Black "Bugs" On Setosa

erk · Nov 20, 2015

I bought a large setosa frag a few weeks ago. For the first week it started showing growth tips and the polyps were out. Then I noticed these little black spots on the setosa. Check the setosa later and the spots have moved. I didn't think anything of it because the setosa was still growing, but polyp extension wasn't as good. Another week goes by and the polyps weren't coming out much and there were more bugs. I did a dip in revive and that helped a bit. Bugs went away for several days. Now they are back. Flesh looks good on the setosa. Colors are great. But it seems like the bugs are aggravating the setosa and I'm afraid for the long term health of the coral. The bugs are only on the setosa. None are on the 2 monti cap frags or any of the sps frags. Nothing is secured down, so I can dip if needed. Just need some input from those with experience.

twilliard · Nov 20, 2015

Maybe a Bayer dip?
Or even a fenbendazol dip

erk · Nov 20, 2015

I was thinking about a bayer dip. Which of those chemicals is less harsh? I'd prefer to try the lesser option to reduce stress on the coral.

Pete polyp · Nov 20, 2015

Corals don't even recognize the presence of Bayer. It goes after the central nervous system which corals don't have.

Tank2379 · Nov 20, 2015

After you dip add a Dragon Face pipefish for preventative maintenance, going on 3 years strong with my dragon face just make sure you have enough rock work to house those pods that they love so much. They will help consume any leftovers or any that get re introduced into the take again.

Vividgraphx · Nov 20, 2015

I had the same problem. Dipped in revive with a small power head for about 14 mins. Rinsed and shook off in salt mix. Never seen them again.

twilliard · Nov 20, 2015

I have never heard of a black bug but we all learn something new every day.
By chance do you have a picture of these bugs?

erk · Nov 20, 2015

Vividgraphx said:
I had the same problem. Dipped in revive with a small power head for about 14 mins. Rinsed and shook off in salt mix. Never seen them again.

I did revive for 10 min. I'll try revive again for a longer time period. Could be these are eggs that hatched. If they come back again I'll go for the Bayer dip. I think I already have the Bayer insecticide at home for use with pests around the house. I'll look into getting a pipefish. Currently everything is in a 27 gallon Rubbermaid tub until I get my tank setup. Not sure I want to put a pipefish into that kind of setup, but I'll research first.

twilliard said:
I have never heard of a black bug but we all learn something new every day.
By chance do you have a picture of these bugs?

I might be able to get a picture of the dots on the coral, but nothing showing any detail. You can tell by the movement and shape that they are some sort of copepod. From what I read about them, it's kind of like red bugs. There are parasitic copepods for different types of hard corals. The article below discusses only a few of them. They don't seem to be aggressive parasites, just annoying. I'm sure without limiting them though, they could become a real problem.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/1/corals