Got Bugs!

[NaCl_H2O]

Aren't new Macro lens for your camera neat ... they let you finally see these little SOBs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :angry

This is an official warning for anyone that received ANYTHING from me - I got 'em!

OK Todd, what next ............. :( :cry

[GaryP]

I talked to Scuba Steve yesterday and he said he has them, again...

These guys are just hard to get rid of.

[Sherri]

Well..I finally get to see what these buggers look like. Sorry Steve....what a total PITA. :angry Get'em before they get too many.

[GaryP]

I think Steve is going to be a little scarce online for a while. He's studying for his PE exam next month.

[NaCl_H2O]

I've got a PM to Todd to see if he has time to talk me through it :cry

Is the treatment nowadays just one large dose, sits for X hours, then a 50% water change, and another 50% water change a few dyas later, then 25% a few more times?

What's the Interceptor dossage per gallon? Is temp a facor? etc.? Etc.? Etc.?

50% ... thats 200g-250g for me :o Anybody got a big Rubbermaid tub I can borrow?

This is gonna be SOooo much fun!

[TexasTodd]

It's not too scary. It's a TON of work.

If I were you I might wait until the day temps cool some.

The biggest thing is you need 2x your total system water ready, mixed, chemically the same, and THE SAME TEMP!

People loose corals 3 ways: Leaving Acro crabs in a coral colony, they die, rot, and take the coral with them, Die off of crustations causes a big bio-load on the tank, The new water is not close enough to the tank water when they do each 50% water change and it stresses/kills corals.

I treat at 1.8x the "standard" dosage and do 6.5 hours. I only did one treatment last time as Eric B confirmed there is NOT an egg stage in the life cycle.

I do 50% change at 6.5 hours. 50% change at 24 hours. and a 50% change at 3 days. Doesn't hurt to do one at 7-8 days also IMO.

Lots of GOOD carbon and wet skim for 2 days before and a week after. Don't feed your tank for 2 days before and 3 days after.

Use ONLY Two Little Fishes carbon.

Watch your corals as some begin to bleach post treatment. People are not sure if it's from the Interceptor OR stress and more clear water from all the water changes. Since you already use O3 you probably won't see this as much as your water is already very clear. Still, not a bad idea to cut the photo period a couple of hours for a week post treatment.

That's all I got!

Todd

[NaCl_H2O]

Ok, I'm pretty good at math ... 1.8x the "Standard" dosage <_<

So, what's the Standard dosage :unsure

[::pete::]

Hmmmmm ...

That sucks!

[NaCl_H2O]

Brian, your 25mg/10g I assume is the "Standard" dosage that Todd suggested using 1.8x.

Where do I get Interceptor (Vet?), and are there different strengths/sizes I need to worry about when I ask? Brian, thanks for offering the Interceptor, and I may come get some, but I also want to buy a supply to have on hand for "Future Dipping" :angry

Boy, I'm gonna go through a few RO/DI filters!

[NaCl_H2O]

How much is a "Bunch" of Carbon for a 500g system? Just looked on-line and I can order a 4 liter bucket of TLF carbon for about $30, then I need a "Jolly Green Giant" size filter sock :o

What micron size socks should I use?

How many 4 Liter buckets would be best to order? I don;t want to scrimp here, I want to have it on hand if I need it?

Any source for TLF carbon in town???

Sorry for all the questions ... boy am I pi$$ed.

I feared this was my problem but couldn't see the little anti-MAASTards until I was PhotoShoping my macro shots ... my heart sunk :(

[NaCl_H2O]

you will need 25mg (0.025 grams) per 10 gallons of actual tank water . That is 25mg of the entire tablet. Each tablet in the pack of 6 will treat about 380 gallons


They are the ones for large dogs, 51-100lbs. These tablets are just under 1 gram each and contain 23mg of Milbemycin Oxime, the rest of it is a lovely smelling beef flavor.

Ok, I'm a little confused - is this right?

Tabs for 51-100# dogs are ~1g, 25mg/10g. one tab does a little less than 400g - So I only need TWO tablets to treat my my system :unsure What do folks do with small tanks, just dip the tablet in the water for a few seconds?

