Sentinel dosing to kill red bugs? ...

[Pete H.]

So, looking for some advice on dosing sentinel to kill red bugs. I have read that it works just like interceptor. I have a 135 that looks like a red bug egg snuck in. I dipped everything with coral rx but recently read that it doesn't work on red bugs. I can't take the coral out since several are growing over the rocks. So, hoping to dose my tank. I have read this is durable. Can someone who has done this please give some advice. Looks like I need just under 1/2 of a tablet ground up for the tank. Here is what I plan to do:

1. Weigh out dose - figure 150 gallons (135 gallon with 35 gallon sump. 150 lbs rock and 90 lbs sand.)

2. Mix/dissolve into 1 cup saltwater.

3. Block air intake to skimmer

4. Add to high flow area slowly.

5. In 12 hrs, start air in skimmer.

6. Run activated carbon (dual reactor full on both chambers. Don't currently run carbon.)

7. Do a 45 gallon water change

8. 24-48 hrs later, another 45 gallon water change

I don't like the idea of dosing the tank, but don't know what else to do. Advice please!

 

[Pete H.]

Bump. Hoping someone knows something. Lol

 

[Pete H.]

Nobody have any thoughts on this?

 

[LegitFish]

Try phosphate e by Brightwell. I have used this in the past when I had a red bug outbreak, and seemed to work perfectly, with no ill effects (as long as your phosphate levels aren't currently too high). For that size tank, use a full 250ml bottle to treat the tank. I use that size on my tank (about the same water volume) and it gets rid of the bugs in 1 treatment. I recommend a second treatment about a week later to kill any eggs that have hatched. This should get rid of your red bugs no problem. I usually turn my skimmer off for a few hours, then turn it back on after that. My theory is that it makes the SPS slime up, which either kills, or makes the red bugs go into suspension, then gets skimmed out by your skimmer. Has always worked for me in the past, and doesn't kill your inverts either. Pods don't seem to be effected either.

 

[Pete H.]

Huh. I have never heard of using Phosphate-E for red bugs. Interesting.

 

[LegitFish]

I work at a lfs and we recommend this technique to customers now, and nobody has seemed to have problems with it. I discovered this before I had a phosphate reactor and used this product. I noticed the red bug population go down when I would dose (was battling red bugs as well and didn't want to use interceptor because it would kill my shrimp). I decided to double the dose, and more would disappear. I continued to add more and more, until I dumped the whole bottle into my tank. Seemed to do the trick. Water turns milky for a few hours, but goes back to normal once you turn the skimmer back on. I have even left the skimmer off overnight and nothing negative happened.

 

[StikHedRon]

So, I have used interceptor and what you need to do instead of blocking the air line to your skimmer is stick it in the water, take your cup off and let the water run through the skimmer. Take GFO and Carbon offline. After 12-24 hrs your pick, do a minimum of 25% water change, more the better. Once the water change is complete, put on carbon and skimmer and run for a week. Then repeat process of dosing again. After 24 hrs do a min 25% water change run carbon and skimmer. After a week do a third dose and you will be done. You can get by with just 2 doses but the third just seals the deal that all adult and larvae are dead.

 

[StikHedRon]

It will kill your shrimp, hermits and some snails. But oh well, they can be replenished. Just make sure to do the water changes and as much as possible. After the last dose it wouldn't hurt to do a water change then the next day or day after do another large water change.

 

[evolved]

I work at a lfs and we recommend this technique to customers now, and nobody has seemed to have problems with it. I discovered this before I had a phosphate reactor and used this product. I noticed the red bug population go down when I would dose (was battling red bugs as well and didn't want to use interceptor because it would kill my shrimp). I decided to double the dose, and more would disappear. I continued to add more and more, until I dumped the whole bottle into my tank. Seemed to do the trick. Water turns milky for a few hours, but goes back to normal once you turn the skimmer back on. I have even left the skimmer off overnight and nothing negative happened.

I would be very apprehensive to try this. Note that Phosphat-E is essentially diluted lanthanum chloride. If it's doesd at quantities high enough to cloud the tank, then it's also high enough to clog the gills of some fish and cause them to suffocate.

 

[Pete H.]

It will kill your shrimp, hermits and some snails. But oh well, they can be replenished. Just make sure to do the water changes and as much as possible. After the last dose it wouldn't hurt to do a water change then the next day or day after do another large water change.

