The new red bug fix?

[MauiReefer]

Hello all. I recently picked up some frags from a fellow reefer and lo and behold, Red bugs:mad2: Not a lot, maybe 3-6 I noticed. So of course I freak out. I take the coral out and dip in a concentrated lugols bath. I have read so much about chemical and biological warfare and everything is from 2012ish. Interceptor is not longer available. Sentinel is the new interceptor. Dragon faced pipefish eat them, maybe six line wrasses, or leopard wrasses. So what's the deal in 2014? What's the best way to eradicate them? Honestly since I first saw them, I have not seen too many since. But as a coralaholic I want to be sure I don't affect my prized pieces. I would treat the tank just be sure. But also decided I'm not going to stress over it in the minimum amounts I saw and see. Saw maybe 2 today. Better be safe than sorry. Any input? My PE and color look ok, I'm sure could be better but for now I'm sure my coral issues are light related. Anyway, any input would be great. Thank you

 

[rovster]

I used interceptor spectrum with success.

 

[NatureNerd]

I know I sound like a broken record, but DF pipefish are not the answer. They will eat some but not enough to make a big difference for your corals. You then use interceptor or sentinel and it wipes out your pod population and the pipefish slowly starves to death. Only get a Dragonface Pipefish if you are sure of a steady population of pods.

Think long skinny Mandarin that slithers around the tank hunting all day.

 

[MauiReefer]

I understand the dragonface pipefish. I would never add a fish or any organism for that matter I can't sustain. I'm just curious. So interceptor spectrum, the chewablez will work? Same dosage?

 

[sixliner22]

Updates....?.

 

[MauiReefer]

The night I discovered them I did a lugols dip on the piece I initially saw them on. Have not seen maybe 2 or 3 as of today. Still want to treat interceptor. But have yet to find any. No new fish. I'm just waiting to see what happens.

 

[Jstn]

I am using interceptor spectrum, currently I am in the second treatment. All my coral loved it, they showed feeding tentacles and great PE. My larry jackson purple monster was brown and hurting with no pe and showed the most red bugs. Since treatment has been making a great recovery, still a ways to go but much better.

 

[MauiReefer]

Wow glad to hear that. I have no doubt this will work. Finding it is my biggest obstacle right now.

Jstn- what size tank? What was your dosage? Any ill effects? Did you remove your inverts?

 

[bravanc]

Google it and you will find, usually from Australia 5-7 delivered to your door

 

[Rollins4Miles]

If there still just frags on plugs why not just do a Bayer treatment rather than dosing the entire tank? That is, of course, under the presumption that you don't have encrusted colonies sitting right next to the new and infested frags.

 

[Decadence]

My six-line and melanurus wiped them out in my tank.

 

[Jim Z.]

My Gobiodon histrio and very small meleagris leopard wrasse have done a number on redbugs too..............Jim

 

[moray23]

My melanurus did not touch them. Interceptor spectrum did the trick.

 

[MauiReefer]

Thank you all for your advice. I did order some from Austraila, and I had a friend whose a vet get me some today. Still not ready to treat. Got to set up the qt for the inverts I can catch. Was thinking about getting a six line but I have a yellow coris and don't want to create an issue.