SPS pests and treatment options

[Hnguyen85]

guys i need some help! yesterday i noticed 2 small red dots on my lokani acro. It is over 4 months old and no other corals have been added since. it still has geat polyp extension along with my other acros. Are these red bugs?

I'm sure the guys here and tell you for sure if it is or isn't if you can get a good picture of it. Is it moving? If it is then most likely it is RB. I'm fighting it right now too.

Oh BTW. The pipefish I put in my system seems to be doing pretty well. I can see it eyeballing some
Of my acros at the moment. I'll try and post a picture.

Crossing my fingers and hoping this works.

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[curlykid]

i don't have the right lens for a macro of the coral, focused and zoomed far enough to see it. they weren't moving and there is no tissue damage, i think if they are RB's they might be showing up now because my Melanurus wrasse died recently for no apparent reason. He was probably keeping them in check. I may get rid of my clown and get a mystery or coris wrasse.

 

[Hnguyen85]

I was doing some reading online and found that dragonface pipefish also eats RB. Liveaquaria also states that they do and that's where I bought mines from. I order two and they just game in yesterday. Their still getting use to their new home but one of them is already starting to wonder off searching for food. I saw it hang onto one of my acros and eyeballing it. I just dipped that acro In interceptor so I doubt there's anything there for him to eat. Here's a picture of the pipefish from when I just got it.

I guess I'll see soon enough if they eat RB.


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[fishdoc11]

The thing you guys are forgetting is the reproductive stage of red bugs, from what I can remember, are freee floating larva. No way to get rid of those by just keeping an eye on a corral in the this whole tank You NEED to remove the coral for 6 weeks or treat the whole tank with Interceptor

 

[curlykid]

oh i think a wrasse or dragonface pipe is much less tedious. I'm really not worried about this coral or my others because it doesn't appear to be red bugs.

 

[Dave71]

The thing you guys are forgetting is the reproductive stage of red bugs, from what I can remember, are freee floating larva. No way to get rid of those by just keeping an eye on a corral in the this whole tank You NEED to remove the coral for 6 weeks or treat the whole tank with Interceptor

I think a few things need to be kept in mind.

1. There were several acros in the tank, now there is only one. Is the remaining acro one that was infected? Red bugs will not attack all Acros.

2. The individual does not have a quarantine tank, and presumably did not want to throw his last Acro in the trash. One of these would need to be done to ensure 100% the red bugs were removed. If using a quarantine, the treatment would need to continue there. Of course you can dose the DT, but I had the sense this was not a consideration.

3. Nobody knows at this point in time if there are any remaining red bugs in the tank, so in fact, leaving the coral in the tank and observing may be sufficient. If it proves to be insufficient, the aquarist can take the next step.

4. The red bug life cycle has been under much debate. I have read they lay eggs and I have read they produce live birth. I have also read that leaving a tank fallow for 3 days is sufficient, while others suggest you leave it fallow for months.

Given the circumstances for this aquarist, I believe it is reasonable to take the wait and see approach, and then make adjustments if required.

Needless to say, no additional Acros should be added for a while.

 

[curlykid]

i may try acro crabs first. not sure.

 

[Hnguyen85]

Chris and Dave, both you guys have very good points and I will follow them to what I see suited for my system. I want to try the natural approach before taking out the big guns and just nuking the tank. The last acro which has been known to me to get red bugs whenever they appear. So if red bugs come back, I'm sure that last acro will be infected again. It seems that my pipefish is doing a good job so far. I can see them checking out the acro and picking at the rocks around it. I'm hoping that it's eating something.


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[fishdoc11]

Chris and Dave, both you guys have very good points and I will follow them to what I see suited for my system. I want to try the natural approach before taking out the big guns and just nuking the tank. The last acro which has been known to me to get red bugs whenever they appear. So if red bugs come back, I'm sure that last acro will be infected again. It seems that my pipefish is doing a good job so far. I can see them checking out the acro and picking at the rocks around it. I'm hoping that it's eating something.


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Good luck

 

[westreef]

I just got Interceptor chewable tablets for large dogs. Each contains 23mg milbemycin oxime and 228 mg praziquantel. Is this okay to be used because it has praziquantel there?

 

[curlykid]

bye bye red bugs!

 

[Dave71]

bye bye red bugs!

:celeb1: What approach did you end up taking?

 

[curlykid]

interceptor. i "accidently" killed my carnivorous hermits with it.

 

[mordibv]

deleted , trying to get local assist

 

[westreef]

Even I have acquired the interceptor, I did not use it for the red bugs. Since I don't like to use chemical in my tank. I just blasted them with turkey blaster for a few days. Never see them again. I have 6 line wrasse, and a mandarin together with Hammer and frog spawn corals. These help to keep the pest in check.
By the way, I use a macro lens in a dslr on a tripod to look for pest.

 

[flamron]

Even I have acquired the interceptor, I did not use it for the red bugs. Since I don't like to use chemical in my tank. I just blasted them with turkey blaster for a few days. Never see them again. I have 6 line wrasse, and a mandarin together with Hammer and frog spawn corals. These help to keep the pest in check.
By the way, I use a macro lens in a dslr on a tripod to look for pest.

Sorry to say, but if you had them and just basted, you still have them. They are probably low in population so you aren't seeing them.

I'd tell anyone you give frags to this tidbit as well. Just so they know.

 

[flamron]

And I'm not sure what a Hammer coral is going to do for Red Bugs....

 

[westreef]

Sorry to say, but if you had them and just basted, you still have them. They are probably low in population so you aren't seeing them.

I'd tell anyone you give frags to this tidbit as well. Just so they know.

Thanks for the reminder. I have never given/traded any corals. I will definitely warn the recipient, if I do. So far I really don't need to use the interceptor trick. But I will keep watching.

The Hammer coral thing is just my wishful thinking that unfortunately creeps into the post. I do see the hammer and some of my large zeo catch food but not particularly red bugs. So really no hard fact, just wishful thinking.:headwalls:

 

[bryman]

Montipora Cap. "Black Bugs"?

Montipora Cap. "Black Bugs"?

Hi all,

2 nights ago I noticed some tiny dark specs running around on the underside of my Leng Si monti cap. Last night they appeared to be increasing in population. The colony still has normal PE and looks great, but I am worried because I've read a little about these "black bugs". I do not see them on any of my other montis in the tank, but I think I saw one or two on the other Monti cap I have on the other side of the tank. I am going to try to get a Halichoeres Wrasse for natural control and am thinking of using Interceptor if I can get it.

What do you guys think? Are these bad bugs? Here's the best shot I can do with my point and shoot Elph:

 

[29reef]

How is it this thread contains so much info and photos and every day I see thread(s) on pests.

:debi::lol2:

Just glad theres are people on this forum that share their knowledge.