Red Acro "Bugs" -- The Treatment - Page 10

lclau · #**226** 04/10/2004, 04:52 PM

yeah, I'm sure I have the bugs. The reason I'd have them on the glass is that I have an acro that is very close to the glass in the sand. These look exactly like the red acro bugs that everybody has been posting, and I got the acros from a source that knows they have the bugs. I'm not really sure what to do now? It's been 6 hrs again, and they're still alive

Dustin · #**227** 04/10/2004, 05:37 PM

I dont know what to tell you. It has worked for everyone else so far. How was the medication stored before and after it was ground up?

lclau · #**228** 04/10/2004, 05:49 PM

I got it directly from the vet in plastic vials, and I made sure to get every last bit out from the vials by getting them nice and soaked up in the meds. Could it have anything to do with the quantities or anything? I'm assuming there's an even distribution of the milbemycin oxime throughout each pill, so it can't really be that it's not mixed properly or anything. I have no idea. Can it be that it's not potent enough? I did notice some copepods alive in my magnet cleaner still after the treatment, but then once again, I still had the crabs die after the first treatment. I really don't know why it's not working. I'm really dumbfounded. What do you recommend I do now? Just wait and see what happens?

Dustin · #**229** 04/10/2004, 05:59 PM

I figured out the dosage and duration in 20 gallon tanks, so its not the size or the tank or the quantity of the medication thats in question. I think there may be somthing wrong with the medication you are adding. If you still have more pills sealed in foil have another one ground up and measured out. Thats what I would do.

MrSandman · #**230** 04/10/2004, 09:50 PM

Well, i just thought i would chime in and add my experience. My tank is mostly SPS and the red bugs had a history of coming and going. Although only 3 colonies were infected, i figured i'd give it a try anyways. I have a 150G tank and a 50G sump with only about 30G filled in it. I estimated w/ the rock that i had about 140G of total water volume which equated to about 350mg of medication. I dosed at 9am with lights off. A few minutes after dosing i could see the red bugs scurrying around as if they were running for their lives. I had never seen them move so fast before. At about the 1 hour mark, they were still there but moving very slowly. At the 2 hour mark, they were no longer moving but were instead just "stuck" to the coral. At this time i think they were dead. At about the 4 hour mark i couldn't see any of them left. At the 6 hour mark, i did a 30G water change and the infected corals were amazingly polyped out. I had never seen the polyps on 2 of them before so i was quite surprised to see purple polyps!

I lost nothing at all. I have a pistol shrimp and a cleaner shrimp in the tank. I also have several acro crabs and about 5 hermits. Nothing was lost at all. I am totally impressed with this medication and would not hesitate to use this again. 24 hours later, the tank looks great.

Dustin · #**231** 04/10/2004, 10:00 PM

Good to hear! Don't forget your two follow up treatments.

lclau · #**232** 04/11/2004, 11:37 PM

so my sureness of red bugs is being recanted

I finally showed Dustin the pics of what was left after treatments which are actually some other sort of pod like creature. I was beginning to wonder why my corals no longer had anything, but my glass did.

Anyways, my corals have opened up more since the treatments. I actually did 3 treatments in the course of 4 days. I started Thursday with the normal treatment. I repeated on Saturday and Sunday with double doses on both these days because I thought these pods on my glass were still red bugs.

The results? After the first day, my corals were really starting to open up. After the weekend double doses, still no problems with the corals. This medicine seems to be completely safe with no immediate adverse reactions. I commend Dustin on his research. Thanks for putting up with me Dustin!!

RedEyeReef · #**233** 04/12/2004, 12:28 AM

I know Dustin doesnâ€™t recommend this, (Dustin, you are the man to figuring this one out) but has anyone just done one treatment with success?

Dustin · #**234** 04/12/2004, 08:08 AM

Im sure some people have. I have explained the reasoning behind multiple treatments several times in this thread on on reefs.org.
1. We don't know enough about them to know if it kills them at all stages of their life.
2. We don't know if it kills every single one on the first treatment.
3. The effect on the tank as a whole is so negligible that the extra margin of saftey is well worth it.

Just like treating your tank for a fish parasite or treating garden plants with a pesticide, one treatment is rarely ever suggested.

invincible569 · #**235** 04/12/2004, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RedEyeReef
I know Dustin doesnâ€™t recommend this, (Dustin, you are the man to figuring this one out) but has anyone just done one treatment with success?

Its been a month for me on one treatment and havent seen a bug yet. Corals are thriving!!!!

ejocam · #**236** 04/12/2004, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dustin
A I will repeat here again.

The medicatoin was tested on the following animals before it was tested in an established tank:

bristleworms, spagetti worms, large flatworms, red flatworms, clams, zoanthids, sps, lps, fish, snails, stomatellas, large and small brittle stars, ispods, copepods, shrimps, and crabs.

