Red Bugs - Need Help

[tankstudy]

Can I use Dr. G’s on a whole reef vs a dip? I believe the bottle says you should not use to treat an established reef

It's to make sure if you kill your tank, it's not their fault.

If you read the ingredients on the bottle. It's like vitamin C, ro water and milbemycin oxime.

I've personally used it for in tank treatment. If you search around others have used this product in place of the interceptor pill which can be hard to get prescribed to you from a vet.

 

[C. Eymann]

Dr. G's and Interceptor are the same thing.

I could be wrong but I think Dr. Gs coral dip has other ingredients than just milbemycin oxime in it. I would not add it to the tank. where as interceptor is MB and artificial beef flavoring.

 

[tankstudy]

I could be wrong but I think Dr. Gs coral dip has other ingredients than just milbemycin oxime in it. I would not add it to the tank. where as interceptor is MB and artificial beef flavoring.

Ingredients: Milbemcyn oxime, Vitamin C, and RO/DI Water.

This is straight off their site.

 

[Zach W]

It's to make sure if you kill your tank, it's not their fault.

If you read the ingredients on the bottle. It's like vitamin C, ro water and milbemycin oxime.

I've personally used it for in tank treatment. If you search around others have used this product in place of the interceptor pill which can be hard to get prescribed to you from a vet.

That was my assumption as well, does the bottle have percentages of the Milbemycine Oxime so that you can derive the proper dosage

I could be wrong but I think Dr. Gs coral dip has other ingredients than just milbemycin oxime in it. I would not add it to the tank. where as interceptor is MB and artificial beef flavoring.

it is just milbemycin oxime, vitamin C and RODI. My first choice is definitely Interceptor but it seems like Dr. G’s is a viable option. Can’t imagine Vitamin C would be terrible for a reef

 

[DHill6]

Dr. G's and Interceptor are the same thing.

Interceptor is by vet, its gentle on coral. I don't see how something you can purchase is the same, everyone would be jumping on that. Interceptor can be used in reef, Dr G from above post you can't use in established reef.

 

[C. Eymann]

That was my assumption as well, does the bottle have percentages of the Milbemycine Oxime so that you can derive the proper dosage

it is just milbemycin oxime, vitamin C and RODI. My first choice is definitely Interceptor but it seems like Dr. G’s is a viable option. Can’t imagine Vitamin C would be terrible for a reef

Yeah, I just didn't want to go recommending something I have not used myself, Interceptor dosages and success is well documented and it will always be my 1st choice to treat in tank redbugs.

If that's all Dr Gs is, fine? how you going to est dosage?
I dont think vitamin C can cause many issues, Ddepends on how much though?

I do remember a period back in 2008~2009 a lot of the Zoa people were dosing vitamin C touting it increased coloration.

 

[DHill6]

That was my assumption as well, does the bottle have percentages of the Milbemycine Oxime so that you can derive the proper dosage

it is just milbemycin oxime, vitamin C and RODI. My first choice is definitely Interceptor but it seems like Dr. G’s is a viable option. Can’t imagine Vitamin C would be terrible for a reef

You could always test, get a warm bath going in 5 g buckets, one with Interceptor and the other with Dr G, let coral set for 6 hrs. Observe the outcome and post.

 

[Zach W]

You could always test, get a warm bath going in 5 g buckets, one with Interceptor and the other with Dr G, let coral set for 6 hrs. Observe the outcome and post.

Good idea, this leads me to a larger question. Do red/black bugs live solely on acropora? When I first noticed this, these tiny creatures were just quickly moving all over my live rock and the frag plug of my Hawkins. They only seems to come out at night (will check for any on my SPS when I get home) and are extremely fast. Haven’t noticed them swimming which lead me to think they aren’t copepods, could I be misdiagnosis this?

 

[tankstudy]

Yeah, I just didn't want to go recommending something I have not used myself, Interceptor dosages and success is well documented and it will always be my 1st choice to treat in tank redbugs.

If that's all Dr Gs is, fine? how you going to est dosage?
I dont think vitamin C can cause many issues, Ddepends on how much though?

I do remember a period back in 2008~2009 a lot of the Zoa people were dosing vitamin C touting it increased coloration.

I've never used vitamin C even as a zoa/paly keeper but based off their uses of it, it doesn't seem to do much harm, considering how much they dose and how regularly they seem to dose it.

