Red bug sharing question
 

I have a question that I would like as many answers to as possible. Someone asked me earlier about selling/trading/giving frags away when I had the dreaded red acro bugs.
When I first discovered I had these, I made comments about all my trimmings going into the garbage from now on, or trading only with other buggy people. But everyone so far has not cared. I tell people the bugs are there and it looks like Iodine kills them, but I warn everyone. People still want frags :eek:

It seems that nobody cares about these bugs. So my questions is just that...

Does nobody see these as a threat/problem, etc?? Are you still willing to put an infested (although dipped) frag into your system?? What is everyone thinking when getting frags from an affected system??

Have you come to the conclusion that they are harmful ?

I always suspected they were bad, but can't conclude anything. I have, as you know, read comments by noted authors stating they felt they were NOT harmful. Other more experienced people also state they cause no damage. I just say I would rather not have them in my tank. I don't think they're good.

I think the only reasonable course of action is to rip down the whole tank and dip every rock and coral in iodine. Throw out yor sand and bleach all your equipment for 2 weeks.. then you can buy new sand and start reintroducing all your rock and coral into the tank.
:BIG:

Seriously though, if a dip kills them and doesent kill the corals as long aas people are prepared to do the dip I don't see a problem. it is like flat worms.. if you know they are there you can take aproperate action to prevent them from getting into your tank.
:microwav:

Steve

Well... I don't mind them :rolleyes: But I wish I didn't have them they just make me nervous.

But anyways, I have found no ill effects as of yet but there are two factors that negate a full analysis by me:

1) I haven't had the bugs long

2) I don't have many Acropora... yet :razz:

I will let you know if they start annyoing me and my corals. Brad, I'd love to trade frags, lol.

Oh, should I bother taking my huge acro out of the tank and dipping it, or would you consider my tank screwed on part of just having the bugs now?

No, you're screwed!! I do have a test to perform, but I need a whole whack of cyanobacteria to perform my experiment!!

Great! :neutral:


LOL

Over 40 views and only three people have any comments????

Haven't seen said acro bugs yet. However, with all the diversity in my tank, hopefully something will eat it. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I've had the odd red flatworm come in on frags but I can't find them in my tank anymore. So either these flatworms and acro bugs are all hiding or something is eating or will eat them.

So how much is a whole whack of cyanobacteria?? Is that the brown one?? I think I may be approaching an entire whack or possibly may have 3/4 of a whack.

Christy :)

BTW, I have Brad Frags without red bugs. I'm pretty myopic but don't see them so far anyway.