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View Full Version : Crap!!!!!!!!! Red Bugs!!!!!



Dannyboy
05-31-2005, 10:51 AM
Of course when everything is going great, I accept an SPS frag from a regular customer as a "Thank You" and the damn thing has RED BUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! &*%$^#@#^(&&%%&&^%*^%$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ..............ok I'm calm
Ok so now for all you SPS keepers, where do I get Interceptor? I have never used this stuff so do I just dip each individual coral or dose the whole tank? Are red bugs really that bad? And I'm guessing thats why polyp extension on my SPS has not been that great lately huh. Ok so lay it on me....tell me how screwed I am. :rolleyes:

Dakota
05-31-2005, 12:16 PM
Not that screwed. Most systems have redbugs and don't even show any signs.

You need to dose the whole system, and as a consecquence, you MAY (and it is most likely) kill off your hermits, shirmps, and other small inverts. Throw 'em in a QT to save them. I know those who didn't lose any, but it should be expected to happen.

As to where to get it, there are a few people here who have some. Chap, for sure.

MrKrispy
05-31-2005, 01:05 PM
I got Interceptor from a reefer on this board, cant remember his screen name anymore. All of my acros were fairly "young" for my tank, and all but one were frags that were epoxyed to rock. I pulled every single one out of the tank and set them up in a hospital 10g tank and nuked them with interceptor, twice. Haven't seen a bug since. You may not want to worry about them unless you notice a coral starting to decline...

sdwrx
05-31-2005, 01:15 PM
I just reentley purchased some myself

www.petmedstore.com

you don't need a prescription here

MFR
05-31-2005, 03:22 PM
How big your tank is. I have some for a frag or two ? :)


MFR

obarrera
05-31-2005, 04:34 PM
How bout one of these?
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=282

It says "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."

brahm
05-31-2005, 04:54 PM
Originally posted by obarrera
How bout one of these?
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=282

It says "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."


I woudln't mess with those pipe fish, it would just become power head bait.

dt90gt
05-31-2005, 04:55 PM
Somewhat off topic, so sue me, but does anyone have any pipefish in an established tank for more than a few months? Species, pics? I've been thinking about getting one or two for my 60, I usually see them at an LFS when I go up to Long Beach, worried about putting them in with a yellow tang and Koran though.

sdwrx
05-31-2005, 08:33 PM
pm o2manyfish on RC. He has about 10-15 pipefish in his established 360gal reef.

MFR
05-31-2005, 08:52 PM
and they are really cool. But, it's like a velvet nudi for flatworms. IN the end the bugs win. Really, you need to nuke 'em & do all three treatments as prescribed on RC.


M

sdwrx
05-31-2005, 10:07 PM
yeah, I wouldn't buy the pipefish to treat the red bugs. Interceptor is 100% effective. However, they still look like cool fish. I have no powerhead to chew them up.

obarrera
05-31-2005, 10:26 PM
There was someone here that bought one of these pipe fish so it would eat red bugs so I thought maybe it worked. Anyway I tried to help.=/

Flamehawk
05-31-2005, 11:16 PM
I tried those pipe fishes before...didn't do a thing....one of those hit and miss thing I guess.

Good luck

p.s. I took the sps out of my tank and treated them with interceptor, that way don't have to worry about killing other things in the tank...haven't seen them since

Dannyboy
06-01-2005, 06:42 AM
p.s. I took the sps out of my tank and treated them with interceptor, that way don't have to worry about killing other things in the tank...haven't seen them since Thats probably what I'm gonna do since I cant have a tank without pods. I have 2 mandarins and only one will eat frozen, so its not really an option. I dont have too many SPS and they should all Fit in a 20gal with racks. Now do red bugs get on all SPS or just some? I have not noticed any on my monti caps and digi's, and also none on my pocillipora's, stylophora, or birdsnest. Now do you have to treat the corals for weeks? or just for a day. Thanks for the responses guys, I've never had to deal with this crap before.

josh2338
06-01-2005, 07:07 AM
just the acrapora sp.

Dannyboy
06-01-2005, 07:18 AM
Hey josh2338(sorry I didn't answer, I'm at work). Anyways If thats the case I just need to setup a 10gal and put them all in there. After the move I lost several large colonies so I dont have too many acroporas left. Hmmmm, mabey I'll do all monti's.......

josh2338
06-01-2005, 07:27 AM
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=567478&highlight=red+bugs can you get a hold of these...if you need some pills I got some, just call!:cool:

josh2338
06-01-2005, 07:41 AM
http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45859 Keep this for FYI I have this in my favorites this article will tell you everything you need to know about red bugs and the treatment. Dustin is the guy that did the experiment on Interceptor. He is also one of the big guys at ORA!:D

Dannyboy
06-01-2005, 08:23 AM
Links arent working.

MrKrispy
06-01-2005, 08:39 AM
I treatead all of mine in a 10g, you will be fine. Since it was a hospital tank I left the interceptor in overnight, put carbon in my HOB filter, did a water change, waited 10 days, then did another treatment. You probably don't even need to do a water change/carbon with a hospital tank.

Skuzzlebutt
06-01-2005, 08:51 AM
Bummer, my wife and I were admiring our new setup with all the new live rock we just bought last night and thought all the neat little red specs on the front glass were just more beneficial critters! Do I need to do something about these things? There are quite a few of them, I'd say 100 spread out along the glass just above the sand line.

Are they only detrimental to SPS corals or are there other things I need to worry about?

Any more info or a link to a background would be great.

MrKrispy
06-01-2005, 09:26 AM
if they aren't all on your acros then they probably aren't the red bugs (that suck), they probably are just pods of some sort. The bads ones will swarm an acro. When they get in large numbers they may hurt the acro.

josh2338
06-01-2005, 09:56 AM
Sorry! The links are working now!!!!:D Skuzzlebutt are you sure they're not flat worms!? Here is a picture of the RED BUGS :eek: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=536409&highlight=Dustin

Dannyboy
06-01-2005, 01:21 PM
Yeah they are red bugs for sure. They look just like the pic on RC. I almost feel like trashing the acros and just waiting a while to buy more. Damn and I'm just starting to get over the zoo eating nudi problem in my seahorse tank and now this! Haha isn't reefing fun:) . Well its an Interceptor bath for all new acros for sure!

MrKrispy
06-01-2005, 01:46 PM
don't trash the acros, you can give them to me haha

Skuzzlebutt
06-01-2005, 01:48 PM
Originally posted by josh2338
Sorry! The links are working now!!!!:D Skuzzlebutt are you sure they're not flat worms!? Here is a picture of the RED BUGS :eek: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=536409&highlight=Dustin

I can't be sure, but I believe they look alot like the pictures in the link. The bodies are very similar, but they are all the same color. They don't have red head and more yello bodies. I don't have any acros, but the person who sold me the rock and sand had some I believe.

Do I need to worry about them if I never plan on anything other then xenia, frogspawn, mushrooms and zoas?

Dannyboy
06-01-2005, 02:01 PM
If your not going to stock acros then it doesn't matter.