Red Bug Treatment Journal

[christyf5]

How much carbon would be required to remove the Interceptor dose?

between the 25% waterchange and running carbon, most of the interceptor that will be effective will be removed and subsequent waterchanges will finish it off.

- Will the brittle starfish survive the Interceptor? (my reading says he will probably survive)

I'd give him a 50/50 chance. I've lost fromia starfish from the treatment, not sure about the brittle stars. Personally, I'd remove him.

- Will the conchs, Seahare, and urchin be ok?

Conchs and urchin yes, not sure about the seahare, I'd remove him if he's easy enough to catch.

- Will my RBTAs, clams, and Gorgonians be ok with the Interceptor? (my reading says yes)

Yes

- Is this the same dosage everyone else has had success with?

the 23mg tablet are the best bang for your buck. Don't worry about exact dosage, I used about 3/4 of a pill for 220 gal and a half pill for 100 gal. Basically whatever I have left after using little bits of the pill to treat 1-2 gallons for frags. Eric Borneman treated with up to 10x more than DustinDortons dosage with full success.

- Am I missing anything?

Not missing but suggestions. You likely won't have to do a second treatment if you treat longer. I run my treatments between 8 and 12 hours then carbon and waterchange. I try to do the largest waterchange that I can possibly do. The PE you'll see afterwards is pretty incredible and you'll wonder why you didn't notice how bad it was previously

Don't forget to keep your skimmer running and submerge the air intake.

Great info Stones!! I had printed out most of Eric Bornemans website but lost it and his website is done now, sadly.

[saltynuts]

good thread.

[Myka]

New plan of attack...

I'm going to bump up the dose a little bit, but not as much as some of you guys on here have used. I will grind up the tablet, and dose 4 Salifert spoonfuls which should be enough to treat ~130 gallons.

Day 1 - Remove carbon. Submerse the air intake off on the skimmer. Add Interceptor. Wait 10 hours. Do 25% water change. Add fresh carbon, turn skimmer air back on. [Tank is due for a water change anyway.]

Day 5 - Remove carbon. Submerse air intake on skimmer. Add 2nd dose. Wait 10 hours. Do 25% water change. Add fresh carbon, turn skimmer air back on.

***First dose is going in in an hour.***

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by Myka

New plan of attack...

I'm going to bump up the dose a little bit, but not as much as some of you guys on here have used. I will grind up the tablet, and dose 4 Salifert spoonfuls which should be enough to treat ~130 gallons.

Day 1 - Remove carbon. Submerse the air intake off on the skimmer. Add Interceptor. Wait 10 hours. Do 25% water change. Add fresh carbon, turn skimmer air back on. [Tank is due for a water change anyway.]

Day 5 - Remove carbon. Submerse air intake on skimmer. Add 2nd dose. Wait 10 hours. Do 25% water change. Add fresh carbon, turn skimmer air back on.

***First dose is going in in an hour.***

So if you have removed inverts and are worried about putting them back in, you could also change out the carbon 24h after the treatment. I used to do that but am pretty lazy with my interceptor treatments now (I didn't even bother with the WC on the last one until my regular waterchange day 3 days later).

Oh and good luck, likely you'll be more stressed than any of your tank inhabitants I know I always was at the beginning.

[Myka]

Thanks Christy! I didn't notice the red bugs until the frags were already in the TMCC so I didn't have much choice. I find TMCC on its own is often quite rough on the corals. The frags were in such a small container that it only would have taken a couple of them to start sloughing flesh enough to pollute the little container enough to kill off the rest.

In the future I will have a kind of QT for SPS frags...I am setting up a small Zoa/Paly tank (inc some LPS), so it will work well to house new SPS frags since there will be nothing in that tank they can contaminate.

[Myka]

[vent]I am SO frustrated!!! I'm leaving out of province in a week and won't be back until May long weekend. Now I have to deal with this stupid crap, plus I have to hook up the Osmolator and dosing pumps, and I don't have time!!!!!!!!

So...now I can't find that last tablet of Interceptor that I have. I had it in my hand a week ago. The TMCC is back where it's supposed to be, but not the Interceptor. Grrrr!!! Now I gotta go find a vet because none of the reef stores are open on Monday around here. Now my fish room is a mess because I turned it upside down looking for that weeny little tablet. This tank has really been picking my butt lately.

Oh for hell. [/vent]

[saltynuts]

so if a guy had np pellets. they would have to go too.

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by saltynuts

so if a guy had np pellets. they would have to go too.

I don't think so, I'd just keep them running. As a matter of fact, I did keep them running. I didn't see any change in performance (mind you I have yet to see them actually perform).

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by saltynuts

so if a guy had np pellets. they would have to go too.

Not sure that's been tested.