The only thing hurt by the medication was shrimp, crabs, copepods, and amphipods. Isopods seemed unaffected.

So I wouldn't have to worry about flatworms dying and releasing toxins? Or should I treat like if I am using flatworm exit? I would just want to be prepared. Thanks

Wade2185 · #**237** 04/13/2004, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ejocam
So I wouldn't have to worry about flatworms dying and releasing toxins? Or should I treat like if I am using flatworm exit? I would just want to be prepared. Thanks

I treated both of my tanks this weekend (55 and 90) and I am very pleased to say that I am now bug FREE! Thank you for all of your help and information Dustin. I have flatworms and the medication did not effect them at all. The only things I lost that I did not want to lose were hermit crabs and a couple of acro crabs. Both of my cleaner shrimps were fine. My corals look alot better already! Thanks again Dustin!

AgentSPS · #**238** 04/13/2004, 06:44 PM

I followed this thread for about the first 5 pages a while back but stopped keeping up since. I was hoping to just wait a while and see the long term effects of this treatment. In skimming through the other pages it seems that there are no reports of any major hickups or problems. (If so please alert me).

Well these red devils have really taken a toll...now it seems like if I look hard enough I can find them on almost all my corals. I want to take the plunge. Can someone please PM me an online retailer (Canada) that I can get it from without a 'hassle"

Thank you much

Erik

ejocam · #**239** 04/13/2004, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AgentSPS
I want to take the plunge. Can someone please PM me an online retailer (Canada) that I can get it from without a 'hassle"

Thank you much

Erik

This was on the first page. Someone else ordered from here. I am going to order in a week or two. Good luck www.canadapharmacy.com

ejocam · #**240** 04/13/2004, 07:27 PM

Agent, BTW it is called Inerceptor

Dustin · #**241** 04/13/2004, 07:36 PM

Try your local vet first. If they say no, try another one. Seems like most towns have dozens of vets. Some people have had success with printing out the instructions and taking them with them. Be honest, they are allowed to prescribe it to you for non-label uses.

Wade2185 · #**242** 04/13/2004, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AgentSPS
I followed this thread for about the first 5 pages a while back but stopped keeping up since. I was hoping to just wait a while and see the long term effects of this treatment. In skimming through the other pages it seems that there are no reports of any major hickups or problems. (If so please alert me).

Well these red devils have really taken a toll...now it seems like if I look hard enough I can find them on almost all my corals. I want to take the plunge. Can someone please PM me an online retailer (Canada) that I can get it from without a 'hassle"

Thank you much

Erik

I printed out the 4 page treatment that Dustin posted on the first page and took that to my vet. He sold me one pill (that was all I needed) for $5.75 USD. No hastle at all!

Reef Kid · #**243** 04/13/2004, 09:37 PM

I've got my pills here with the help from a reefer who have a dog. The name of the medicine here is not interceptor but with the same content (also from Novartis). The largest Milbemycin Oxime content is 10mg/pill, so I have to re-calculate the dosage.
After the 1st treatment I can't see any bugs now. Lost all acro carbs but shrimps are doing fine. Still have 2 treatments to go.
Thanks Dustin!

Dustin · #**244** 04/13/2004, 09:48 PM

What is the name of the medicine in Hong Kong?

Reef Kid · #**245** 04/13/2004, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dustin
What is the name of the medicine in Hong Kong?

It's called Milbemycin A tablets and with a Chinese name that means "Dog Heart Relief"

Zoom · #**246** 04/15/2004, 09:07 AM

I treated my 200g tank this morning i use .375 G of the interceptor is a little least than a half a tab well is not much of the interceptor I ground it down and melted it in some tank water cut the air of the skimmer and put a air stone in the sump ,and poured the interceptor in my tank.
After one hour is nothing happen the Acro crabs and large shrimp and RED BUGS still hanging in there. I hope I have enough interceptor in the tank

I will update my findings.

skeets · #**247** 04/15/2004, 09:35 AM

Shouldnt you have used 500mg and not 375?

200g/10g=20*25mg(per 10g) = 500mg

Zoom · #**248** 04/15/2004, 09:40 AM

Is 375 LBS of live rock in the tank I estimated the total water volume to be 150 G.that is 0.375 G of the Interceptor.I hope I'm correct.

pi · #**249** 04/15/2004, 09:47 AM

Quote:

After one hour is nothing happen the Acro crabs and large shrimp and RED BUGS still hanging in there

Be patient. It is around the 4 hour mark you should start to see some affects of the medication on the bugs. Good luck, I hope it goes well for you!

Paul

Zoom · #**250** 04/15/2004, 09:53 AM

Thanks Paul still see bugs walking around my acros ye i better go get some carbon and come back home.
I need to be patient

So far I seen the PH little lower than I like it is 7.89 the lights is still off is just normal for my PH in the morning to be that low with the windows close.
my ORP never moved it is still at 300.