Red Bugs

K

Kelly

Can someone with red bug experiences please tell me if I should be able to see them three inches away with a magnifying glass? I'm looking for little yellow dots right?
Also what "symptoms" am I looking for in my Acroporas?
I've kept sps corals for almost three years and I've never dealt with pests but I suspect a colony of mine has a pest...
It's browned out with the striations showing in the flesh. It also has zero polyp extention.
ALL other corals are fine...
Thanks for the helps folks, I know there are extensive threads on the subject here and on reefcentral but I like to hear it first hand from someone local.
 
Unlike Wes, I didn't see them until Rick pointed them out to me. The best method is to take your camera and get a good picture of the coral in question, and then look at it on your monitor. You'll see them more easily that way.

They are TINY little fleas moving about the coral, usually in the smoother areas of the acropora. Here's a write about them: http://www.melevsreef.com/redbugs.html

And here's a GREAT picture of them, unlike you or I will ever see them.
redbug_800.jpg
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Dang it, i knew I needed to do something before I threw that frag out. Wish I would have tried to take a cool pic.
 
Thanks gentlemen,
With red bugs and/or AEFW is it a "one coral at a time" type deal or do several corals lay host to the pests at once?
You can't see AEFW can you?
I've seen nothing resembling eggs or "bite" marks but the under side of the tabling acropora sp. In question has shown recession over the months but the top side and base have grown even while browning out with zero polyp extention.
I've seen nothing resembling red bugs in my dip dish, only various pods and red planaria...
I'm gonna go read that article you posted Marc, I just got over a browning episode and all my corals are showing growth and color. I hope this isn't another obstacle, I'm about ready for an LPS/Softies only tank haha...
 
Regular dips normally won't rid yo of red bugs, you ave to do interceptor treatment or othe specifically noted red bug killer. If you see red bugs on one coral, you likely have it on more.
 
Can you see AEFW with the naked eye?
Do they hang out on the glass?
I can see what looks to be tiny flatworms on the glass but not the red planaria mentioned previously...
 
Correct, you won't see AEFW with your eye, period. You'd have to take an SPS coral out of your tank and leave it on the countertop to 'dry off'. Once it looks dry, the AEFW will appear to be shiny spots, kind of wet looking.
 
If you did the Bayer treatment in a clean white bucket you would of seen dead red bugs.


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Yeah I've done the Bayer dip on a few of my small colonies and frags and haven't seen any red bugs. Just micro brittle stars, asterinas, various pods, one or two red planaria and some tiny snails...
Couldn't make out any AEFW but there were lots of tiny little unidentified floating/sinking gray spots that I was wondering if they were AEFW.
But still no bite marks or eggs... And it's still only the single tabling acro sp. that is affected...
 
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