Red Bug treatment

[txg8gxp]

I started my treatments for red bugs last night and thought I would post my steps, and how everything goes. To start I have a 57g tank with a PM30 sump, I'm guessing my system is between 60-70g. I'm using interceptor 51-100 lbs. tablets. Before starting, I removed as many shrimps/crabs/snails as I could. Interceptor can/will kill most inverts. For my size tank I desided to use half a tablet, I figured it would make it easy to dose the same amount for each treatment that way. I cut one tab in half then smached it into powder, then mixed it into a cup of tank water until dissolved. I then disconnected the air line from my skimmer, so it wouldn't skim..but still circulate water. Then poured the meds into the pump chamber of my sump so it would spread in the tank fast. That was at 10pm last night, 12h later....10am this morning I hooked the skimmers air line back on, then at 10pm tonight I plan to add a cup or two of carbon. Then I will run the carbon for 24h then remove and do a 10-15g water change. I will do these steps 3 times, spaced 5 days apart form start to start. After the last treatment I will do several 10g water changes spaced a few days apart. So far everything is going great, the few shrimp that got left in the tank did die (I thought they would), but all the fish and coral look great. Next time I mix up the interceptor I will take some pics to show what I did.

[txg8gxp]

I will keep my steps and times posted here.

wed. 8 10pm 1/2 tab interceptor w/skimmer airline off
thurs. 9 10am skimmer airline hooked back up.
thurs. 9 10pm 1 cup carbon in filter sock.
fri. 10 10pm 10g water change.
mon 13 10pm 1/2 tab interceptor w/skimmer airline off
tue 14 10am skimmer airline hooked back up

[txg8gxp]

Ok, I have also noticed some of the feather dusters that grow on the rock die off aswell.

[Mr Cob]

Thanks for posting your process. Several of us have gone through this before. I was fortunate that I only had to do one treatment....it was a half tab in a 75g. I followed it with small water changes over the next couple of weeks until things were back to normal. If there were eggs and they hatched I assume the water was still potent enough to kill them.

Definitely more controlled the way you are doing it. I lost my entire pod population and feather dusters...plus some stray peps. I did not have any crabs.

[txg8gxp]

I don't have alot of red bugs, but plan to do 3 treatments just to be sure. I have read that sps does great with interceptor dips, I guess so...mine has some crazy PE today :)

[Mr Cob]

Yep...I didn't lose any corals. They all looked great during and after the treatment. It was still very nerve racking. Especially when I saw what it did to the shrimp I couldn't remove from the system.

[txg8gxp]

A couple coral pics after first treatment, still no carbon added.
http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy46/txg8gxp/DSC01058.jpg?t=1284063199
http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy46/txg8gxp/DSC01059.jpg?t=1284063275
http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy46/txg8gxp/DSC01061.jpg?t=1284063310
http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy46/txg8gxp/DSC01062.jpg?t=1284063340
http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy46/txg8gxp/DSC01063.jpg?t=1284063391
http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy46/txg8gxp/DSC01065.jpg?t=1284063443
http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy46/txg8gxp/DSC01057.jpg?t=1284063477

[Mr Cob]

^Awesome!

[Regric25]

How bout some pics of the red bugs?

[txg8gxp]

Sorry, I'm not that good...Plus it maybe too late, I didn't see any last time I looked.

[CoryDude]

After my single red bug treatment, I did a 50% water change and then added some DT's tiger pod bottles, and the pop populations were back to normal within a month. My mandarin didn't even show any stress from the interruption to the food chain. I actually used Sentinal, since I had some left over when my dog ran away. I wish all sps pests could be cured so easily.

[ErikH]

Man those are great pics home slice! You have great polyp extension!

[Mr Cob]

Sorry, I'm not that good...Plus it maybe too late, I didn't see any last time I looked.

Amazing how fast they die off...

[txg8gxp]

Everything is still looking great this morning. This is not a treatment to be nervous/scared about, I think the only way you could go wrong is to just way over dose.

[txg8gxp]

Update. Everything looks great. I will start treatment number two tommorrow. I don't see anything in the tank, but I will continue with the extra treatments just to be sure.

[allan]

Quick question. What is the active ingredient in interceptor that kills te red bugs?

[CoryDude]

Milbemycin oxime. Are you looking at using a different brand? I used Sentinel, even though it has the extra ingredient for flleas, and didn't have any problems.

[allan]

Checking alternatives. My daughter had told me that I could get the chem erythem-something (the first chem on the box of heart guard) at the feed store. They use it on cows or something.

I'm having a spot of trouble locating a vet willing to rx my tank.

[aquasport24]

Allan, just print out as much info as you can off the web and take it to Vets that deal with exotics pets too, beside dogs and cats. Explain it to them that it would works for salt water tanks too.