Dr G's & Red Bugs

So I have Red Bugs unfortunately, I have read many threads on using Interceptor to kill off these little SOB's but Interceptor is seemingly difficult to get your hands on at least from all of my local vets. I have heard from a few sources that dosing Dr G's will do the same thing. Does anyone...

www.reef2reef.com

This gentlemen used only about 6 capfuls on 150 gallon system. Based off him and others, 1 cap for about every 20-30 gallons of water. It's about the same dosage I use.

 

[DuckSlayer627]

Red bugs are very tiny. Maybe half the size of a corallite or smaller. It's very hard to see them with your naked eye. I used a camera set to macro and zoomed in and then was able to clearly see them. If you use a vet for other animals, you probably won't have a problem getting Interceptor. Just show him some literature on what you are doing. I also did 3 doses a week apart in a tank full of acro's. Snails will be ok as well as any tridacna's. The only problem is with shrimp and crabs. If you google red bugs you will find tons of pics to give you a good idea of the size and what they look like.

This is a zoomed in shot of them. They are more yellow with a little red head on them.

 

[Reef-Tank]

If he has a huge flatworm population, I'd recommend a very large water change. Milbemycin oxime does a good number on flatworms from what I have seen from my usage. The treatment drug won't affect corals much but the die off of flatworms will.

Also, you can now purchase milbemycin oxime in a liquid solution. It's call Dr. G's Coral Dip. I always have about 2 bottles under the cabinet. It's far more effective than Coral RX and it's much easier on the corals. However, each bottle is very pricey.

Good to know this product work on DT tank some other reefers been used and successful

 

[C. Eymann]

I've never used vitamin C even as a zoa/paly keeper but based off their uses of it, it doesn't seem to do much harm, considering how much they dose and how regularly they seem to dose it.

Dr G's & Red Bugs

So I have Red Bugs unfortunately, I have read many threads on using Interceptor to kill off these little SOB's but Interceptor is seemingly difficult to get your hands on at least from all of my local vets. I have heard from a few sources that dosing Dr G's will do the same thing. Does anyone...

www.reef2reef.com

This gentlemen used only about 6 capfuls on 150 gallon system. Based off him and others, 1 cap for about every 20-30 gallons of water. It's about the same dosage I use.

Awesome! thanks for posting that! I guess we dont have to haggle our vets anymore for dog/cat meds to put in our reef tanks !

 

[DHill6]

Good idea, this leads me to a larger question. Do red/black bugs live solely on acropora? When I first noticed this, these tiny creatures were just quickly moving all over my live rock and the frag plug of my Hawkins. They only seems to come out at night (will check for any on my SPS when I get home) and are extremely fast. Haven’t noticed them swimming which lead me to think they aren’t copepods, could I be misdiagnosis this?

I had an occurrence once on a frag years ago, I didn’t dip, vendor purchase. They were very tiny, moving, used red light at night to see them. Now everything coming in is removed from plug, dipped and reglued. No more chances.

 

[phanhung2131]

Here are some important facts on ridding of these bugs. You are correct that interceptor is obtained through a vet. What some people don't know is that " Doramectin)" is an alternative to interceptor and cheaper. SO, We mix it with water and add to tank, correct ?
Actually NOT !!!! Here is what you do:
One tablet of Interceptor should treat 400g of water. To be safe, remove all the hermit crabs and shrimp you can find in your reef, putting them in a safe tank separate from your reef. Give them circulation, a heater and top off daily to maintain salinity while in quarantine for their safety.

Crush up the pill until it is dust, and mix it in a cup of tank water. stir it for several minutes until it is fully dissolved. Remove the venturi tube leading to the skimmer's pumps so that no air is being injected into the body of the skimmer The medicine should have the ability to travel through all the water in aquarium including in any equipment such as skimmers and calcium reactors. Turn off any reactors you running Introduce this at midnight when all the fish go off to sleep and poured the medication into an area of high flow, and let it smother the red bugs over the next 12 hours.

Each day at noon, reinstall the tubing to the skimmer pumps to resume skimming the water. You shouldn't find any red bugs in your tank after this initial treatment. Repeat this 7 days later, and then again 7 days after that. Three treatments over 3 weeks is considered necessary to remove any possible future generations from emerging from the reef to re-infest the corals.

After the third and final treatment is administered, the water will be safe for the shrimp and crabs. This is not a treatment you have to fear. And the more of us that do it, the less likely we will share such pests with one another when trading frags. Always treat new coral arrivals with an Interceptor bath for at least 6 hours to keep your reef red bug free.

I can't find interceptor in my country, what is the dosage of doramectin?