Yeah, the tank is in need of a new clean up crew anyway. So, that is not too big of a deal. I do have a few peppermints and a couple nice brittle stars, I would prefer to keep but, doubt I can catch them. The thing I am most worried about is the coral, fish, and clam I have in the tank. I don't want to lose those.

 

[StikHedRon]

I would be very apprehensive to try this. Note that Phosphat-E is essentially diluted lanthanum chloride. If it's doesd at quantities high enough to cloud the tank, then it's also high enough to clog the gills of some fish and cause them to suffocate.

Agree completely, how can a phosphate remover erradicate redbugs without harming the fish or corals?

 

[StikHedRon]

Yeah, the tank is in need of a new clean up crew anyway. So, that is not too big of a deal. I do have a few peppermints and a couple nice brittle stars, I would prefer to keep but, doubt I can catch them. The thing I am most worried about is the coral, fish, and clam I have in the tank. I don't want to lose those.

Your star fish will be perfectly fine and coral, clams, and fish will not be affected by the dosing of sentinel

 

[StikHedRon]

I was nervous as all get up the moments upto and during the first dose, but realized that everything was cool and was no issue dosing 2 more times. A bit nerve racking though in the beginning.

 

[Pete H.]

I was nervous as all get up the moments upto and during the first dose, but realized that everything was cool and was no issue dosing 2 more times. A bit nerve racking though in the beginning.

Agreed! I am super nervous about dosing the tank. I mean, rule number 1 in reef keeping is to keep things out of the tank. lol. So, I am a bit apprehensive to say the least about dumping "poison" into the tank. lol Any secret to the dosing, does my plan sound solid? I will make sure I have more saltwater to do as large a water change as possible? If I understand properly, I would need to use a bit less than half a pill. If I ground up a whole pill and dissolve it thoroughly in 1 cup of water and then only dose in half of that, would that work? or is it better to crush up and weigh out the dose before dissolving? I want to make sure I am putting it in the tank in the proper way.

 

[Pete H.]

Thanks again for the help by the way.

 

[StikHedRon]

Just cut the pill in half and smash it up and mix with tank water and dump it in and your off. 1 pill will dose 380 gal. If you dose a little more, not a big deal as it won't have any ill effect. Just remember to take off gfo, carbon and put your airline on your skimmer in the water and keep it running during the dosing process. After 24 hrs, large water change add carbon and correct the skimmer air inlet and wait one week and dose again. You will see an imediate change in the polyp extension on your sps after the water change. You'll be happy you did it, just make sure to dose minimum 2 times and 3 if you can.

 

[jservedio]

Why would you use Sentinel, which contains Lufenuron, when you can easily get Milbemycin Oxime without it? Milbemax and Interceptor Spectrum both contain Milbemycin Oxime (Interceptor) plus Praziquantel at a ratio of 2:5mg which are both time proven to be safe? Lufenuron hasn't been used all that much in reefs, certainly not nearly as much as Interceptor, and isn't going to work any better than straight Milbemycin Oxime...

Why put something into your tank you don't need to, especially something which hasn't been tested like Interceptor? It seems like a silly risk to take...

 

[Pete H.]

Why would you use Sentinel, which contains Lufenuron, when you can easily get Milbemycin Oxime without it? Milbemax and Interceptor Spectrum both contain Milbemycin Oxime (Interceptor) plus Praziquantel at a ratio of 2:5mg which are both time proven to be safe? Lufenuron hasn't been used all that much in reefs, certainly not nearly as much as Interceptor, and isn't going to work any better than straight Milbemycin Oxime...

Why put something into your tank you don't need to, especially something which hasn't been tested like Interceptor? It seems like a silly risk to take...

Well, I was going off the fact that Interceptor as far as I understood was no longer being made. I had heard that Sentinel was the replacement to it. I googled a bit and it looked like a few people had tried sentinel. Was not certain where I could get the milbemycin outside of sentinel.

 

[Pete H.]

Anyone else tried sentinel? ....

 

[BottomCoastReefs]

I just did a quarter tab dose of sentinel on my 40 a week ago and didn't seem to have any ill affects. what was a bit weird was that I was told it would absolutely kill all inverts without a doubt but I still have a gazillion astraina starfish, a hitchhiker feather duster and a ton of small pin sized snails from when my turbos spawned... so im not sure how much this compares to interceptor. As for the red bugs, its hard to tell because I couldn't even see them before I dosed. The only way I found out I had them was when I sold an sps frag and the fellow hobbyist spotted them. just my $0.02