Smaller species of red-bugs?

J

JJohn

New member
Help! My acro's have good growth, great PE, and are getting good color since I increased flow. Tonight, with a flashlight I noticed very small red specks on my best colony. There were about a dozen or so and they are the smallest spots you could ever hope to see. Using polyp size to scale the images I have seen before, I would say they are much less than 1/4 the size of what was labled RB's. They move rather fast on the surface of the coral covering 1 cm in about 2 seconds. They are easy to notice with an intense flashlight only because of their movement but, they are much smaller than the RB images posted on the thread about pests. They also don't appear to have the 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red look that the pictures have. Also, I have never seen them before and I really look closely at this colony during the daylight.

Are these RB's? Do they pose a threat? I must have had them for months as I have not added anything for a long time. The size difference seems to indicate a different species or am I just in denial? I'm very worried as I can't treat the tank easily as I have a nice collection of masked acro-crabs that I really like and this colony is encrusted on my largest rock. I would have to rip the entire tank down to get it out.

Just when I thought I was really making progress...sigh....

Any advice is greatly appreciated,
John
 
Another data point: I just thoroughly checked all my acro's (6 colonies and 2 small frags). No other SPS coral has them. They are only on my best, prettiest, and healthiest looking coral. Murphy strikes again.
 
Dip it if its only that one and see if you can get a close up of them. Any pics you can take. Where theres one coral theres many though.
 
Can dip under iodine or lugol but can not remove completely. Sometimes acrocrab eat them. Some people treat drugs but for me do not recommend. Sometimes disappear suddenly.
 
I have good eyes and I dont think I could see somthing 1/4 the size of a redbug. What your decribin sounds like the typical redbug to me.
 
This morning I can see over 40 of these little monsters. I have good eyes and they are probably right at the edge of perception. I agree that they probably are RB's. I don't have a good macro lens so I cannot get a picture that shows them.

I would have to break the coral off the rock to dip it. It is nicely encrusted. Every coral that I have was dipped (10 min at 4X dose) in a SeaChem Iodine based coral dip before adding to the display. Should I try to move an acro-crab to the infected colony? Or are they specific to the species of acro that they arrived on? Is there evidence that they can help eliminate these pests?

Thanks again for all thoughts and advice. I am freeking out because this is a beautiful colony unlike any other I have seen. I don't want to lose it. Note that, so far it still looks great.

John
 
There was a suggestion in past threads about a "Dragon-faced Pipefish" is this really a viable predator?

This too might not work as I have a LTA anemone that would probably eat the pipefish if it accidentally wandered too close. I also hear that some reefers just live with RB's and have some success. Again, maybe there are similar looking species, one commensal and one parasitic. I know, probably just wishful thinking.

One additional question: Those that have dealt with RB's, do they move around as fast as the little buggers I have observed? Mine are constantly on the move and are quite quick for something so tiny.

John
 
Darn, all my wishful thinking... Ignore the title of this thread. These are typical RB's. Got my hands on a good macro lens and enlarged the image to find the RB's. Below is image I took:

RedBugs2.jpg


So any way to get rid of the little buggers yet save my acro-crabs? And note that to dip corals I would have to break down my whole tank and break each colony off large rocks.

I am so depressed!

John
 
Last edited:
Oh crappage. I was hoping not.

Interceptor after removing acgro crabs to safe ground. Maybe someone will crabsit for you???? Some reefers just live with them. Any polyp extension problems?Not by the look of the pic in this thread.But maybe others? You can dip the crap out of acgros when you get them but if you have eggs hidden, well, you know the drill.
 
Natural control of RB's?

Natural control of RB's?

It is odd that only one colony has them.

I was hoping that a pipefish might work. Anyone try this method? I have done some research but only found speculation no real experience. One thing I learned is that the Dragon-faced pipefish would be ok with my LTA anemone and might eat RB's. That would be the only recommended pipefish I have found so far.

John

I will start a new thread asking for natural control methods. Thanks again for the sympathy and advice.
 
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