Interceptor Treatment I

Tonight, my whole reef system (main tank, refugium, sump, skimmer) was treated with Interceptor. I got information from Melevsreef, DFWMAS and a few fellows at SDReefs.

Outline for the treatment of my 110 gallon tank system:

1. Remove ornamental crustaceans (shrimp, crabs, hermit crabs).
2. Crush tablet & stir in 1/3 powder in 1 cup tank water.
3. Stop skimmer's Venturi (air).
4. Disconnect filter media cannisters (carbon, Seagel, Purigen)
5. Add solution to filter sock in the sump.
6. Treat for 15 hours.
7. Perform 10 gallon water change.
8. Reconnect filter media cannisters.
9. Treat two more times at week intervals.
10. Return crabs back to main tank after several water changes (use one hermit at a time as a test).

This treatment is used to eradicate "Red Bugs" (Tegastes acroporanus) an obligate parasite of "smoothed skinned" Acropora. Even though the corals still grow, the infestation causes a lot of irritation for the corals and may keep them from displaying full colors. Also, this treatment may increase the survival rate of future Acropora specimens that I add to the tank.

Click on the image below and see if you can count all the little orange dots.

The treatment has the ability to kill not only Red Bugs, but other small crustaceans (copepods, isopods, shrimps, crabs) as well. That's why I rescued this Acropora crab (to the tune of All for you). It inhabits the branches of an Acropora. It took me several minutes to squirt the the tiny crab free from the coral with a pipet. I transferred it to the quarantine tank along with all the hermit crabs I could rescue. I was unable to retrieve the Emerald crab, Skunk shrimp, Coral-banded shrimp and pistol shrimp from the main tank, but other hobbyists indicate that they may survive the treatments.

About 10 minutes after dumping the solution of Interceptor in the filter sock of the sump, I noticed that the Pulsing Xenia retracted their polyps. The colonies in the refugium did likewise, so that seems to be an indicator that the chemical is circulating through the entire system. Who knows if they'll recover?

This "Purple Haze" Montipora had some fine white debris on it, so I snapped a pic. The macro photo revealed retracted polyps and white material associated with the coral. I'm not sure what to make of this.

I'm a little nervous about what I'll find tomorrow, but I feel confident after reading as much as I could about this regiment of treatment. And, there's got to be a morning after.