Red bugs and dips

[Jan]

Does revive or any of the other dips actually kill red bugs on frags? What can a reefer do to avoid introducing them into their system? Is interceptor the only thing that kills red bugs? If we have interceptor should we mix a batch everytimne we have new corals and use as a dip?

[cabrego]

From the research I have done, interceptor dips are the only thing that kills red bugs, thus only dipping frags in this will kill them.

 

For the record, I dipped a frag with red bugs in medicoral (iodine solution) and after about an hour the red bugs were still happily bouncing around in the bowl they were in. I am definitely interested in other experiences.

[Jan]

I found this about Revive killing red bugs. Dip only.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/lofiversio...hp/t199909.html

 

Does revive or any of the other dips actually kill red bugs on frags? What can a reefer do to avoid introducing them into their system? Is interceptor the only thing that kills red bugs? If we have interceptor should we mix a batch everytimne we have new corals and use as a dip?

[lanman]

I found this about Revive killing red bugs. Dip only.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/lofiversio...hp/t199909.html

 

From experience... Revive doesn't kill them - but it does disorient them; they tend to leave the coral and swim around. So perhaps a rinse in a bucket of tank water will get rid of any that are still on the coral. I am also finding that coral colonies soaked in Revive for 30 minutes have a tendency toward STN during the week or so that follows. I did not see that back when I was only giving them 15 minutes.

 

With smaller pieces of coral - I have found that I can 'get rid of' (not kill) most of the redbugs by 'swishing' the coral vigorously in water changed tank water. I had a frag with about 20 on it - after a good rinsing - I couldn't find any (but I'm sure there are some hiding somewhere).

 

bob

[lanman]

Jan - read through the post. It refers to an article written by Julian Sprung - who owns 'two little fishies', which produces Revive. So... it may be somewhat biased.

 

What I found interesting is that he says the Revive bath kills AEFW eggs. Now I need to try to find his research on this. I have a frag with AEFW eggs that were all laid at least 20 days ago. I examine it every night. Those eggs have still not all hatched. In correspondence with a marine biologist, she advised that because the AEFW goes through a full development cycle inside the egg cases, and emerges as a juvenile, rather than a free-swimming nymph; it could easily take a month. THEN, the juveniles (very small) will hide in the coral tissue for another month before they emerge out onto the coral surface. That is a lot of patient research to find out if Revive actually kills the eggs. I tried this once already - but the samples got messed up in my 'flatworm' tank, and never made it to maturity.

 

Anyone who has successfully used Revive to completely eradicate redbugs - please post up!

 

bob

[DDiver]

Redbugs hide in the corallites that's why infected frags or colonies have poor polyp extension...and I find Revive to be pretty harsh on corals if u bathe them..I only swish corals in it for about a minute or so..and I also found that swishing frags around in interceptor will not kill the redbugs because they just retreat into the corallites

where they are fo the most part protected from the solution so u need to bathe it for at least a few hours with adequte aeration...just my experience..

[NamReefs]

Redbugs hide in the corallites that's why infected frags or colonies have poor polyp extension...and I find Revive to be pretty harsh on corals if u bathe them..I only swish corals in it for about a minute or so..and I also found that swishing frags around in interceptor will not kill the redbugs because they just retreat into the corallites

where they are fo the most part protected from the solution so u need to bathe it for at least a few hours with adequte aeration...just my experience..

i dont know yet :(( i just dose the interceptor in my tank about 15minutes ago i saw the red bud move around like doesn't get any happen. i hope it will kill all of that killer coral in my tank

thanks

Nam

Edited October 31, 2009 by learning

[Hilary]

I've read (the Melevsreef article) that you should give it 6 hours. I think that's where I've gone wrong with dips - I've only been leaving new corals in the solution for 1/2 hour or so. Bob, have you nailed down the "best" time yet for dips in Interceptor?

Edited October 31, 2009 by Hilary

[NamReefs]

yeah another one is. anyone know how to use the interceptor?? how much i have to use for my 100g tanks including sump. i just use 1/3 of the stapplet

[DDiver]

I've heard of people doubling or tripling the dosage with no adverse effects..I've always uses at least double..

[chucelli]

IME, two hours with good water movement is enough to get rid of them when using Interceptor.

And, Interceptor is the only thing that works. I've tried two different kinds of iodine based solutions and both to no avail. Iodine dips are actually quite harsh on the coral. I've noticed no adverse effects when using Interceptor.

[Jan]

Read the third reply to your thread for help. Detailed instructions on how to use interceptor can be found in one of the links.

yeah another one is. anyone know how to use the interceptor?? how much i have to use for my 100g tanks including sump. i just use 1/3 of the stapplet

Edited November 1, 2009 by Jan

[Sikryd]

Detailed instructions for Red bug treatment and the use of interceptor

 

http://www.reefs.org/forums/topic45859.html

[Jan]

The reason I posted it is because I read it and it came from Sprung himself. I don't see it as bias. The guys got a product that works and a business that's been around a while. He'd be taking a huge chance by lying about what his product can do. Maybe he'd share the research with you. Why not email him with your situation and tell him about the experience you had with his product.

 

Jan - read through the post. It refers to an article written by Julian Sprung - who owns 'two little fishies', which produces Revive. So... it may be somewhat biased.

