Acropora bug natural predator?

[SamMule]

Obviously, there has to be a natural predator for these things. Wondering what might be an effective way to keep them in check aside from drugs...
Would a mandarin eat them?
My 66g tank has 3 wrasses, and they don't really seem to do much in the way of eating them.
Acro crabs maybe?

 

[Dburr1014]

Obviously, there has to be a natural predator for these things. Wondering what might be an effective way to keep them in check aside from drugs...
Would a mandarin eat them?
My 66g tank has 3 wrasses, and they don't really seem to do much in the way of eating them.
Acro crabs maybe?

What are "them" and "these things" that you are referring to?

 

[SamMule]

Sorry, I should have specified.
Acropora "bugs" AKA Red, White, or Black bugs.
Tegastes acroporanus, I think.

 

[Lavey29]

I have a 6 line and 3 acro crabs = no bugs

 

[Dburr1014]

Sorry, I should have specified.
Acropora "bugs" AKA Red, White, or Black bugs.
Tegastes acroporanus, I think.

If there was I don't think anyone has found it yet.
This guy claims some fish do.

Post in thread 'Unknown SPS pest - inc. microscope video' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/unknown-sps-pest-inc-microscope-video.915098/post-10262411

 

[UMALUM]

Ive kept a melanurus in every tank owned. I can't say for sure that they're a natural predator but I can say I've never had to deal with them. For a guy who's never dipped or quarantined anything in 20+ I'm gonna say it's not luck.

 

[SamMule]

Interesting!
I have a six line, yellow coris, and red-lined wrasse currently. Maybe I'll look at a melanarus to try in the other tank

 

[Lavey29]

Interesting!
I have a six line, yellow coris, and red-lined wrasse currently. Maybe I'll look at a melanarus to try in the other tank

Remember though the melanurus will whack your inverts too if he needs a snack.

 

[SamMule]

So does interceptor!

 

[MIKE NY]

Between dipping new arrivals, all my wrasses and pair Dragonface pipefish luckily I haven’t had them in years. Prior to all those things I just used interceptor. I don’t recommend the pipes unless you have a large well established system with plenty of sand and rock work because not everyone is Paul B and have the time/patience to target feed them.

 

[ScottB]

Ive kept a melanurus in every tank owned. I can't say for sure that they're a natural predator but I can say I've never had to deal with them. For a guy who's never dipped or quarantined anything in 20+ I'm gonna say it's not luck.

Gonna upvote this as my experience has been the same. In the frag system I keep (without sand / wrasses) ugh.

 

[cilyjr]

I dip.
For predatory fash as the OP was asking, I keep a six line, a yellow helichoeres, leopard wrasse, and a checker wrasse.

 

[ScottB]

I will add to this with the practice of my old school LFS (no chems). With acro systems he always stocks a blend of predators. His logic is "Any of these are capable of predation. You cannot predict their behavior in your system. Add them all and let them figure it out."

- Peppermint shrimp
- Springeri damsels
- Melanurus
- Coris
- 6/12 line wrasse

Add the 6-12 line and damsels last. Mean fish.