Little Red Bugs!

[gogregerson]

After reading ksarauer post about having the "bugs" I got worried and inspected my tank and sure enough I've got them. I'm looking for more info on effects of the pests and the reprocusions of treatment on the tank. I have a 150 gallon tank with a 40 breeder sump/refuguim. Lots of different stony corals. For fish I've got a blue tang, yellow tang, purple fire fish, dragon goby, and a clakie clown. Inverts, I've got 20+ hermits that I'm looking to give away, emerald green crab, red crab, peppermint shimp, lots of snails, lots of tiny bristle stars, and a pod population that would make a mandarin smile. So the question is, When I treat the tank what is going to be killed? Is it just Acros that are affected? Can move the Acros to a hospital tank and treat?

[Clownnut]

well. remove all the inverts. do in tank interceptor treatment.
crabs and pods for sure.

[gogregerson]

If I remove the crabs will the bugs hitchhike right back into the tank on thier shells? Are the bugs ever free floating in the water collum?

[gogregerson]

Will my fish be alright?

[Clownnut]

Originally Posted by gogregerson

Are the bugs ever free floating in the water collum?

i think so, that's how they get to other colonies.
did you dip your acros before you put them into your tank?
yes, i think your fishes will be fine

[gogregerson]

So where does one get this intersepter pill?

[mtfatwork]

do you have a dog?

[Clownnut]

talk to your veterinarian hope he can understand then write you a prescription. (Large dogs, 50-100lbs.)

[gogregerson]

I've got a balck lab. How about feather dusters and clams, will they be afected? If I move inverts to a Q-tank and bring some of the bugs along in the process how long can they survive with out any coral to feed on?

[smeese]

When I tore apart my 150 Ike found my pistol shrimp and he lived through 6 treatments! I would remove what you can though and good luck.

[Loverotties]

To be shure I'd move what you want to live.

[gogregerson]

I don't think I can catch the crab and shrimp unfortunatly

[David Grigor]

Some corals are more resilient to the red bugs on them more than others. Stunted growth, loss of color, loss of polyps extension are signs that they are adversly effecting a particular coral. If one coral in the tank has them then highly likely all acros that are favorable to the bugs will likely have them also. Plus, it only gets worse never any better so if you have just a few bugs today 6 months from now the population will be three fold.

You can treat acros out of the tank but the problem with that is that you must get all of the corals that have them out. If you miss one then all for nothing. I forget how long they can live without a host but it is several weeks so they would have to stay in quarantine. A number of people don't have good enough quarantine set / lighting to accomidate for that long so best to treat the whole tank.

[gogregerson]

Will the treatment kill star fish including tiny bristle stars?

[David Grigor]

I don't recall starfish but assume the worst case and remove any larger starfish. Like the pods it shouldn't kill 100% of the mini ones so they should repopulate.