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Red bug treatment and info

C

concept3

Guest
Red Bug treatment and prevention, a must for SPS keepers!

One pill of Interceptor containing 23 mg of Milbemycime Oxime (not the pill itself, but the chemical content) for 51-100lb dogs will treat 380 gallons
Half a pill of interceptor will treat 190 gallons
a quarter pill will treat 95 gallons

OR if you're a chemist:  use 0.025g of crushed interceptor per 10 gallons......you get the idea. 



TREATING your tank:
1. Have 2-3 cups of carbon ready as well as 35-40% of your tank volume of fresh saltwater AND remove any crustaceans (shrimp/crabs/hermits etc)...you will lose them otherwise

2.  Crush the interceptor (I use a spoon in a little bowl) and mix with a little tank water.

3.  Turn off air input to skimmer (skimmer needs to be run so interceptor gets in there too) but  leave calcium reactor and anything else that holds water "on"

4.  Place interceptor in tank and do something for 6 hours (I like to make more RODI water or watch a movie)

5.  Do a 30% water change and place the carbon in the tank.  Turn on your skimmer

6.  Repeat the water change 24 hours later.  The more the better.  Apparently, it is recommended that 3 treatments need to be done. 



*if anything goes wrong during the process, make the water change and dump the carbon in!*






TREAT your new ARRIVALS!
I use:  A 5 gallon bucket or less, an airline tubing and a "pinch" of interceptor mixed in the original transport water (or 200X normal dosage)...  I have never seen any ill effects to any SPS as long as it's for a short time.

I drip acclimate the SPS between 20-30 minutes (or until water volume has tripled)and have a powerhead in the bucket to provide water circulation (cheap little eheim 40 gph pump). 

Take out SPS and place in tank!!!



REMEMBER PREVENTION IS EASIER THAN CURE!!!
 
S

sharks

Also if possible remove all crabs you want to keep! Interceptor is tough on crabs and many pods you have.

I have dosed 2 times in the past and after a recent local purchase will need to again soon.
I printed the reefs.org thread and my dog’s vet was not only willing to get me the meds but was impressed at the findings. That the drug not only kills heart worms but marine parasites that are similar in nature.
I then took it to my local pharmacists and showed him the article. He was willing to crush, weigh, and package the meds for me for free. (He too got a kick out of it when I explained that I was not a nut and how it works.) Most people do not have a scale that goes down to 0.001g. Just the pharmacists and jewelers for the most part.
Otherwise there is always the online drugstores listed in threads to get the meds.
And a guess-a-mated does.
HIH
S
 
G

gil716

concept3 said:
TREAT your new ARRIVALS!
I use: A 5 gallon bucket or less, an airline tubing and a "pinch" of interceptor mixed in the original transport water (or 200X normal dosage)... I have never seen any ill effects to any SPS as long as it's for a short time.

I drip acclimate the SPS between 20-30 minutes (or until water volume has tripled)and have a powerhead in the bucket to provide water circulation (cheap little eheim 40 gph pump).

Take out SPS and place in tank!!!
Click to expand...

Is this method really effective for treating new sps? From that original post on reefs.org, Dustin claims that he tried a dosage at 100x and the bugs lasted over 30 minutes. Are people having success with 200x?
 
C

concept3

Guest
well, one thing that you have to remember in the time frame of 20-30 minutes while you are drip acclimating the new corals is that you will also be doubling if not tripling the water volume in the bucket. I've noticed that the bugs themselves, if any, usually weaken and fall off OR, they can't hold on to the coral that you can just shake them off with ease. Also remember that the "pinch" will be more than 200 X the dosage, but I approximated it since the more water volume you place in the tank, the lower the concentration of the interceptor.

Success with 200X ? I don't know for sure, but they worked for me on two occasions I received frags that had the bugs.
 
S

sharks

I do the same as Merv but at a much higher dose for all acro frags.
A small pinch of interceptor in less then a gallon of water. (I use a 5-quart pail for dripping)
Also for ALL frags or corals I also add 40 drops of Lugol’s solution and 2-3 drops of Flat Worm Exit. And let the bucket sit for 15-20 minuets after dripping.
The only exceptions are clams, inverts, and fish.
HIH
S
 
G

gil716

Ah, that's good to know. Then I'll definitely add that to my regimen.

As for the lugols, what does that target? ???
 
S

sharks

It’s used as an antibacterial agent. To try to rid the LPS and SPS corals of unwanted parasites and harmful bacteria. Basically I use it to prevent the spread of bacterial and protozoan disease from one tank to another.
HIH
S
 
kabal2

kabal2

Sharks for what i read and hear, dipping the corals in lougos solution dont do much because you cant keep the corals that long for the antibacterial agent to do anything, and for my new experience is good to deep your corals for the bugs, and flat worms before put them in your tank

Gabriel
 
panmanmatt

panmanmatt

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Not to over shadow Merv, but a natural alternative is to keep dragonfaced pipefish in your reef or acro QT tank. Dragonfaced are a natural predator of acro red bugs.
 
G

gil716

interesting. but one thing that concerns me is this statement from Liveaquaria..
"It is difficult to keep in an aquarium for the beginner, but is well suited for the advanced aquarist when maintained with other pipefish and seahorses in 30 gallons or larger aquariums."

Sounds like the fish needs low flow and gets harrassed very easily. Quite the opposite of conditions that are in a typical SPS tank. Have you read about any reefers that have successfully kept the pipefish long term in an sps reef tank?
 
panmanmatt

panmanmatt

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
The statement from LiveAqauria is a blanket statement covering all members of the syngnathiads they sell ( ie, pipefish and seahorses among others).. The dragon faced pipefish is actually a reef dwelling species so they are used to the conditons. I know of a few folks keeping them in their reef tanks successfully. Just don't really expect them to roam around like other fish. They will come out into the open, but will prefer hunting among the LR for pods and other foods.
 
kabal2

kabal2

i think personally that with the pipe fish you will control the red bugs and not kill them all like you will want, and btw you dont have to do water change if you not thinking in reintroduce inverts to your tank, i did it on mine and all corals are ok, of course i dont have any shrimp or crap alive :mad:

jmho Gabriel
 
C

concept3

Guest
these days, you almost have to get it from a vet. I bought my first batch from petmeds.com 2 years ago, but now they won't let you without an RX.

OR if you know someone who has a dog, they may be able to get them for you.
 
J

JRodrig692

My in laws have a dog, so should I just ask them the next time to get me a prescription for the Interceptor? What are the chances of the vet giving? I know all vets are different, just checking people's luck.
 
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