Red bugs on glass

[Lionfish Lair]

I have about the number you have in one of my tanks at the waterline and above the substrate, with a scattered one here and there.

 

[PaReeferJ]

I have about the number you have in one of my tanks at the waterline and above the substrate, with a scattered one here and there.

Have you just left them go?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I watch them carefully to make sure their numbers don't climb and remove them when I change the water.

 

[Elementalj]

I've seen them recently, and I did the flatworm exit and had no ill effects. My little pico has been fine a week on as well. The chemical method should be a last resort, but if done correctly, and with adequate mechanical filtration and water volume change, I think you can get them under control.

PS. My sixline 'Kevin' is pretty fat, and he gets fed when I feed the rhodacits once a week.

 

[Haim]

Only flat worm exit will solve your problem.
Just change water after using.
And be aware you buy any new coral.

 

[WetWhistle]

I myself hate adding chemicals for stuff like this into my tank and will not under any circumstance. In outbreaks I have seen quite a few people crash their tank over the years so I have seen the damage they can do first hand and learned from it. Using something like flat worm exit does work but it is like playing Russian roulette. It might work but if you have the wrong species you can kill a tank so it might not. To me that is not worth it. I would actually prefer and have taken a tank down and did a hypo salinity dip of every rock and coral over using chemicals and possibility crashing my tank. Flat works don't like hypo salinity dip or any change in salinity from what I have seen. I would not however change the salinity in the tank as if it kills them in the tank it can be bad.

 

[Clownaround]

Certain species of pipefish can eat them. I also heard of yellow damsels and 6 line wrasses sometimes do the trick. I found the best is if your populations of the red bugs are not too high to just dose with flatworm exit. Plan on a water change after dosing to help prevent spikes from the die off.

 

[PAReefer]

I'm not fond of chemicals either, and my experience with these pests was in a friend's tank, where seemingly overnight they were choking out his coral. We had no choice but treat with chemicals. It was unbelievable. That being said, with readiness to do a water change and a good skimmer and carbon, this is a safe option. Nothing was lost. You must just do it responsibly.

 

[Elementalj]

Agreed.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I'm not saying chemicals do not have their place, but IME, it shouldn't be the first line defense in a non problematic situation. Try other things first that have 0 risks and have worked for others and go up from there.

 

[Elementalj]

I've sat on a barstool, with music on and sucked them out one by one before. Tedious, but In the end it wasn't a waste of time. I found a 10ml glass pipette that gives me the accuracy of my sixline. (Thoop) bye now!!

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I love glass pipettes.