[JimD]

Steve, any way you can remove the infected acros from the tank and isolate the treatment? Even if they're encrusted, it might be a beter option to chisel them of the rock, they come loose suprizingly easy. Just a though. Its gonna be a major PITA with the total volume in your system.... Good luck bud....

[::pete::]

Steve
If you need any help (other than today) Im around the corner.

[TexasTodd]

"I personally overdose the treatment, my total water volume is at most 225gallons with everything.....but I dosed enough interceptor for 400gallons. "------QUOTE FROM BRIAN.

Funny/interesting WE BOTH independantely came within inches of the same formula after having bugs more than once. 225g x 1.8 = 405 gallons ;)

Something must be right!

Steve, I'd buy 3 bucket of carbon for your system. Use a whole one for each of the two carbon times and a third as backup.

Louis had one for $35 yesterday.

Todd

[MikeyBoy]

Steve, I am always available to help too.............Lord knows you have helped me enought over the last 6 mos.
Let me know if you want me to bring those drums over tommorrow.

[NaCl_H2O]

Thanks for all the offers, help, and advice ... I'm still pulling this all together and I am sure will ask for some help in the form of water containers if nothing else!

This club is great!

Now if my RO/DI would hurry up! I have 40g now, only 960g to go :o

Question ... what if I isolated and only treated my 215g tank? The ONLY tank with SPS is my 215g and my frag tank. I can empty the frag tank easily and sanitize it.

How much risk do I take with the other 75% of the water volume (Two other tanks, skimmer, fuge, etc. re-infesting the system? Worth a thought?

[carlinsa]

i ll help but i have no clue what to do really

[JimD]

Since the mites only prey on acros, Id seriously consider treating only the 215, or, possibly put whatever acros you have in the 215 into the frag tank and treat it? I dont see any reason to treat the entire system if your acros are only in two seperate tanks.

[::pete::]

... and if you miss one that happend to get to another tank? Then might just make it back to the 215. I would traet the entire system, but thats me.

[NaCl_H2O]

... and if you miss one that happend to get to another tank? Then might just make it back to the 215. I would traet the entire system, but thats me.

Yea, that's wha I am thinking, but 1,000g of water is ... well, 1,000g of water :o

Jim, too many little frags have broken off and fallen in-between live rock, and encrusted pieces would fall when I chisel ... I wouldn't dare not treat the entir 215g at a minimum. So are these little bugs JUST on acros, or do they climb around, get caught in water currents, washed to the sump, to the fuge, to the skimmer, to THE OTHER TANKS ... I imagine they do, granted they may not live long in areas without acros, but it only takes one to get back into the SPS tank.

So, Red Bug experts, could these have also been causing Digitata problems, or is that unrelated? :unsure

[JimD]

Thank God Im not a red bug expert!!!

[JeffCo]

Sorry for the bad news steve. I've been there, TWICE. You do want to treat the entire system. No use taking a chance. The red bugs could have been stressing out your digi's causing them to rtn. Good luck, it's not fun, but it's worth it.

[NaCl_H2O]

Ok, I'm gonna do the entire system ... gumble, grumble. Even if I have 10,000 of this little bugs, the price per ounce is really high!

A few questions for the experts.

I really don't see how I will have room to handle 750-1,000g of water on hand. I can almost see getting to 500g for the first two 50% water changes in the first 24 hours, then start making it as fast as possible and do 25% in two more days, and keep up the 25% changes for a few times - Is this a reasonable alternative to Todd's guidance above?

What all will die? I understand Shrimp, all crabs, lots-o-pods, but what about snails and WHAT ABOUT MY CLAMS :cry

Looks like I will get some 55g barrels from MikeBoy and trying to hok up with Gator for the 125g tank.

If anyone is headed Gator's way with a Truck, please let me know!

Also, I may need to run heaters in the barrels, won;t know until I get it going. I have 2-3 old heaters, but may need a few more if anyone has spares? Also, small circulation pumps, like MAG2s or MAG5s. I may have enough of these, but I need to scrounge through the garage.

