropora ... pest issue waiting to happen IMO], in tanks from the collector to the LFS ... there's a lot of places red bugs could come from or be spread.

Given the other pests [monti nudis/AEFW] that are even more tricky to deal with - and the eventual other future pests [haven't seen an Poci/Seriotopora/etc pest, ... yet] --- unless collecting just a couple species/colonies of any Genus, QT is the best bet.

I know my personal practices, and standards, have changed for what I'm willing to risk. Little goes into my tank without QT, and if then it gets treated for pests, inspected thoroughly.