Attn: Aquarists with Red Acro mite infestations

[tdwyatt]

Although I seldom recommend carte blanche treatments for suspected infestations or infections, the following may be of interest to those of you with problematic Acro "red bug" mites on your Acropora spp. I cannot attest to either the safety nor the efficacy of this procedure, nor can I suggest it as a long-term risk free procedure as I have not researched it in depth nor have I used it (fortunately I don't have an issue with these parasites, quarantine is 100% easier than system treatment)

I present the link to the site as an "information only" subject that may be of benefit to some of you. The active ingredient works by blocking adequate chitin formation in susceptible spp of crustaceans, one of which are the "Red Bugs". The treatment uses the Canine heartworm med Interceptor, and I would think that it will affect many benthic crustaceans as well as the shrimps and crabs in your tank. Isolation of desired specimens is a must, and the followup with carbon and massive water changes would be a safety measure before reintroducing your crustaceans. Read all the links with the RDO article and make sure that you are aware of the potential downfalls associated with this treatment prior to undertaking a trial.

HTH The link is: http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45859

[Geoff]

thanks for the info.

i am still not convinced that they are bad.

G~

[tdwyatt]

Originally posted by Geoff
i am still not convinced that they are bad...

Me either, but the standing comment is that I just don't know for sure.

I feel that they are opportunistic creatures that most likely feed off mucus rather than being truly parasitic. Their presence on dieing corals would be explained by the abundance of available dead and dieing tissue: the mites would be an effect, rather than a cause.

By the same token, I would not want to be known as a supplier of corals with red bugs, and I wouldn't want to get specimens from sources that have them either.

The folks I know that have red bugs do not see huge die-offs of their corals, even low occasional losses, but the bugs are still there, in some systems for years. I still treat specimens incoming with the carbonated water treatment and isolate for 3 weeks in quarantine anyway, regardless of the source.

...and I am still skeptical of the total safety of such treatments, even though I know the reported mechanism of action, as I cannot believe that this med is not equally fatal on all crustaceans, meaning the sandbed benthos and live rock pops would be in trouble.

[Geoff]

i have one frag that has them, as far as i can tell none of the others do. of course when some of them are millipora it is rather difficult to see them if they were there.

the population of them on that one frag definately changes with how well the coral is doing. it also seems to be the most sensitive coral i have. when it is flourescent green and happy. very few bugs. when it is a lime green and not as happy there seems to be a lot more bugs.

G~

[tdwyatt]

It wouold be interesting to see how treatment in a quarantine tank would do. Treatment in the separate water column would save your main system from exposure, and if the same coral specimen were to become re-infected, it would confirm the presence of other bugs on other corals (or that they are not totally dependant on the coral for food...)

just a thought (hint hint wink wink nudge nudge)

[Geoff]

i may just have to do that.

G~

[jeepjon]

I had some bugs like that...but they were yellow, and not red, but from everything I read and looked at, it seemed they were similar. The frags did ok until I killed them...err...everything in my tank, but that wasn't related to the red/yellow bugs. They never really seemed to bug the coral, the coral just sat there open and happy as could be, growing....and the bugs didn't seem to bother it.

[tdwyatt]

Jeepjon,

I don't suppose you have some pix of what you're describing... ????

I am VERY interested in ANY parasite that may have appeared on acro's.