Sick of white bugs, treated 3 times already

[Max93]

My acros are doing awesome.. but I’ve been fighting white bugs for a year.

My first interceptor attempt: it worked immediately. All white bugs gone but failed because they came back since I didn’t do 3 treatments. I used 1 large dog pill completely.

Second attempt:

1.5 pills, two times one week after the next.

Third attempt:

2x pills, three times, one week after the next.

My tank is a waterbox 220.

I feel like I’m missing their lifecycle and the eggs hatch again. I ran out of interceptor…

So, guess who’s back. Everytime that I used interceptor the PE is off the hooks in all my acros. A month or two goes by, and the PE decreases in certain acros except millis and tenuis.

Then I see the dang things again.

What do I need to do to get these things beat once and for all?

 

[kartrsu]

I did 6-7x suggested dosage for 3 weeks in a row to eliminate them.

 

[Biff0rz]

are you doing water changes each week? If so, don't. Also increase the strength. I found interceptor to be pretty subdued on the tank, why not go for 6 weeks?

 

[Max93]

I did 6-7x suggested dosage for 3 weeks in a row to eliminate them.

Like, you used 6 boxes of interceptor?

 

[Max93]

are you doing water changes each week? If so, don't. Also increase the strength. I found interceptor to be pretty subdued on the tank, why not go for 6 weeks?

I’m not, I only run carbon after 24 hours. Should I also not run carbon so the medicine stays in?

 

[kartrsu]

Like, you used 6 boxes of interceptor?

One large dog tablet is 0.23mg of milbemycin and can treat 400 gallons for red bugs. White and black bugs need like 6-7x that dose to kill them. Same 3 week protocol. I also dose directly to tank (as opposed to sump). Make sure to grind it up well. No filtration either including mechanical. It’s okay to leave in over 24 hours before water changes. Some people have done a large water change at the end of 3 weeks.

 

[danreef55]

Do you have a six line wrasse?

 

[Max93]

One large dog tablet is 0.23mg of milbemycin and can treat 400 gallons for red bugs. White and black bugs need like 6-7x that dose to kill them. Same 3 week protocol. I also dose directly to tank (as opposed to sump). Make sure to grind it up well. No filtration either including mechanical. It’s okay to leave in over 24 hours before water changes. Some people have done a large water change at the end of 3 weeks.

Like, .23 times six? So a whole pack of interceptor, 3 packs total. If I have 220 you’re saying you’d use 6 pills per week?

 

[Max93]

Do you have a six line wrasse?

I do not, but I have a yellow Cori. Ive had a sixline in the past and they’re so mean. Are you suggesting they take care of it?

 

[danreef55]

The yellow coris is definitely a great choice. Is the fish eating any of the bugs? I would suggest that you add a six line even though they can be aggressive. Try the natural approach before chemical treatments. Leopard Wrasse as well are another alternative but require at least a 50gal. Can you provide tank size and if you have a UV please?

 

[Max93]

The yellow coris is definitely a great choice. Is the fish eating any of the bugs? I would suggest that you add a six line even though they can be aggressive. Try the natural approach before chemical treatments. Leopard Wrasse as well are another alternative but require at least a 50gal. Can you provide tank size and if you have a UV please?

I have tried natural (tried two pipefish), I currently have a mandarin and also the yellow Coris. The Coris doesn’t do much, he is an older fish though, not sure if that matters.

I do run UV, 56w. My tank is a 220g waterbox.

Last night I used 2.5 of the large dog pills, and I still see the bugs on my bonsai acro. Yes UV is off, and skimmer cup is off too. No carbon.

 

[kartrsu]

Like, .23 times six? So a whole pack of interceptor, 3 packs total. If I have 220 you’re saying you’d use 6 pills per week?

1 tablet = 0.23 mg milbe

1x dose = 1 tablet / 400 gallon
6x dose = 6 tablet / 400 gallon

For 220 gallon, you need:

3.3 tablets to achieve 6x dose
3.9 tablets to achieve 7x dose

3 week treatment:

10 tablets to achieve 6x dose
12 tablets to achieve 7x dose

 

[danreef55]

Use a turkey baster and get them into the water column. The sterilizer should be used at the recommended gph flow. That should help remove the bulk of your bugs. Maybe the fish just cannot consume the existing quantity. You can also use a net to snag some out of the water column

 

[Biff0rz]

I’m not, I only run carbon after 24 hours. Should I also not run carbon so the medicine stays in?

No, do not run the carbon, keep all the meds in there the whole time, esp against white bugs.

I do not, but I have a yellow Cori. Ive had a sixline in the past and they’re so mean. Are you suggesting they take care of it?

No wrasse is going to take care of these...

I have tried natural (tried two pipefish), I currently have a mandarin and also the yellow Coris. The Coris doesn’t do much, he is an older fish though, not sure if that matters.

I do run UV, 56w. My tank is a 220g waterbox.

Last night I used 2.5 of the large dog pills, and I still see the bugs on my bonsai acro. Yes UV is off, and skimmer cup is off too. No carbon.

Yes, keep UV, Carbon, Skimmer, and any mechanical filtering off.

And as suggested, use 6-7x the treatment size for 3 weeks, then do a w/c at the end (if you feel like it).

 

[danreef55]

No, do not run the carbon, keep all the meds in there the whole time, esp against white bugs.


No wrasse is going to take care of these...


Yes, keep UV, Carbon, Skimmer, and any mechanical filtering off.

And as suggested, use 6-7x the treatment size for 3 weeks, then do a w/c at the end (if you feel like it).

I can state from experience that wrasse can help with white bugs. Fish can only consume "X" amount of bugs simply because they cannot eat anymore. That is why I recommended to blow the bugs off the coral and rock causing them to flow through filtration and UV. Removing as many as possible should be taken as a given right?