Red Planet issue

[sculpin01]

Sounds like a good plan. I appreciate you documenting this here. Science!

 

[Syntax1235]

I can’t catch a break….. I thought I would try caulerpa since tbsw sent me some. The stuff grew so fast in my sump, so I trimmed it up and brought it to my lfs. I came home, tank was fine, and did something else for a couple hours, and came back to cloudy tank….. the caulerpa went sexual….. ugh. Running uv, carbon, and filter floss. What a pain.

 

[mwil79]

Did you lose the red planet? If so i would gladly donate a piece from my colony. Nothing worse than going through a pest outbreak.

 

[Syntax1235]

Did you lose the red planet? If so i would gladly donate a piece from my colony. Nothing worse than going through a pest outbreak.

Thanks for the very kind gesture. All of my acros have these darn bugs, but I only lost a few small frags. The red planet is hanging on.

 

[mwil79]

Thanks for the very kind gesture. All of my acros have these darn bugs, but I only lost a few small frags. The red planet is hanging on.

If you lose it shoot me a pm once you get things sorted out.

 

[Syntax1235]

Finally received the Milbemycin (in the form of Milbeguard), the 23mg pills. Dissolved two of those in hot water for several minutes and added them to the tank. Hope this works. I’ll check tomorrow and add another two pills if I see them moving. I’m hoping two doses will get the job done. I’ll perform a water change in a couple of days and run carbon.

I’ll repeat in around 5 days with the same dosage.

 

[Syntax1235]

One benefit of intercepter…. This guy came in on some tbsw rock….. never saw him.

 

[Syntax1235]

I noticed a few bugs moving around seemingly unfazed by an almost 5x strength dose. This morning will include dosing three additional pills. Fingers crossed that when I come home from work they will be gone.

 

[Syntax1235]

It's been 8 hours since the second stronger dose and I still see a few bugs moving. I'm not sure whether I should let it ride for 24 hours or dose again? Anyone have experience dosing this much milbemycin. Everything in the tank is fine besides the two resident gorilla crabs, yes, I got another, and my two cleaner shrimp.

 

[Syntax1235]

Well, at this point I don't have much to lose: corals look like crap, cleaner shrimp are dead, algae is growing on the rocks due to most of the snails being moved to a qt tank, and morale is pretty low. I crushed up 4 - 23mg pills and dissolved them in boiling water and dosed the tank again, that is a total of 9 pills in a span of 24 hours in a volume of 175 gallons. The options are few if this treatment does not work, tearing down the tank or trying ivermectin seem to be the only options left.

 

[Dr. Jim]

The options are few if this treatment does not work, tearing down the tank or trying ivermectin seem to be the only options left.

Or organophosphates if Ivomec fails??

 

[Syntax1235]

Or organophosphates if Ivomec fails??

I’ve tried an organophosphate as a dip and it was effective. I’m not sure if organophosphates are safe for fish?

I have at least the abstract of a paper using ivermectin as a whole tank treatment with corals, fish, and clams. I can’t find the paper though.

 

[Syntax1235]

As I write this I’m watching my fish go down one by one…. So far I have lost two chromis and a couple more are on their way out. The Bartletts are starting to swim awkwardly. This is painful to watch…… bugs are still moving.

I performed a water change and I’m running carbon in two reactors and wet skimming. Hope I can stop this die off.

I can’t subject my fish to any more treatments, it’s cruel at this point.

 

[Troylee]

As I write this I’m watching my fish go down one by one…. So far I have lost two chromis and a couple more are on their way out. The Bartletts are starting to swim awkwardly. This is painful to watch…… bugs are still moving.

I performed a water change and I’m running carbon in two reactors and wet skimming. Hope I can stop this die off.

I can’t subject my fish to any more treatments, it’s cruel at this point.

That’s horrible man… I’d pull the acros and let the tank just do it’s thing for a couple months and hope they die off from starvation.. I never heard or seen these things.. all we had were red bugs and aefw back in the day.. do they affect any other corals? Or just acros?

 

[Syntax1235]

That’s horrible man… I’d pull the acros and let the tank just do it’s thing for a couple months and hope they die off from starvation.. I never heard or seen these things.. all we had were red bugs and aefw back in the day.. do they affect any other corals? Or just acros?

This is the worst. Just lost a Bartlett.

I have not pulled my two lps to see if the bugs are on their tissue, but they are not as open as usual. I have a single gorgonian that is fine. Deresa clam looks good.

 

[Syntax1235]

I’m regrouping and trying to figure out a way forward. Looks like I have only lost one chromis, the other fish held on through the night. They may have a chance.

My plan moving forward involves the following steps:

1) Order t5 fixture for my qt and turn it into a frag tank for all my corals and clam.
2) clean out my sump and remove the rock to cook/ treat it all outside of the tank.
3) order 50lbs of base rock from tbsw and place that in the tank.
4) add cooked live rock in tank

The issues I’m trying to figure out:

1) How to get rid of all the bugs without draining the tank annd removing the fish.
2) How to keep the fish protected from ammonia between the time I remove all the rock and place new rock in the tank.

Any ideas?

 

[Troylee]

Found this…

Black Bugs - An Acro keepers worst nightmare?

This is going to be a difficult post for me to write, bear with me. Last night after 3 days of research, discussion with other reefers, testing treatments under a microscope, and bringing myself to actually do it; I tore down my Acro tank. Not a hurt acro tank, but a beautiful growing acro tank...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Syntax1235]

Found this…

Black Bugs - An Acro keepers worst nightmare?

This is going to be a difficult post for me to write, bear with me. Last night after 3 days of research, discussion with other reefers, testing treatments under a microscope, and bringing myself to actually do it; I tore down my Acro tank. Not a hurt acro tank, but a beautiful growing acro tank...

www.reef2reef.com

I’ve read through this several times. These bugs are the worst thing I’ve encountered in 20 years.

 

[Troylee]

I’ve read through this several times. These bugs are the worst thing I’ve encountered in 20 years.

Yeah that sucks! I’ve dealt with red bugs and aefw.. just had my first bout with Eefw those are a walk in the park.. if I get these I’ll load my tank with wrasses and hope for the best! All else fails I’ll go Fowlr for a year and try again before taking my tank down…

 

[Syntax1235]

Yeah that sucks! I’ve dealt with red bugs and aefw.. just had my first bout with Eefw those are a walk in the park.. if I get these I’ll load my tank with wrasses and hope for the best! All else fails I’ll go Fowlr for a year and try again before taking my tank down…

You’ve got me thinking…. I don’t have any wrasses in the tank. I had ordered a few but all were doa. I wonder if I put in a yellow corridor, Melanurus and, a pink streaked fairy if they would keep the population in check? These bugs are so small, would they even see them??
Could be an alternative to tearing down and setting it back up with new rock.

any thoughts anyone?