SPS pests and treatment options

[thebkramer]

Hiya SPS lovers and such

So I have them.. the dreaded red bugs!!!

when I went to my LFS and saw the sps rack for only 9.99.. I said WOW thats cheap!! so.. I asked if anything was wrong with them.. he assured me no.. just wanted to clear up some space.. so I inspected it.. twisted it all around and felt satisfied.. UGH!! what is it with LFS lighting that easily hides the bad things!!!
Anywhooo.. I got it home.. swished it around in some CoralRevive and put it in my DT.. hour later called LFS and they of course told me I can bring it back anytime.. but I would like to remove myself.. I like my little guy!! lol why not.. right??
so I found a vet that is willing to let me buy interceptor as long as I sign a release.. no problem.. of course I'm scared I'm gonna screw it up.. but.. I want to try...

So after a lil back story.. my question is.. (and sorry if its been asked multiple times in this thread) how many mg do I really need for just a simple frag? I don't want to go hog wild!! I plan to move it to a little 10g and treat it there.. is that okay??
will I be annoying if I look for some personal help through this??

and just want to double check.. my other corals are not "prone" to red bugs correct?? what about my frogspawn?? everything else are softies.. chili cactus, toadstool, zoas, buttons, gsp, neon green palo, mushrooms.. I think that covers it

Thanks for any and all insight!!!

[Dave71]

Originally Posted by thebkramer

Hiya SPS lovers and such

So I have them.. the dreaded red bugs!!!

when I went to my LFS and saw the sps rack for only 9.99.. I said WOW thats cheap!! so.. I asked if anything was wrong with them.. he assured me no.. just wanted to clear up some space.. so I inspected it.. twisted it all around and felt satisfied.. UGH!! what is it with LFS lighting that easily hides the bad things!!!
Anywhooo.. I got it home.. swished it around in some CoralRevive and put it in my DT.. hour later called LFS and they of course told me I can bring it back anytime.. but I would like to remove myself.. I like my little guy!! lol why not.. right??
so I found a vet that is willing to let me buy interceptor as long as I sign a release.. no problem.. of course I'm scared I'm gonna screw it up.. but.. I want to try...

So after a lil back story.. my question is.. (and sorry if its been asked multiple times in this thread) how many mg do I really need for just a simple frag? I don't want to go hog wild!! I plan to move it to a little 10g and treat it there.. is that okay??
will I be annoying if I look for some personal help through this??

and just want to double check.. my other corals are not "prone" to red bugs correct?? what about my frogspawn?? everything else are softies.. chili cactus, toadstool, zoas, buttons, gsp, neon green palo, mushrooms.. I think that covers it

Thanks for any and all insight!!!

Here are some links I found useful -

http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/viewtopic.php?t=14402

http://www.melevsreef.com/redbugs.html

I left interceptor in the tank for 24 hours.

Large tablet treats approx. 380 gallons of water.

Steps:

1. Crush the pill into powder
2. Get a small measuring device. I like Salifert Test spoons for this.
3. Determine the number of spoons of powder you have created from the crushed pill.
4. Divide 380 by the number of spoons. You now have the gallon per spoon measurement.
5. Dose with the number of spoons it takes you to get to required Gallons.

I have found higher doses can be used when you are exclusively treating corals.

Your other corals will not be infected, they do not meet the dietary requirements.

I favor multiple treatments (3) over a single treatment.

[thebkramer]

thanks for the response!!!
so can I buy just a 5mg pill then?? how do I know how much to use?

[Dave71]

Originally Posted by thebkramer

thanks for the response!!!
so can I buy just a 5mg pill then?? how do I know how much to use?

The common pill used is the pill for large dogs. 23 mg.

I have not heard of any reason why a smaller pill cannot be used, but the calculation would need to be adjusted. i.e. if 23 mg treats 380 gallons.

You can calculate the adjusment.

[29reef]

You should and need to treat the entire tank. IMO It doesn't sound like that's your plan?

[Dave71]

Originally Posted by 29reef

You should and need to treat the entire tank. IMO It doesn't sound like that's your plan?

I believe this needs to be taken on a case by case basis.

Red bugs will not survive more than a few days without a host.

If you can remove the SPS from the tank and put it in a QT for treatment, IMHO this is the best method since you primarily perserve the health of the DT.

In the most recent post, it was my understanding this was a single frag, which should be relatively easy to treat outside the tank.

There is no doubt, that sometimes treating the DT is the only good option available.

[fishdoc11]

I am also of the opinion that treating the entire tank is the way to (and that's from treating myself many years ago and following these threads and people's experiences for more than half a decade). The problem with using a different size pill is Dorton's dosing instructions are by weight not by amount of the drug. The amount can be extrapolated with a smaller dosage pill if you are comfortable with that but to most people it's much easier to use the one for dogs 51-100 lbs.

hth, Chris

[HHIreefer843]

Hey y'all I have the dang red bugs....my question is can I treat in my DT, I currently do not have a qt so am I able to treat with a dip or can I use interceptor in my DT

[fishdoc11]

Originally Posted by HHIreefer843

Hey y'all I have the dang red bugs....my question is can I treat in my DT, I currently do not have a qt so am I able to treat with a dip or can I use interceptor in my DT

If DT = main tank then yes.