 

What I found interesting is that he says the Revive bath kills AEFW eggs. Now I need to try to find his research on this. I have a frag with AEFW eggs that were all laid at least 20 days ago. I examine it every night. Those eggs have still not all hatched. In correspondence with a marine biologist, she advised that because the AEFW goes through a full development cycle inside the egg cases, and emerges as a juvenile, rather than a free-swimming nymph; it could easily take a month. THEN, the juveniles (very small) will hide in the coral tissue for another month before they emerge out onto the coral surface. That is a lot of patient research to find out if Revive actually kills the eggs. I tried this once already - but the samples got messed up in my 'flatworm' tank, and never made it to maturity.

 

Anyone who has successfully used Revive to completely eradicate redbugs - please post up!

 

bob

[Sikryd]

From talking with other reefers that have practical experience with AEFW and REVIVE, it does not kill all the eggs. If it was that easy then you could just dip all your corals once and they would be gone. No need for a QT or subsequent dips.

 

At least that is what I have been told from guys that have had them, and used revive to take care of them. It works great for killing live ones though. It just takes ~ 2 months of dipping every 4-7 days in QT to make sure that all the eggs have hatched and are eraticated.

 

It would be a BIG story all over the reefing forums if revive worked once. At least I would think so. That is a pretty big thing for a nasty pest. It is considered the next worst pest to Montipora Eating Nudi's for good reason.

There are a lot of people that just live with them and try to control the population due to them being so hard to eradicate.

 

My .02

 

 

 

 

- Just saw the part about killing red bugs. It doesn't work from my personal experience to kill all of them. It works great, and I saw LOTS of red bugs in the dip, but they continued to linger on in the tank even after I dipped everthing. This was ~ 8 months ago when I didn't have many sps and no interceptor. Supposeably they stay on the coral, and don't cruise the tank, so one would think that they would be eradicated if you dipped everything. They weren't, so I ended up using interceptor which was extremely easy and caused very little issues. The only issues I had is it took out 4-5 hermits I missed, and one ornamental shrimp. All my snails (50+) that I didn't take out (too hard to get EVERY one of them) were fine and survived

 

From my experience, I have to agree with Bob - that it kills some, stuns some, but the eggs survive.

Edited November 1, 2009 by Sikryd

[lanman]

Sorry - but I probably just added to the confusion by mentioning AEFW.

 

Redbugs do not appear to have eggs (live-bearing). If you kill the bugs, you will get no more. Interceptor kills them. I ran the exact amount of medicine recommended for 16 hours, and then started diluting and running carbon. I check a couple of smooth-skinned corals every few days under my microscope, and have seen no further redbugs (two weeks).

 

AEFW have eggs... I am currently trying to figure out how long the eggs take to hatch - 21 days and counting! A good soak in Revive seems to kill all adults and visible juveniles. So does a soak in my 'garlic dip'. A dip in Potassium permanganate kills adults, and probably does kill eggs (they look pretty bad afterwards) - but it is also very hard on corals in the concentrations I've tried. If, as I suspect, I have another big outbreak of AEFW in about a month in my display tank, I will have a chance to do more experimentation - including whether or not the various treatments kill eggs. It appears that the cycle to hatch eggs, and for the juveniles to get large enough to venture onto the surface of the coral and start causing damage is a long one. So long, that the adults have all died off. If this is the case, quarantine for a new coral (with rocks/dead coral attached) would have to be months to ensure against AEFW, even if adults are not present. I have only found eggs on dead coral tissue, frag plugs, rocks - never on healthy tissue. So a freshly-cut frag, soaked in Revive for 15 minutes, should be safe.

 

bob

[Sikryd]

Sorry - but I probably just added to the confusion by mentioning AEFW.

 

Redbugs do not appear to have eggs (live-bearing). If you kill the bugs, you will get no more. Interceptor kills them.

 

So a freshly-cut frag, soaked in Revive for 15 minutes, should be safe.

 

bob

 

Thanks for the info on the live bearing. I forgot about that. I guess the ones the revive doesn't kill and that still can hold on to the coral are just stunned then. At least I would assume. Cause I know it doesn't kill them all. A 2min. superconcentration swish will get 90% of them off though

 

AEFW - That is what I do when I get new frags. George up here brought it up when I was talking to him about getting new frags. I dip everything in revive, interceptor, and fwe, and then cut the frag off the base and remount everything. Still not 100%, but a good practice to get into if you don't want issues like the afformentioned.

[geofloors]

I have been using Revive for a few years to remove pests from all the coral frag I get. I will dip everything in it any my theory is "if the frag survives the dip then it can go in the tank". My method which has kept my tank clean for over 3 years now.... I have 3 small buckets which are just over 1/2 gallon each. I add 1/2 gallon of tank water to each. In 1 bucket I add 4 cap fulls (double dose) of revive (I always use the same bucket and won't use this bucket for anything else) I cut the frag off it's original base and mount it to a new frag plug. I then throw away the old base (even if there is a significant amount of encrusted tissue here) I put the frags in the dip for 20 minutes, using a turkey baster every few minutes. After 20 minutes I take the coral(s) from the revive dip and put them in the next bucket to rinse them off. I shake the heck out of them at this point. Let them sit in there for at least 5 minutes. All kinds of stuff will be in the bottom of the bucket from this. Then I move the frags to the last bucket, shake them again and if the bottom of the bucket is clean, I feel the frag(s) are safe to put in the tank. Of course I will inspect them throughout the process will a magnifying glass. Most people call me "eagle eye" because I see everything. So maybe closely observing is more important because if I see anything (and I mean anything) in the bottom of the 3rd bucket I will start over with fresh revive and 2 buckets of clean tank water. If the coral lives after all this it will make it's way into my collection. I will only buy frags, colonies and even large frags are too risky for me.

 

 

George

Edited November 2, 2009 by geofloors