Red bug update?

[Son Of Skyline]

Well it looks like at least a few of us here have had the red bug for awhile now. Any updates to their long term effect on your coral?

[Son Of Skyline]

Nobody wants to offer their longterm experience?

[Aquattro]

Well, the corals that were affected badly are still affected badly(if they're still alive). The ones that weren't bothered still aren't bothered. I'd still rather not have them, but it seems the norm these days.
I'm curious to know who DOESN'T have them!! :confused:

[LostMind]

I dont have them!

[Samw]

I don't have them.

[One_Divided]

They definately effect certain pieces more then others. I have lost serveral colonies and frags over time. This could either be the bugs specifically or the coral was not in good health to begin with (I find this unlikely since most pieces I had lost were doing awesome before the bugs showed up).

I managed to control the population with a small 6 line wrasse. There were so few at one point, that I could barely find a single one. The wrasse dissapeared a couple months ago and the bugs are in full force again. Several of my acros are starting to severely lose colour and become absolutely infested again.

I feel that it is about time that the suppliers step forward and take some action in to irradicating them. That, or at least warning customers of the possible risks they are taking by purchasing "buggy" corals.


-Adam

[Beverly]

I don't have them. Must be a local phenomena on the coast. Where do you folks think you picked them up? I'd like to avoid them at all costs :eek:

[dbdavid]

Nope... none in my tank. I do have some of those nasty looking flatworms. :sad:
Dave

[Aquattro]

I bet a lot of people who think they don't have them do. I didn't think I had them until Adam pointed them out. Look again, but harder this time :razz:

[One_Divided]

As I said, I feel it's the vendor's responsability to step forward about the bugs. I won't name any names..

[Son Of Skyline]

I've looked as carefully as I could but it looks like my tank is clear.

Have you noticed any real damage done by the red bugs Brad?


I bet a lot of people who think they don't have them do. I didn't think I had them until Adam pointed them out. Look again, but harder this time :razz:

[Aquattro]

Mason, look harder. Use a magnifying glass :razz: Although if you had them, I'm sure Aam would have pointed them out!
I think there is real damage to the coral, but since I didn't cut it in half with one half going in an identical clean tank, I can't prove it.

Remember, when you're looking for these things, you can probably fit 10 on the head of a pin.

[Son Of Skyline]

I do remember getting a frag with red bug once. I spotted it pretty much right away and removed the frag. I've never seen the same thing on my corals though. The reason I ask for everyone's take on it is because there are alot of people with nice tanks and bugs, and alot of nice frags to be had if I just accepted the bugs into my system!



Mason, look harder. Use a magnifying glass :razz: Although if you had them, I'm sure Aam would have pointed them out!
I think there is real damage to the coral, but since I didn't cut it in half with one half going in an identical clean tank, I can't prove it.

Remember, when you're looking for these things, you can probably fit 10 on the head of a pin.

[Aquattro]

Mason, I hear ya!! Not sure I would make that leap if given the choice. I supose that I have near 100 corals and maybe 3 look like they're suffering, so....
I guess you need to make that choice, but I believe within the next year, it will be nearly impossible to find a tank that doesn't have them. It isn't a coastal thing, it's sweeping North America. People in the US on both coasts and everywhere in between have them. Now they are here and I'm sure they are in Alberta also.

[Samw]

There must be some natural predators in the wild. We just need to figure out what those are. I know I've had red flatworms from corals that I got from people with flatworms. But something in my tank is eating them because I have none now. And I'm always taking corals out and rearranging them so I get to look at corals pretty close up. Red bugs must taste good to someone.

[mnoll406]

Looks to me like one divided stumbled on the predator, the 6 line wrasse. I don't have any, but I also have a 6 line wrasse.

Mike

[Aquattro]

Looks to me like one divided stumbled on the predator, the 6 line wrasse. I don't have any, but I also have a 6 line wrasse.

Mike

I don't think the wrasse actually ate any bugs. I think it was just coincedence. The numbers of bugs goes up and down in cycles, and I think the wrasse just happened to reside there during a down.

[dreefer]

To all concerned would it not be possible to dip an infested piece coral in a a soluton of reef dip coral disinfectant.It says it is effective against bacteria fungus and protozoans?have used it before seems quite safe.

[Aquattro]

To all concerned would it not be possible to dip an infested piece coral in a a soluton of reef dip coral disinfectant.It says it is effective against bacteria fungus and protozoans?have used it before seems quite safe.

Nope. That's the best available so far, but not 100%. And in my case, I have a large tank full of large acros, I certainly can't dip them. We've tried repeated dips in Iodine (that's what reef dip is) and although it kills most of them, some can hide inte corallites and survive.

[StirCrazy]

To all concerned would it not be possible to dip an infested piece coral in a a soluton of reef dip coral disinfectant.It says it is effective against bacteria fungus and protozoans?have used it before seems quite safe.

nope I did 4, 20 min iodine dips and still ended up getting them, I haven't seen any sence the move though unless Brad saw a couple when he was fixing my tank for me.

Steve

[One_Divided]

Here is a before and after pic of the same coral after the bugs took hold on it.

Oct 22nd 2003
http://members.shaw.ca/limestone2/oct1503/oct2203-06.jpg

Dec 5th 2003
http://members.shaw.ca/limestone2/winter03/redbugs01.jpg

Of course, there could be more here then meets the eye here.. I have no way to prove that the bugs are responsable for the colour loss and lack or growth. Seems a little odd if you look at how healthy it looks in the first pic.

[Acro]

Hey Guys, The Redbug thing is really a tough one (to me at least). Are they bad are they good? In all honesty I'm not sure I can answer that. Though if you asked me if monti eating nudi's or Acropora eating flatworms were bad I'd tell you with 100% certainty yes and I don't think a single person would disagree. Though when one asks about the redbugs you get such a mixed bag of answers. (As I'm sure many have read the RC threads on the subject.) I do believe that thread is getting a little more inline with the truth now though. My personal thoughts on them are if you can keep the coral happy the bugs won't bother it to any noticeable degree. If the coral becomes less then healthy (lets say sick) the bugs seem to populate on those corals. Then perhaps make things worse; I’m not sure on that even. It is clear to me though that a sick infested coral can improve its health and become a healthy looking piece. Once this happens it at least appears the bug numbers drop but not disappear. I've also seen corals that normally don't host the bugs carry them after a problem or stress event and then regain it’s health and lose the bugs once again. I can personally say I have the bugs now and have had them for close to 2 years. In all honesty I can’t point to a single coral that looks negatively affected by them right now. I do think it’s safe to say that the corals don’t need them and perhaps would fight off what ails them better with out them. It does appear like some people have had success with a multiple dip and QT period. So yeah in the end I think a person and their corals would be better off with out them. Which leads back to the QT period. I’m sure some of you have noticed my thread in the buy sell forum looking for a small tank. I know… after over 7 years in the hobby I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I’ve been a dumb ass and should know better. Which is the exact reason why when an unwanted pest or problem occurs I’ve got no one but myself to blame for it.

Anyways just my thoughts :)