I am not sure if what I have is red bugs or not. I just got some corals and now I see these little guys in my tank. They are about 1/16th of an inch long maybe a little smaller. They are red in color not yellow. My question is if they are red bugs will they survive in my tank if I have no acros. I have a Seriatopora and a millipora a few monapora. The rest are all LPS and softies.

What nobody knows the anwser??? Can somebody please help me I am in panic mode right now. If I don't have any acros is my tank safe? If they are red bugs will they all die if there is no acro for them to eat?

Here are some links that might help you.

What red bugs really look like (http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/general-marine-discussions/821-what-red-bugs-really-look-like.html)
Wat are red bugs? (http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/general-marine-discussions/778-what-red-bugs.html)

Thank you but I need to know if they will continue to live in a tank that does not have any acros in it????

The size you give for the "whatzit" in your tank seems big for red bugs.

The answer is a big ol' "no". IF you do not have acropora, they are probably not red bugs, and if they are (brought in somehow), they should not live long in your system without their symbiotic host.

Dave

Thank you so much... I can now relax... :D

Oh I didn't tell ya to relax :) Seriously, did you look at some of the info on the web? Check out Melevsreef too. If you think you have bugs, you will want to know. Regardless of whether or not you have a blooming crop of acro, you do have a milli :) See Eric B's information below:

Hosting Behavior on Acropora Species
Despite its original discovery of Acropora florida, T. acroporanus is found to host on many species of Acropora, preferentially those with widely spaced corallites where they have room to move on the coenosarc. Species with large or "hairy" polyps - eg. A. millepora - seem to be quite resistant, although I have received two reports of them hosting on these types. I suspect that the coral consumes the bugs with nematocysts in these species before they can establish and colonize, or they are just a less preferable host. Perhaps there is not enough bare coenosarc for them to move about effectively. I have no proof of this, but it seems plausible, and experiments are ongoing to determine the range of host diversity. In the history section (http://www.ericborneman.com/Tegastes-content/History/History.html), I have shown that there are numerous copepods associated with other corasls, including Acropora, as well as other members of the family Tegastidae associated with other coral genera.

well heres one for you
i have and acro that has a small crab that lives in it (very cool)
and it has reb bug so i have to options use this flee stuff and kill the bugs along with the crab or let the red bug kill the acro and then most likly the crab will die
any ideas
it is a small crab and its not possble to get it out

I would pull the acro out and dip in intercepter. That way you kill the rb and crab and hopefully save the acro. I would also just to be on the safe side since you have dip made up, dip all of your acros just in case you have some rb on them as well.

well i gave it fresh water dip and they all seem to be fine and the polyeps are out again. and my crab is fine