Red Bug treatment

Thread started here (http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/sps-corals/2517-totm-winner-needs-help-3.html)

Step 1
Set up another tank to put as many shrimps and crabs in. (make sure you do this weeks in advance in order to have a safe environment for them to live in.)
Step 2

Make sure you have enough fresh salt water made up to do several 25% water changes. I made sure it was the same (Temp. Alk, Ca, PH,). This way their would not be anymore of a shock to the system. Have some carbon avialible.
Step 3 ( The hardest part)

I’m assuming you all ready have the medication.
Here is a link for information on the medication (http://www.ah.novartis.com/products/en/cab/interceptor.shtml (http://www.ah.novartis.com/products/en/cab/interceptor.shtml))
Measuring the medication took some care. If you have a scale it would be easier. But like me not many people have one. So here how I figured out the dose.
I used the tables from Large dogs, 51-100lbs These tablet contain 23mg of Mibemycin Oxime.
The dosage I used is 25mg (0.025 grams) per 10 gal. Each tablet will treat 380 gallons. So I figured up my gallons ( take into consideration the sump, skimmer ect) I tried to be as accurate as I could.
I took the 380 and divided it by my total gallon to come up with a good guess for a dose.
28 gal divided into 380 gave me 13.58 or about 13.5% of the pill.
I ground up the pill http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/Red%20bug%20treatment/picture1.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/Red%20bug%20treatment/picture2.jpg
I divided up the pill in to half. 50% piles. http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/Red%20bug%20treatment/picture3.jpg
Then I divided up the pile in to half 25% piles. http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/Red%20bug%20treatment/picture4.jpg
Then I divided it up one more time into 12.5 % piles
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/Red%20bug%20treatment/picture5.jpg

I saved all the rest into different viles so I would not have to do that again. (So that’s why I saved all those extra containers from the test kits)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/Red%20bug%20treatment/picture6.jpg
(the spoon from sailfert test kits just happen to be about 12.5% packed and level)
At this point I have decided to remove canister filter and clean, also removed skimmer and took apart everything. I ran a vinegar mixture through the filter to break up ca deposits. I did this for aleast 4 hours.
Step 4

Added tank water and shook till dissolved.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/Red%20bug%20treatment/picture7.jpg
Then I poured it into the tank in a high flow area
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/Red%20bug%20treatment/picture8.jpg

Water will stay very clear.

Observations
Hour 1 12:15 – 1:15

All fish and coral seem fine. No sign of the peppermint shrimp I could not catch. About 90% of my free swimming pods and mysis died. They begin to float into the water column and the fish began their feast. Red bugs were alive and very active.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/Red%20bug%20treatment/picture9.jpg

Hour 2 1:15 – 2:15

I still see some mysis juveniles swimming around, same as in first hour. All fish and coral look normal. Serpent stars look normal. Red bugs have stopped moving but are still attached to coral.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/Red%20bug%20treatment/picture10.jpg

Hour 3 2:15 – 3:15

Free swimming pod and mysis still swimming around in fuge. Pods in main tank floating around are dead. Red bugs seem to be fewer, not moving at all , but still attached to coral. Some have begun to come off in small amounts of mucus on the coral.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/Red%20bug%20treatment/picture11.jpg

Hour 4 3:15 – 4:15

Pods still alive in fuge. Red bugs are becoming very hard to find as most have lifted into the water column.

Hour 5 4:15 – 5:15

All fish and corals are normal. Mysis and pods still swimming in fuge, about the same amount as in 1st hour. Can’t find any Red bugs at all.
Began to prepare to put canister filter back on tank rinsed clean and full (six bags of carbon) of carbon. I put some floss in there too in hope to pick up the loose pods.

Hour 6 5:15 – 6:15

Nothing eventful this hour. All fish and coral doing fine.
At 6:15 I began to do the water change I did about 30%. Put the canister filter and skimmer back on line. All fish and coral doing great. No Red bugs anywhere. Still see some pods and mysis in fuge.

