question about redbugs

[ecvernon]

in my 30 gallon oceanic cube tank i discovered after i purchased an anemone attached with a small rock i now have red bugs in my tank.

this tank is a lps, softies and anemone tank. i only have 3 pieces of acropora from my main tank due to me accidentally fragging the colony when i was moving stuff around in my main display....

i dont have any interceptor pills.. and i use tropic marine coral cure to dip corals.
1. would it have been ok to dip that rock along with the anenome?(i did not think it would have been and thats why I did not)
2.since this a lps softy tank would the redbugs just starve out of the tank after a couple of months?

3. I read redbugs are immune to commercial reefdips... are all of you guys using interceptor pills for your new additions?

 

[john90009]

I highly doubt red bugs came from a rock with the anemone on it. Generally the red bugs will spend there whole lives on acros because there Fatt sob's that like to eat the slime from the coral.I dont think you want to dip the anemone in any kind of cleaner- Also the red bugs should starve out if there was no sps in there, but spend an hour looking at your main display and check for red bugs in there.

 

[john90009]

Oh and yeah interceptor is the only thing that stuns and kills them- but you would have to quarantine the incoming coral because the coral with the red bugs needs to sit with the interceptor for a few hours then needs to be inspected.

 

[ecvernon]

ok i will have to check my main display again.. thanks

 

[NYreefNoob]

either get rid of all acros or you have to treat whole tank. if you plan to leave them once acros are killed off i would wait atleast 3 months before adding any others

 

[D1J8Z]

red bugs are easily taken care of. Dont stress

 

[juiceguy]

Salifert FWE gets rid of them

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

 

[D1J8Z]

Salifert FWE gets rid of them

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

Nope

 

[john90009]

Hes talking about the redbugs that go to acros not the flatworms.

 

[albano]

are you sure you have red bugs (they don't look red), and not flat worms?

 

[juiceguy]

do they cover the rocks ans sand?

 

[ecvernon]

none on the rocks and sand. i have had red planeria in the past and i am very familiar with them.

i 1st observed the redbugs only cause i saw a few on the brightly colored side of a purple tricolor acro.
the most of them were on the shaded parts which were not as bright and very hard to notice.
just like here. and yeah they are not exactly red kinda tan under my lighting
http://www.melevsreef.com/redbugs.html

 

[ecvernon]

i need to get some of those pills..anyone has some?

 

[mr_X]

ah....i missed half of this post.
i use it for my dogs. i could mail you a tablet. just pay me what i paid for it.

 

[ereefer]

I had these in the past. I took all my acros out and placed them in a bucket of tank water with dissolved interceptor for about 1 hr. All red bugs were gone with only this treatment. Also the full life cycle of the red bug is 5 days, from egg to death.

 

[SevTT]

i need to get some of those pills..anyone has some?

You can get one from a vet, preferably one that works with exotics or that you have a prior relationship with. It may take a bit of social engineering. Bring along a copy of http://www.melevsreef.com/redbugs.html and ask to talk to the vet; the receptionists will likely turf you. If necessary, leave a short note and a copy of the article for the vet to look over.

...The receptionists kept telling me that I'd need to get a heartworm test, even after I explained that it was for a coral. Which does not have a heart, much less heartworms. %P

Or you could buy a pack of more-than-you'll-ever-need from one of those online PetRX stores.

 

[Josh]

drcooper is a vet and he can get you a few pills if you need it.

 

[Josh]

Also the full life cycle of the red bug is 5 days, from egg to death.

I don't think anyone knows this for sure. The recommended treatment is to dose three times each a week apart. Follow each dose with a water change.

If the life cycle is indeed 5 days, you would need to do at least 2 doses to be sure you got them all.

 

[D1J8Z]

If you have shrimp and hermit crabs PLEASE find them a new home while you are treating the tank, they will die if you leave them in there

 

[ecvernon]

i checked my main display i did not find any yet. here is a picture i got zoomed and cropped takin with nikon D90