Outside of sharing photos of the tank, they provide a close up view to inspect the overall health of the corals in my tank. Recently I saw something strange on my Fire Acro as there appeared to be small black/red dots jumping around like fleas all over. After more careful inspection I have concluded they are in fact red bugs.
If you take the time to research the eradication of this pest, almost any forum or website will direct you towards the use of a cat/dog medication called Interceptor. Proven through massive use in the hobby, this medication can be used to kill off red bugs in your reef tank without killing corals or fish. Any other crustacean (shrimp, crab, pods etc.) may not be as safe.
The impact of Red Bugs on corals is different for each aquarist. At worst they disturb their host Acropora to the point the polyps never expand for feeding, and ultimately the coral may die. In some cases the corals appear to tolerate the bugs and only loses some color with somewhat stunted growth. They also only appear to be drawn towards smooth skinned Acropora versus the more bushy species such as Millepora, Stylophora, and Pocillopora.
I haven't seen this strategy posted anywhere, but with the risk of killing any crustaceans I am unable to catch from the tank along with the pods that my Leopard Wrasses live off of, I have elected to try something new. Since the 'bugs' die off within days of not finding a new host, I plan to manually blast them from the surface of my smooth Acropora each day and hope they are unable to find the way back. Or maybe they will become so stressed from being tossed off into the water column, that they will still be unable to feed and eventually die. Either way, if successful the coral should have period between cleanings to resume normal behaviors and gain some strength back.
Below:
Photo 1 - Red Bugs circled
Photo 2 - 4 week growth progression
Photo 3 - Photo after blasting off bugs (under morning blues)
Photo 4 - Bug blasting tool (Rio 800)
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