Thanks again to everyone!

[C.Mydas]

your snails and clams will be fine as well as starfish...as far as the two 500g water changes thats what I would do but I'm no expert I would also try and do another 500g waterchange after that as well.

-Brian

[NaCl_H2O]

your snails and clams will be fine as well as starfish...as far as the two 500g water changes thats what I would do but I'm no expert I would also try and do another 500g waterchange after that as well.

-Brian

Thanks, I'm glad the snails and clams are safe :) . You said "500g water change" you meant 250g (50%), right!

BTW - You are logged into the wrong account again ;)

[NaCl_H2O]

Oh, and I don't guess by any chance that this stuff kills Aptasia :lol

[JeffCo]

Your shrimp will probably make it too, I have not had any of mine die.

[CD]

Steve - I am SO sorry to hear you've got "the bugs" :(

Looks like most everything has been covered already as far as "procedure", but I can add a few things that may help:
*Instead of buying bags for the carbon, you can use the legs of panty hose...it works great!
*Since your crabs will die during treatment, it is a good idea to get as many out as possible and QT them for a month just in case they have any mites stuck to their shells (why take the chance?). I got all mine out the night before treatment...wait until lights out (for the fish to go to sleep) then drop some shrimp pellets in the front corners of your tank (or the easiest spot for you to snag them out) and the crabs will come in droves to eat the pellets...you can easily remove them then. ;)
*The acro crabs are not as hard to get out as it would seem, but since most of your corals are encrusted, I wouldn't worry about getting them out of the tank - as was mentioned before though, you will want to get their little bodies out of the coral so they won't rot there. If you can remove a colony that's not attached to an unmanageble rock, use a wooden skewer to herd them out of the colony into a bowl of tankwater (the skewer gets down into all the little nooks and crannys easily).
*Amazingly enough our cleaner shrimp made it through the treatment, but it made them pretty sick for a couple of weeks, and they hid in the rocks for at least 2 and 1/2 weeks.

Best of luck on the treatment, and you know we are all here for you if you need any help. ;)

W. :)

[NaCl_H2O]

Got Water :lol
I'm just about ready ... 350g of 1.025 mixed & ready to go, only 150g more needed for the first two water changes

[::pete::]

Holy ****!!! Nice

[GaryP]

You might want to consider getting an Eheim or something similar to run the carbon in.

[NaCl_H2O]

You might want to consider getting an Eheim or something similar to run the carbon in.

I have one of the large filter socks with a plastic colar - big enough to hold 4L of carbon and an Eheim pump in the sump to pump water into it and through the carbon - makeshift, but the same principle!

[NaCl_H2O]

I am committed now ... 3 tabs of Interceptor went in the system at 1:00pm ... :cry DIE SUCKERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TexasTodd]

Hey, where did you get those barrels and how many gallons do they hold?

Steve, can you do a "how to make RO/DI water and mix to saltwater" seminar at the next meeting?

:wacko

Todd

[NaCl_H2O]

Hey, where did you get those barrels and how many gallons do they hold?

Steve, can you do a "how to make RO/DI water and mix to saltwater" seminar at the next meeting?

MikeBoy to the rescue :D They are 220L (~58g) barrels, so have about 400g of water mixed and ready to go. But, these barrels are lightweights compared to what Mike just dropped off ... see my new post in a couple of minutes!

[NaCl_H2O]

WOW :o 50% of 500g is a BUNCH OF F...ING WATER :o

Treatment and first water change are done, gotta rest up for the next one pant, pant, pant!

Thanks to Todd & Brian for all the great advice, thanks to MikeBoy for the barrels, and MANY MANY thanks to Brian for the Interceptor!!

[NaCl_H2O]

I'm past the first 24hr water change, and now I'm just gonna test and watch and do 25%'ers every few days as needed. Everything seems fine, no additional losses except hermits, one cleaner, and maybe my elegance coral that wasn't looking so good anyway. SPSs are looking a little better.

THIS WAS A ROYAL PITA, and my system is semi-automated for water changes.