[HHIreefer843]

Yeah DT display tank Aka main tank...is it the best way to go? (interceptor)

[fishdoc11]

Originally Posted by HHIreefer843

Yeah DT display tank Aka main tank...is it the best way to go? (interceptor)

Yes, I recommend at least 2 preferably 3 treatments with a little higher dose(10 to 25%) than what Dorton prescribed.
http://www.reefs.org/forums/topic45859.html
Also some have said leaving the medication in the tank 12 or even 24 hours instead of 6 works better. My personal experience was that Hermits still died adding them a week later so I think the residual effect is substantial even when adding carbon and doing a water change 6 hours post treatment.
hth, Chris

[bryman]

I used 1/3 of a large Interceptor pill on my roughly 120 gallon system after fishing out as many snails and hermits as I could. All black bugs were dead within 2 hours. After 12 hours I did a 25 gallon water change and put in new bags of carbon and GFO. Put snails and hermits in after about 12 more hours. Only lost a few porcelain crabs and about 10 hermits that were left in. All emerald crabs, cleaner shrimp were OK. No sign of any bugs since.

Originally Posted by bryman

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.

[roberto_lopes]

This is a problem ?

They move really fast on the rocks and I have millions of them.

[bryman]

Originally Posted by bryman

I used 1/3 of a large Interceptor pill on my roughly 120 gallon system after fishing out as many snails and hermits as I could. All black bugs were dead within 2 hours. After 12 hours I did a 25 gallon water change and put in new bags of carbon and GFO. Put snails and hermits in after about 12 more hours. Only lost a few porcelain crabs and about 10 hermits that were left in. All emerald crabs, cleaner shrimp were OK. No sign of any bugs since.

I concur with FishDoc11. I put in the hermits too fast. I lost probably about 15 more, but the big ones look OK. Conclusion: Leave the hermits out of the Intercepted tank for at least 2 weeks.

[fishdoc11]

Originally Posted by roberto_lopes

This is a problem ?

They move really fast on the rocks and I have millions of them.

Looks like pods to me (which are good guys) but hard to tell from the angle.

[duke62]

Has anyone tried dipping there corals in Bayer.I know someone who uses it and said the results are great.Only thing is not swirling the water and only use 1ml in 2 cups of water no more then 5 min

[gon08]

Originally Posted by duke62

Has anyone tried dipping there corals in Bayer.I know someone who uses it and said the results are great.Only thing is not swirling the water and only use 1ml in 2 cups of water no more then 5 min

I've been using the Bayer product for months now. The results are impressive. It will kill every thing on the coral yet the coral is not affected at all. Unlike other dips where the corals lose color and stress these corals will extend polyps sooner and lose no color at all. The product is Bayer's Complete Insect Killer concentrated from Lowes or Home Depot.

[ONEWAY]

Originally Posted by gon08

I've been using the Bayer product for months now. The results are impressive. It will kill every thing on the coral yet the coral is not affected at all. Unlike other dips where the corals lose color and stress these corals will extend polyps sooner and lose no color at all. The product is Bayer's Complete Insect Killer concentrated from Lowes or Home Depot.

So Bayer's Insect Killer. I was wanting to add some new sps's to my tank and was very reluctant to because I've never had any type of bugs. I have a very stocked and full tank full of sps and afraid of getting anything. So I was wondering what is the best dip out there to help prevent bugs. So what will the Bayer's actually kill and what is the procedure for using it as a dip. How much how long? And one last thing is there a pic or link available of the Bayer's so I can see what it looks like.

Thank you
Anthony

[gon08]

Originally Posted by ONEWAY

So Bayer's Insect Killer. I was wanting to add some new sps's to my tank and was very reluctant to because I've never had any type of bugs. I have a very stocked and full tank full of sps and afraid of getting anything. So I was wondering what is the best dip out there to help prevent bugs. So what will the Bayer's actually kill and what is the procedure for using it as a dip. How much how long? And one last thing is there a pic or link available of the Bayer's so I can see what it looks like.

Thank you
Anthony

Here is the thread of the initial experiment and how he came to the recommended dose.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1965880

[DaveG99]

resurrecting an old thread because Im going to be doing some RED BUG KILLING this afternoon. Picking up some revive and going to dip a few of my 3 acro frags.

[drtechno]

People seem to be using 2 products, and its unclear even from the source thread WHICH one is more effective, or if they are equally effective.
Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer
Bayer Advanced Home Pest plus Germ Killer

People just keep saying "Bayer" without specifying and I am wondering if this is causing confusion. Im going to try the latter one tonight since there is at least one post where the Bayer Complete Insect didn't seem to work on red bugs?

[wrimda]

Do Red bugs move quickly?

[ReefDE]

Originally Posted by wrimda

Do Red bugs move quickly?

Here's a quick macro video of them on a bonsai...

http://youtu.be/DWXJVpBe3aQ

[Chipie]

Well i've been searching this thread and no answer as to what dip to use for AEFW. Is this some kind of secret or is it that nothing really works? What dip should be used for acro eating flatworms ?

[DenizYILDIZ]

Do you know what this antenna thing on my acro is ?