Red Planet issue

[Syntax1235]

It means you need something that kills mites, not copepods. Did you try the potassium chloride dip?

I don’t have any on hand…. I’ll get some and try dipping this weekend.

Thanks for the Id and help.
I take it the first picture is a copepod? The one with no color?

 

[sculpin01]

Apparently ivermectin may be an option.

 

[sculpin01]

Ummmm, no. They are all halacarid mites. I suspect the clear one is just immature.

 

[sculpin01]

Apparently I have ID'ed these in the past and promptly forgot about it. D'oh!

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/strange-stn.884524/page-3

 

[Syntax1235]

I’ve ordered the kcl . I tried the Red Sea dip and purge, still alive and moving around. I’m experimenting with a frag plug that has them crawling all around. I’m trying 100ml of tank water to 1 ml of a diluted solution of melathion that I used to use in the garden. I don’t know what the concentration level is, but I have enough mixed to use for a long time.

-1 ml of melathion did nothing after 15 minutes. Added another 1 ml…. Waitied 15 minutes and they are still alive. Adding 2ml to the solution and waiting another 15 minutes.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

I’ve ordered the kcl . I tried the Red Sea dip and purge, still alive and moving around. I’m experimenting with a frag plug that has them crawling all around. I’m trying 100ml of tank water to 1 ml of a diluted solution of melathion that I used to use in the garden. I don’t know what the concentration level is, but I have enough mixed to use for a long time.

-1 ml of melathion did nothing after 15 minutes. Added another 1 ml…. Waitied 15 minutes and they are still alive. Adding 2ml to the solution and waiting another 15 minutes.

Glad you found it! I sure didn't expect that. KCL I've read good things about, you can also order this from Amazon and make your own super easy, for future reference.

 

[Syntax1235]

Glad you found it! I sure didn't expect that. KCL I've read good things about, you can also order this from Amazon and make your own super easy, for future reference.

I ordered something just like that, from Amazon too.

 

[Coinzmans Reef]

Please kill it, I am going to have nightmares.

 

[sculpin01]

This will likely work if everything else fails but it is very very lethal to all invertebrates, must be used as a dip outside the tank, and frags need 24 hour wash in clean saltwater with lots of carbon before their return to the tank.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1966226

 

[Syntax1235]

Please kill it, I am going to have nightmares.

I hear yah.... I have not been stressed like this for some time.

 

[Syntax1235]

This will likely work if everything else fails but it is very very lethal to all invertebrates, must be used as a dip outside the tank, and frags need 24 hour wash in clean saltwater with lots of carbon before their return to the tank.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1966226

At least I'm not out of options yet. I think my malathion is diluted too much to work, so I'm going to wait until the weekend when I can use the stuff straight out of the bottle. I also have the kcl, and lastly the ivermectin.

 

[sculpin01]

Ivermectin is a potential miticide/acaricide but this is way into unknown territory, so who knows.

 

[Syntax1235]

I’ve been reading about kcl dipping, and it seems that 1tbs per gallon is the dosage commonly used. Can this amount be increased to help with potency? If so, how much can be used and still be safe for the coral?

 

[sculpin01]

I’ve been reading about kcl dipping, and it seems that 1tbs per gallon is the dosage commonly used. Can this amount be increased to help with potency? If so, how much can be used and still be safe for the coral?

37.85 g/gallon is the concentration I use. And for only 5-10 minutes. I have found it to be very effective.

 

[Syntax1235]

37.85 g/gallon is the concentration I use. And for only 5-10 minutes. I have found it to be very effective.

So, I could use about 2.5 grams per cup if I wanted to try it on a couple small frags first?

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

Take a look here too. Covers Potassium Chloride if you need it.

 

[Syntax1235]

Take a look here too. Covers Potassium Chloride if you need it.

I just watched this video this morning. Thanks for sharing.

 

[ScottB]

Thank you for taking those awesome pics and videos. Super instructive. I may have missed a couple of them though -- or couldn't see much on my phone. The best images all show the bugs crawling on dead tissue. Have you visually seen them moving around on live tissue? I guess where I am going is to this question:

Predator or Scavenger?

There are many many scavengers in our systems and typically very few coral predators.

 

[Syntax1235]

Thank you for taking those awesome pics and videos. Super instructive. I may have missed a couple of them though -- or couldn't see much on my phone. The best images all show the bugs crawling on dead tissue. Have you visually seen them moving around on live tissue? I guess where I am going is to this question:

Predator or Scavenger?

There are many many scavengers in our systems and typically very few coral predators.

Hi,

Thanks for the comments and the question. I have not seen the mites eating coral; however, they seem to be around the line of dead and live tissue. I can not say for certain that they are indeed eating the coral, but it seems like the only plausible explanation.

When I get rid of these bugs and if the coral heals and grows, I think it would be safe to assume that they were eating the coral.


From what I’ve read, these mites are more active during the nighttime hours. I do see them during the day, but due to their size it is impossible to spot them on a coral without having them very close.

I hope I have good news to report soon.

 

[Dr. Jim]

I’ve ordered the kcl . I tried the Red Sea dip and purge, still alive and moving around. I’m experimenting with a frag plug that has them crawling all around. I’m trying 100ml of tank water to 1 ml of a diluted solution of melathion that I used to use in the garden. I don’t know what the concentration level is, but I have enough mixed to use for a long time.

-1 ml of melathion did nothing after 15 minutes. Added another 1 ml…. Waitied 15 minutes and they are still alive. Adding 2ml to the solution and waiting another 15 minutes.

May I ask what dosage the melathion label says to use (for garden pests) and have you tried that concentration in aquarium water for the dips? I would think that dosage might be a good starting point to start playing around with.
I know you are trying the KCl and I really hope that works for you since KCl would make life much easier, but I feel more optimistic about the malathion working. I'm saying this because of the success I had with Dyacide that I wrote about recently for a very resistant tegastes species that I called a "brown bug" (and another organophosphate I used for a fish isopod many years ago). I should add that I have no experience with KCl, though.