9 hours into interceptor treatment. Still see red bugs.

[SamMule]

Long story short, I noticed poor PE on some of my acros shortly after adding some more bumblebee snails from a local fish store. Some of them have small pod like critters crawling on them. Never an infestation, but if I look for a few minutes, I will find some.

Today, I turned off my skimmer and added one 11.5mg tablet of interceptor (crushed and dissolved in RO water) Tank volume is about 65gal.
It was potent enough to kill my skunk cleaner within the first hour or two, but my Zanzibar shrimp seems ok and I did just hear a click from the pistol Shrimp, so he must still be kicking as well.
I just inspected my acros and can still spot a few bugs crawling. Not stationary.
Question is: should I just leave the stuff in there for awhile longer? Or just change water and do it again next week?

 

[Fish Think Pink]

This is a quality reference site, go down past pico to 280g entire tank treatment:

Red Bugs - No More! | Melev's Reef

www.melevsreef.com

Put your inverts in some other tank for couple weeks. Three treatments over 3 weeks is considered necessary to remove any possible future generations from emerging from the reef to reinfest the corals.

 

[sculpin01]

If it fails, double or triple your dose. If that fails, try this (but no inverts in the tank for weeks to months):

Use of Ivermectin to Control Red Bugs (Tegastes acroporanus) - Reef Central Online Community

Use of Ivermectin to Control Red Bugs (Tegastes acroporanus) SPS Keepers

www.reefcentral.com

 

[Acroporaguy]

I've always let it circulate for at least 24h. I remember reading that time in the tank was more important than dosage on a reefcentral forum.

Also be sure to dose it again in a week (3 separate doses).

 

[SamMule]

Ok, thanks. Yeah, planning on 3 doses a week apart. Dosage is already pretty high for my volume, so I guess I'll keep it where it is. On the plus side, I am definitely seeing better PE on most of the affected acros and the bugs are few and far between.
I did a 30+% water change yesterday afternoon. Will drop some carbon in tomorrow.

 

[sculpin01]

I don't really understand the logic for the repeated dosing. Tegastes (red, white, and grey bugs) are live bearers and do not lay eggs. If there are survivors from the first dose, I would expect them to survive the next two doses, too.

With egg bearers like AEFWs repeated treatments make sense as the eggs do not succumb the way the adults do. But with Tegastes, everything should die with the initial treatment unless they are resistant.

Not trying to be contentious but barring escalating dosages, I don't understand the benefit.

 

[Rick5]

I don't really understand the logic for the repeated dosing.

Let me introduce you to @ScottB

When he doses his tanks with Interceptor, he ingests one daily for three days. He thinks it strengthens his immune system.

PSA: Please don’t ingest Interceptor unless directed to do so by a physician.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Fwiw
I dose 2 large pills for my 50g cube and don’t add carbon or do a wc. I just turn my skimmer and uv sterilizer back on and never had a problem

 

[Big E]

I don't really understand the logic for the repeated dosing. Tegastes (red, white, and grey bugs) are live bearers and do not lay eggs. If there are survivors from the first dose, I would expect them to survive the next two doses, too.

With egg bearers like AEFWs repeated treatments make sense as the eggs do not succumb the way the adults do. But with Tegastes, everything should die with the initial treatment unless they are resistant.

Not trying to be contentious but barring escalating dosages, I don't understand the benefit.

One reason is that some can get inside a coral coralite and be protected by the coral's slim. I'm sure there are other areas where they can escape death the first time.

If one follows the initial directions From Dustin Dortin that were laid out years ago everything will work out fine. There is no need for overdosing or not pulling it out of your system.
You don't want to do damage to your pod population beyond repair or possibly bacteria populations.

 

[LOVEROCK]

Fwiw
I dose 2 large pills for my 50g cube and don’t add carbon or do a wc. I just turn my skimmer and uv sterilizer back on and never had a problem

Are you using the beefy flavor ones with Prazipro ?

 

[Hagios]

Black bugs, red bugs, gray bugs of the crustacean type seem to be a perpetual repeat offender. Even with preemptive dips they manage to reestablish themselves. Since interceptor may be difficult to get if you don't have another mammal in the house, I like DrGs. My tank volume is approximately 140 gallons and add 75 to 100 mL directly to the tank after I have turned off the skimmer, and removed any kind of chemical/carbon/resin filtration. Allow it run for atleast 24 hrs without the skimmer and filtration. It is super simple and effective and has been easy to get. I have noticed almost an immediate effect in polyp extension and coral vigor upon addition. You will lose some hermits.

 

[Kasrift]

Just curious, are you sure they are red bugs? Pods can be anywhere in a tank. Red bugs are TINY and harder to see with the naked eye than pods. I'd also check with your LFS, do they keep cuc in an isolated tank? I know mine does, which doesn't eliminate the chance of pests but it will certainly lower it and it'd be hard for Red bugs to be thriving in an invert only tank.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Are you using the beefy flavor ones with Prazipro ?

No

 

[ScottB]

Let me introduce you to @ScottB

When he doses his tanks with Interceptor, he ingests one daily for three days. He thinks it strengthens his immune system.

PSA: Please don’t ingest Interceptor unless directed to do so by a physician.

AND I no longer have heartworms either. So there is that added benefit.

 

[SamMule]

All great information. Thanks folks. Yes, I am sure they are "red" bugs. They are easy to see against the bright blue sarmentosa. Hard to get a pic with my crappy phone, but they are there.

 

[SamMule]

Bottom left branch, there are a couple.

 

[JaaxReef]

Black bugs, red bugs, gray bugs of the crustacean type seem to be a perpetual repeat offender. Even with preemptive dips they manage to reestablish themselves. Since interceptor may be difficult to get if you don't have another mammal in the house, I like DrGs. My tank volume is approximately 140 gallons and add 75 to 100 mL directly to the tank after I have turned off the skimmer, and removed any kind of chemical/carbon/resin filtration. Allow it run for atleast 24 hrs without the skimmer and filtration. It is super simple and effective and has been easy to get. I have noticed almost an immediate effect in polyp extension and coral vigor upon addition. You will lose some hermits.

Digging up an old comment here, but dealing with black bugs for a second time in my Reefing career. Any other inverts died from this besides hermits? Snails, starfish, shrimp, urchins?

 

[SamMule]

Yes, on the last treatment, my zanzibar shrimp bit the dust. I think the pistol is still in there though

 

[JaaxReef]

Yes, on the last treatment, my zanzibar shrimp bit the dust. I think the pistol is still in there though

Talking specifically about Dr. G’s dip, is that what you used? Either way, sounds like I would need to remove all the hermits and my harlequin shrimp (he probably could feast in my frag tank for a while anyway). Just wondering about snails and urchins too. Maybe my clam too?!

 

[SamMule]

No, I bought the interceptor tablets, sorry