Black bugs / Black Flatworks / SPS nightmare

[Clownreef]

So I've seen numerous posts about these black bugs some of us are fighting. I have them in my reef. I have no idea how I got them but they're there. I tried Interceptor (various doses) Sentinel (various doses) and nothing. They seem bulletproof. They like to live at the base or under the base of the coral/plug away from light during the day and they decimate the coral at night. I removed a large sarmentosa colony this morning that started to lose tissue, and sure enough there was a clutch of about 20 of them. I filled a container with tank water and brushed them off into the container. Thats how Ive been removing them. When I see a coral start to lose PE or flesh I know for a fact its them.

I collected about 30 of them on a dead branch of coral and dipped them in RO water. They died instantly.

We need more solutions for them. Nothing seems to kill them.

 

[Variant]

So I've seen numerous posts about these black bugs some of us are fighting. I have them in my reef. I have no idea how I got them but they're there. I tried Interceptor (various doses) Sentinel (various doses) and nothing. They seem bulletproof. They like to live at the base or under the base of the coral/plug away from light during the day and they decimate the coral at night. I removed a large sarmentosa colony this morning that started to lose tissue, and sure enough there was a clutch of about 20 of them. I filled a container with tank water and brushed them off into the container. Thats how Ive been removing them. When I see a coral start to lose PE or flesh I know for a fact its them.

I collected about 30 of them on a dead branch of coral and dipped them in RO water. They died instantly.

We need more solutions for them. Nothing seems to kill them.

How long qas your freshwater dip?

 

[stephj03]

Someone previously posted that they had success trying interceptor again but dissolving the pill in hot water so that it all went into solution before adding. I want to say they did this with a 2x dose and had better results than a 4x dose dissolved in tank temp water.hth

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Try basting the corals with ro water during the day and see if the come off and the fish eat them.

 

[Clownreef]

Interceptor is next to impossible to come by. I don’t see it as a feasible option for anyone. The doses are a guess and with every guess is waste of product.

It seems they die within 10 seconds of being in RO water. How safe is it to dip frags or a whole colony?

 

[BighohoReef]

Ugh I'm dreading this day when I run into these types of pests. Keeping an eye on this thread. Really interested to know if the freshwater option is the best.

 

[Clownreef]

Ugh I'm dreading this day when I run into these types of pests. Keeping an eye on this thread. Really interested to know if the freshwater option is the best.

It’s terrible. I will say that my mayori and melanarus wrasses are always on the lookout for them. They look like flatworms but a grey/charcoal color. They move the same way a flatworm moves. They seem to be bothered by light that’s why I find them clustered together under the coral during the day. They can eat through coral fast. I’ve never seen them on anything other than SPS.

 

[BighohoReef]

Do you have a picture of the cluster... heading into research mode

 

[Clownreef]

I got this image off a separate thread.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Don’t dip sps in ro water they will just die. They might be ok with an actual dunk in the water but not ok with sitting in straight water.

 

[BighohoReef]

Don’t dip sps in ro water they will just die. They might be ok with an actual dunk in the water but not ok with sitting in straight water.

I was wondering about this method as well.

 

[Deezill]

Don’t dip sps in ro water they will just die. They might be ok with an actual dunk in the water but not ok with sitting in straight water.

I lost a chunky piece of coral by doing this wish I knew the 3 weeks ago. @Pedoconfuego speaks the truth after I dunked that acro it did not stand a chance turned white soon as the dunk was over and put in DT.

 

[I’ma tempermental coral]

Tagging along. Looked like something I had seen on a frag but after I added my little spotted mandarin I have not seen any. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there or even that she’s eating them. Just an observation.

 

[Clownreef]

My advice is examine every single frag you get, especially when lights are out. These bugs are easy to spot. They look like a cluster of small grey grapes. They move fast like flatworms. I dont have any solutions. Ive just been scrubbing them off into a cup of tank water when I see them..

 

[Clownreef]

These are exactly what I am talking about..

 

[I’ma tempermental coral]

Whatever it was I saw didn’t seem to move even relatively that quickly. But I will let the lights go out tonight and then blast them and see what happens.

 

[unchin]

The video looks more like some sort of flatworm than a bug? Are you sure it's what you have?

Your pic looks more like they have legs?

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Has anyone tried a Bayer dip?

 

[monti mike]

Yeah I had those horrible things too. It really sucks and I’d suggest drastic action as quickly as you can. They’ll eat through an sps quick.

I found these and aefw - I got rid of them by pulling all the acros off the rocks and dipping them 1-2x a week in melafix. I haven’t seen any for a month now so I’m praying I got rid of them all...

Good luck! That really sucks!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Coralrx worked for me Temporarily
Intereceptor pill is the true killer for these things
They can be a nightmare