Blue bugs..? Ever seen these before on SPS?

ashr · Apr 30, 2018

So we noticed some of these purple bugs on the base of some SPS colonies that our friend has. They seem to lay their eggs in random spots and not clumped together. The bugs are a bright blue/purple and their eggs are orange.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

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mpsteve · Apr 30, 2018

Never seen them before so I’m in to find out more about them

HB AL · Apr 30, 2018

Whatever they are they sure look like there munching on the coral. Nuke em asap.

TexasTodd · Apr 30, 2018

Holy Cr@p keep those in Canada please!

Scorpius · Apr 30, 2018

Black bugs, red bugs, now blue bugs. What will they think of next?!?!

ashr · Apr 30, 2018

They are very easy to kill it seems. We just used Coral Revive and they come off pretty easy. The eggs need a bit more work but scrape off. The corals end up coming back from these pretty easy but they are just something we have never seen before.. Very strange indeed.

NY_Caveman · Apr 30, 2018

Scorpius said:
Black bugs, red bugs, now blue bugs. What will they think of next?!?!

Plaid bugs? Paisley? Always something trying to crash our tanks.

Reefhunter007 · Apr 30, 2018

Get rid off them impossible they can stay alive for two days out of water on a infestated colony bare kills them after two days or a heavy dose but there bad news all the way around I found out the hard way

Reefhunter007 · Apr 30, 2018

ashr said:
They are very easy to kill it seems. We just used Coral Revive and they come off pretty easy. The eggs need a bit more work but scrape off. The corals end up coming back from these pretty easy but they are just something we have never seen before.. Very strange indeed.

You got lucky it was it was way too late once I realized that they were going from colony to colony

Bpb · Apr 30, 2018

I wouldn’t expect you to put a vendor on blast right away but did you at least inform whoever you got the coral from about the pest so they can try to remedy it?

ashr · Apr 30, 2018

Reefhunter007 said:
You got lucky it was it was way too late once I realized that they were going from colony to colony

Do you know what these guys are then? I have searched but have not found anything that looks like them that close up.

ashr · Apr 30, 2018

Bpb said:
I wouldn’t expect you to put a vendor on blast right away but did you at least inform whoever you got the coral from about the pest so they can try to remedy it?

We sure did. They didn't have much to say sadly about it but we did let them know.

jda · Apr 30, 2018

Are they planaria or some sort of copepod?

Reefltx · Apr 30, 2018

ashr said:
Do you know what these guys are then? I have searched but have not found anything that looks like them that close up.

Looks like some type of slug/nudi.

ashr · Apr 30, 2018

Reefltx said:
Looks like some type of slug/nudi.

i was thinking the same.. maybe a sort of flatworm even but they seem "squishy" and round.. haha

Localreefer · Apr 30, 2018

rlman41299 went through those too, hope this helps, https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bugs-on-sps.311650/

ashr · May 1, 2018

Localreefer said:
rlman41299 went through those too, hope this helps, https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bugs-on-sps.311650/

Thanks for the link.

I have read about black bugs as well. Hmmm At least they die easy haha.

I would still love to see if anyone has an ID for these guys

jda · May 1, 2018

Looks like they are planaria if Flatworm Exit works on them. Seems like you can treat them like typical red planaria.

Left Coast DJ · May 1, 2018

Would a wrasse eat blue bugs (and maybe have a bad trip)?

jda · May 1, 2018

You do not want to rely on a fish to control pests. Even the most judicious cannot get them all and they will stick around.

It depends on the individual, but some wrasses will eat all of what they can get to as long as they are hungry a bit. Some will not want to work that hard with abundant food around.