Next day :
No sign of any Red bugs at all. Serpent stars are going wild. I have noticed a drop in my small snail population. Serpent stars are all over that one. I did place one of my power heads so that it would push water behind rocks , as to push any dead bodies out. One dead peppermint shrimp body did come out and I was able to remove it. I was searching for the other one and its still alive. I guess I will share anymore things that happen in the days to come. Here are some picture of post treatment.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/Red%20bug%20treatment/picture12.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/Red%20bug%20treatment/picture13.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/VICTORIARAW/Red%20bug%20treatment/picture14.jpg

One other things I am dealing with is for some reason that much carbon in my system causes the ph to rise. So I had to turn off the alk dosing pump. In order to keep alk steady I am adding low ph formual alk. I'm hand dosing that every morning.
Does anyone know why my ph would go higher after carbon change?? It has nothing to do with treatment, as this has happen everytime I change carbon.

It's because of the ash in the carbon. It is best to use acided-wash carbons because most of the ash is already washed out which avoids "pH Shock". Usually the acid washed carbons are the same ones that will not leach phosphates into your system.

Renee
Do you have a brand on carbon that's acided washed?

Victoria,

Great pictorial directions of this procedure.

Victoria,

This is by far the best treatment description I have come across on the web, nice use of pictures!

Brian

Thanks Brian I sure hope it help others.

Renee
Do you have a brand on carbon that's acided washed?

Matrix Carbon by Seachem.

Thanks Renee I'll be buying that brand.

Excellent thread...

Victoria.. your next treatment will be when? You do know that most, if not all, who have had to do this do at least two or three treatments. The life cycle of T. Acroporanus is not completely understood. Most fear that the eggs may lay dormant for a day or more and then hatch, starting the infestation over again. It is not known whether or not the treatment affects the eggs.

Dave

Dave
Thanks.. Because the life cycle is not understood. I'll try my therory out. I will look with a magnifing glass a few times each day. And if I see any red bugs I will treat again. My reasoning is , it will take time for any red bugs to muture in to breeding adults. So If I can see them I will treat again. I'm thinking I can catch them before they breed. Maybe one more treatment.
I am also thinking they might be like the common dog flea in their life cycle. Anyway I'm in learning mode...

Dave
Thanks.. Because the life cycle is not understood. I'll try my therory out. I will look with a magnifing glass a few times each day. And if I see any red bugs I will treat again. My reasoning is , it will take time for any red bugs to muture in to breeding adults.

Just days...

So If I can see them I will treat again. I'm thinking I can catch them before they breed. Maybe one more treatment.
I am also thinking they might be like the common dog flea in their life cycle. Anyway I'm in learning mode...

Naw....I'm willing to bet they are more like gammarus pods..

D

Victoria, Thanks for posting! Very informative and detailed.

I agree this is one of the best How-to's i have seen on my internet journey. Great job Vitoria. You took alot of time putting it together and i know alot of people will benefit from it. Great job :)

This is so good it should be made a sticky (but maybe in the SPS forum instead of DIY).

This is so good it should be made a sticky (but maybe in the SPS forum instead of DIY).
Done.. ;D
http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/sps-corals/

I've never had a sticky before:clap: :w00t!: lol

np, its well deserved
if you want, you can put a link in your signature for it as well.. :)
in your signature here on TR, and of course on other sites.. :D

np, its well deserved
if you want, you can put a link in your signature for it as well.. :)
in your signature here on TR, and of course on other sites.. :D

You are welcome to put it in your signature on Project DIBS...I would suggest titling it something like "My Redbug Treatment Sticky" or something like that and link that to the sticky.

Brian

You are welcome to put it in your signature on Project DIBS...I would suggest titling it something like "My Redbug Treatment Sticky" or something like that and link that to the sticky.

Brian
actually just did that for her.. hope she doesnt mind... ;)

Reefs.org Forums :: View topic - The "CURE" for Red Acro Bugs (http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45859)

I just thought it would be nice to link back to the original article on reefs.org by Dustin Dorton who came up with the idea.