Red Bugs...

[witecap4u]

Looks like I have them, where is the best info about treating.

cs

[JimD]

Dang! Where do you think you got them from??? Talk to Steve, (NACLH2O), he just went through a bout with them along with several others here. Good luck.

[NaCl_H2O]

Well, that sucks!!!!!!!!!!

Step #1) Turn on your RO/DI unit full blast
Step #2) Read this post Got Bugs! (http://www.maast.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=14520&pos tdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0)
Step #3) Read it again
Step #4) Post more questions

Good luck! The treatment isn't as bad as it seems, just handling lots of water. Several of us have a supply of Interceptor, so no problem there!

Good luck - ask all the Qs you need!

[witecap4u]

Not sure where I got them, not even sure realy how long i've had them.

I've looked a couple times before but didnt notice anything, but I've only seen a couple in the last week or so. I do have some Interceptor that I had the wife pickup a while back when she worked for a shelter for a "just incase", so now its just a matter of researching and doing it.

cs

My problem is im going to be upgrading to a 200gal and have 3 tanks but only 1 has sps, so should I treat all of them, just the sps tank? I could also wait till after I upgrade and get everything together and get all the crabs and stuff out and then do it?

CSeel

[NaCl_H2O]

I would not suggest waiting, once my SPS started going down-hil, it went very fast: Went from "Hum, looks kinds sick" to "OMG" in about a week.

Also, the treatment and huge water changes can be stressful to the coral, doing the treatment right after a ful tank move would add to that stress and probably result in more loss.

Treating only one tank introduces risk. Any past cross-contamination, filter media, nets, whatever could have introduced mites into your non-SPS tanks. In theory, they wouldn't live long without host SPS to feed on, but I really don't think the reef community understands this bug well enough to bet any money on that!

I would treat all the tanks, but I am a bit "paranoid" about Redbugs right now ;) Then I would wait at least 30 days before moving to the new tank.

Anything less than a full scale attack is introducing risk, which you need to decide how much you want to take?

Example: After Todd's warning, all the hermits (100+) I could get out sat in a seperate container for 2+ weeks so any bugs would be dead. Had to do daily water changes in this bucket, then I dipped them in a VERY strong iodine dip before returning them to the tank. I probably should have ditched them and just bought new ... but where would the new ones come from :unsure ... see, I'm really paranoid!

[longhorn_20m]

What precautions can you take when introducing new inhabitants to a tank? Would dipping in fresh water kill these bugs and prevent situations like this?

[NaCl_H2O]

The only way to protect your tank from possibly Redbug contamination is a 6 hour Interceptor treatment for new corals. Some folks follow this with a RO+ReefChem Dip followed by Flatworm-Exit, but I won't come out and say that Brian is being paranoid ;) ...

[witecap4u]

I think im going to wait till after I get the larger tank setup to prevent cross contamination. Im going to be doing alot of water changes during the first month or two anyways, so I think this will be the best option. I think I'll start treatment two weeks after changing tanks. 75+% of the water will be from my current tanks, so the tank switch should go smooth. This will also free up a 100gal stock tank that I can use to mix water in for the water changes. Hopefully this will be the best way to handle the situation.