red bugs!

[benny z]

ok, so somehow i contracted red bugs. :crossedlips:

really ticks me off because i've been uber careful with everything i've introduced into the tank. no idea where they came from or when, but they are there in full force. i thought i was covered with dipping everything in coral rx, but after looking at their website more closely there is a little note: "Coral Rx may not be effective on Acropora Red Bugs." :sad:

anyway, time to treat.

i've picked up three tablets of the 51-100 lbs interceptor medicine, a bunch of carbon, and have enough salt on hand to do massive water changes.

what i am wondering about is the dosage. i have a 200g display, 100g stock tank, and two 50g stock tanks. i've read that 1 full tablet will treat 400g of water. is that correct? i have also seen reports of people dosing up to 2x the recommended dosage with no ill side effects.

i would guestimate that my actual water volume is around 325 gallons after rock/sand displacement. should i crush and use a whole tablet?

who here has treated with this method before?

thanks,
ben

 

[Pizzapro83]

I have a total of 180 gallons of water and dose one tablet for large dogs. You really don't have to worry about the large water change. I did one the first time but was told by a LFS they don't even do a water change when they dose. I would just do a normal water change.

 

[MikeB]

The only problem, snails, hermits, shrimp will also perish from what I heard

 

[Cully]

I would use the whole tablet. Crush it, mix it into a glass of tank water and pour it in to a fast moving portion of your sump. Turn off any carbon or GFO you might have running. You're supposed to turn off your skimmer for about 12 hrs. Might be a good time to yank it and totally clean it out too.

Snails will be fine. Shrimps and crabs, possibly star fish of varying types will likely die.

I'd dose the tank 3 times, once a week x 3 weeks. The first time I dosed, redbugs died, but rebounded a month later, so I learned my lesson.

After 12 hrs turn on skimmer and run carbon, but change it the next day. Do a decent sized water change.

I got my info directly from Marc Levenson aka Melev, of melev's reef. He assured me it was a relatively benign process and that I didn't need to get excited about doing a big waterchange. Sure enough, as with all things reef, he was right. It really is NOT a big deal. Just turn the skimmer on after 12 hrs and you'll be fine.

 

[roshi719]

I would use the whole tablet. Crush it, mix it into a glass of tank water and pour it in to a fast moving portion of your sump. Turn off any carbon or GFO you might have running. You're supposed to turn off your skimmer for about 12 hrs. Might be a good time to yank it and totally clean it out too.

Snails will be fine. Shrimps and crabs, possibly star fish of varying types will likely die.

I'd dose the tank 3 times, once a week x 3 weeks. The first time I dosed, redbugs died, but rebounded a month later, so I learned my lesson.

After 12 hrs turn on skimmer and run carbon, but change it the next day. Do a decent sized water change.

I got my info directly from Marc Levenson aka Melev, of melev's reef. He assured me it was a relatively benign process and that I didn't need to get excited about doing a big waterchange. Sure enough, as with all things reef, he was right. It really is NOT a big deal. Just turn the skimmer on after 12 hrs and you'll be fine.

Same here. Just make sure you get out any crustaceans you want to save and make sure you do the three treatments or you will be starting the treatment all over again.

 

[xiongaquatics]

I would use the whole tablet. Crush it, mix it into a glass of tank water and pour it in to a fast moving portion of your sump. Turn off any carbon or GFO you might have running. You're supposed to turn off your skimmer for about 12 hrs. Might be a good time to yank it and totally clean it out too.

Snails will be fine. Shrimps and crabs, possibly star fish of varying types will likely die.

I'd dose the tank 3 times, once a week x 3 weeks. The first time I dosed, redbugs died, but rebounded a month later, so I learned my lesson.

After 12 hrs turn on skimmer and run carbon, but change it the next day. Do a decent sized water change.

I got my info directly from Marc Levenson aka Melev, of melev's reef. He assured me it was a relatively benign process and that I didn't need to get excited about doing a big waterchange. Sure enough, as with all things reef, he was right. It really is NOT a big deal. Just turn the skimmer on after 12 hrs and you'll be fine.

+1 on this one. i do 3 tiime as well. after the first one wait a week and do another one, wait 2 week and one last time. i usually let it go for 24hrs and than turn on my skimmer and carbon. no need for water change, but you can do if you like to. i use 2 pill for my 250gallon system with no problem.

 

[SDguy]

I would use the whole tablet. Crush it, mix it into a glass of tank water and pour it in to a fast moving portion of your sump. Turn off any carbon or GFO you might have running. You're supposed to turn off your skimmer for about 12 hrs. Might be a good time to yank it and totally clean it out too.

Snails will be fine. Shrimps and crabs, possibly star fish of varying types will likely die.

I'd dose the tank 3 times, once a week x 3 weeks. After 12 hrs turn on skimmer and run carbon, but change it the next day. Do a decent sized water change.

I got my info directly from Marc Levenson aka Melev, of melev's reef. He assured me it was a relatively benign process and that I didn't need to get excited about doing a big waterchange. Sure enough, as with all things reef, he was right. It really is NOT a big deal. Just turn the skimmer on after 12 hrs and you'll be fine.

Yup, what he said

FWIW, I used a whole tablet each dose on my <150g total volume.

 

[benny z]

thanks guys... at 10am this morning i pulled my cleaner shrimp (surprisingly easy), turned off the skimmer's air intakes, and turned off my carbon and gfo reactors. i also took off my filter sock, then dosed one full crushed/dissolved tablet. i plan to load up both reactors with fresh carbon and then turn them on at 10pm tonight, along with the skimmer. will probably do the water change tomorrow around 4pm or so.

sound like a safe plan?

thanks!
- ben

 

[Murfman]

You don't need to dose 3 times. the red bugs are live bearers. 1 tablet will treat 300 gallons. I dosed my 125, a year ago, 1 time, and have never seen them again. Only losses were my hermits. My pistol shrimp survived fine. Some have never done a water change, after treatment. If you have a large die off of hermits, get them out as soon as you can to minimize ammonia. Some have been known to dose frag tanks and never do a water change, leaving 3x the recommended dose in there with no ill effects on the corals.

Here is a link to the guy who discovered the interceptor treatment;

http://www.reefs.org/forums/topic45859.html

 

[Cully]

You don't need to dose 3 times. the red bugs are live bearers. 1 tablet will treat 300 gallons. I dosed my 125, a year ago, 1 time, and have never seen them again. Only losses were my hermits. My pistol shrimp survived fine. Some have never done a water change, after treatment. If you have a large die off of hermits, get them out as soon as you can to minimize ammonia. Some have been known to dose frag tanks and never do a water change, leaving 3x the recommended dose in there with no ill effects on the corals.

Here is a link to the guy who discovered the interceptor treatment;

The "CURE" for Red Acro Bugs : General Reefkeeping Discussion

All due respect, I am merely relating my findings. I did have them come back a month later after treating only once. After treating 3 weeks in a row, haven't seen them in 2 years.

My findings may be an abberance, but I personally recommend 3 x. If once worked for you cool-beans!

Seriously, no disrespect intended, just relaying my experiences.

Thanks Yo!