Oi! Are these red bugs?

SallyWho · Sep 20, 2019

For about a week or so, the hammer frag in my QT has been a little less full than usual. During a water change this morning, I spotted some tiny red things on its stalk. There were only two & they didn't appear to be moving. I hadn't noticed them before. Think they're red bugs that survived a Bayer dip? If so, is it a safe bet that the other corals in QT alongside the hammer are probably also affected?

Daveobrien · Sep 20, 2019

I've had red bugs, but never looked at them Out of water. But, by my eye they always have Yellow and Red characteristics. See the pictures in this article. Therefore, these do Not match what I've seen.

And to anyone who asks, Yes - I used the Interceptor (plus) treatment on my whole and successfully killed the bugs!

Red Bugs - No More! | Melev's Reef

www.melevsreef.com

vetteguy53081 · Sep 20, 2019

Red bugs yes. The best way to treat Red Bugs is a combination of dipping and physically removing them with tweezers or Pipefish who prey on red bugs but are difficult to keep in a reef tank once food source is gone

SallyWho · Sep 20, 2019

I tried to get a pic underwater. They're not great, though. If they're not red bugs, do you have any idea what they might be?

SallyWho · Sep 20, 2019

vetteguy53081 said:
Red bugs yes. The best way to treat Red Bugs is a combination of dipping and physically removing them with tweezers or Pipefish who prey on red bugs but are difficult to keep in a reef tank once food source is gone

Luckily these are still in a quarantine tank. So I should tweeze these guys off as I see them, and dip...every few days? Once a week? And with Bayer, or would something else be more effective or less stressful to the coral?

I guess I could not be an idiot and just go read some threads on getting rid of red bugs...

naterealbig · Sep 20, 2019

Those are not red bugs. Planeria maybe. Below is a picture of red bugs from Reef Keeping Magazine.

SallyWho · Sep 20, 2019

naterealbig said:
Those are not red bugs.

Any idea what they might be?

reef lover · Sep 20, 2019

Looks like a flat worm

reef lover · Sep 20, 2019

On a side note...i see lots of new babies forming!!;Woot

AdamB · Sep 20, 2019

They are red flatworms. I’ve got some in my tank now and I am trying to siphon them out before having to treat with Exit

ot7 · Sep 20, 2019

not red bugs.
Any way you can get a more zoomed in pic of it. the little horns makes me think vayssierea felis, if so, they are completely harmless. they eat spirorbid worms.

AdamB · Sep 20, 2019

ot7 said:
not red bugs.
Any way you can get a more zoomed in pic of it. the little horns makes me think vayssierea felis, if so, they are completely harmless. they eat spirorbid worms.

I see the horns now . You are spot on .

SallyWho · Sep 20, 2019

ot7 said:
not red bugs.
Any way you can get a more zoomed in pic of it. the little horns makes me think vayssierea felis, if so, they are completely harmless. they eat spirorbid worms.

Are Veyssierea felis small? Because my guys are tiiiiiiiiiny. For the out of water pics, I was using a desktop magnifying glass.

ot7 · Sep 21, 2019

SallyWho said:
Are Veyssierea felis small? Because my guys are tiiiiiiiiiny. For the out of water pics, I was using a desktop magnifying glass.

yea they are pretty tiny, smaller than 1/4 of an inch. heres a video i took when i had them in my tank.

funny/sad thing is they survived the initial bayer dip, my guess is the eggs can survive it, but then i ended completely wiping out these tiny guys a few weeks after when i didnt rinse out the bayer off enough from some new frags.