55 gallon SPS reef- new additions (12/18/14)

So a minor change in temperature can cause dormant pods to become active?

Wonder why it didn't happen when I removed my halide the first time.

 

Perhaps the population was such that their numbers were not enough to attract your attention. Certain fish types might pick them off. Who knows what little cascade or one variable triggers the condition/environment that promotes the crustaceans to become active. I would do two heavy treatments though.

I have seen anecdotal accounts of hobbyist inadvertently dropping the temp of their tank for whatever reason and having the Red Bugs die off.

 

That's very interesting and it could be that I just didn't notice them, although I do look closely at my coral daily (not particularly for bugs). I was fortunate enough to find some sentinel at the parents house this morning. I'm going to begin treatment today if I can figure out a way to measure my dosage.

This pill is 1 g, which equals 1000 mg

Dosage is 25 mg for every 10 gallons.

For me, I will need approximately 75 mg.

I have no idea how to accurately measure that out without a scientific scale.

 

I dosed at 10 am. Looks like some bugs have been effected and are falling off; amphipods cleary have been.

I will do a water change 6 hours after treatment? Is that a sufficient time frame? It's been 2.5 hours and several bugs still seem firmly attached. Is that a concern or typical?

 

Treatment was successful; no more bugs in sight.

I didn't do a water change and I won't until tomorrow evening. I don't think I will do a 25% water change as suggested either. I think that's too big and bound to cause water chemistry changes, which I don't need (already too many/much changes/stress). I'll stick with my new routine of weekly 7-10% (2-3 gallons) water change instead. This means the chemical will remain at it's current concentration for about 20 hours, which should prove more than effective.

The skimmer went wild after I plugged it back in. Half a collection cup full collected in less than a minute and the water level was at the lowest possible setting.

I'll do another treatment next Sunday and then again the Sunday after that.

 

Here are some pictures from today. It's coming along nicely. Just need to figure a way to hide my auto top of bucket and then setup my calc reactor in the coming weeks as growth pics up. Right now, kalk is keeping up, but that's because I just moved the tank and treated for redbugs.

 

You are gonna need to start removing some shrooms for more acro space!

 

You're right about that!

I have 5 on the rack that need a home. The mushrooms constantly release and settle in the back left corner too. Might slice several off and sell for $2 each to get that red A. hyacinth and A. efflor I want.

 

A lesson I learned, I will be dipping every future coral addition.

 

Switching back to halides, I've realized how brown my Acropora got. They looked good under heavy actinic LED.

Need to get phosphate down. Hanging around .07.