It seems like such a complicated way to get rid of these bugs when "Red Bugs" haven't even been proved to be parasitic or harm any corals.
Well they keep stressing them so they don't extend. Some are now getting great extention hours after treatment.
For starters, they are a type of amphipod. I've included some pics for everyone to see. Dr. Shimek has observed them on an Acropora, under a microscope. From his observations, there appears to be no damage to the coral. Yet, many reefers I talk to have experienced tissue loss and bleaching in corals that become infested with them. They also seem to slow the growth of the colony significantly. Another interesting note about them is that they only seem to target Acropora, and are even specific in that genus. I, as well as others, have noted that Acropora yongei(Bali Green Slimer) and Acropora millepora's do not get infested with them. They do spread quickly to vulnerable Acro's, though. Small frags seem to die quickly, while larger colonies take longer.
Since the bleaching is not immediate, I asked Dr. Shimek whether the pods were feeding on the zooxanthallae. My reasoning was based on the fact that the coral slowly becomes more and more pale in coloration over time. Dr. Shimek noted that the algae is several layers deep within the tissue, and that it isn't likely that they are feeding on it. I'm currently thinking that they feed on the slime produced by the Acropora colony. This would explain why they are somewhat selective with which Acropora colonies they migrate to. Perhaps, this behavior is generally considered commensal in natural settings, but harmful in a captive system. In a natural setting, there are predatory controls and a larger area and variety for the amphipods to graze slime coatings. But in a captive system, there may not be a proper predatory control and the area for infestation is small and limited. So, the case could be that they are reproducing to such high densities, that the coral actually becomes irritated by their presence. This irritation could lead to stress, and eventual shutdown/death of the Acropora. Also, the slime offers many benefits to the coral, and the lack of it from overgrazing of pods may cause stress as well.
This is all simply speculation. Dr. Shimek states that in his opinion they are harmless. He states that the death of the coral is due to other reasons, and that perhaps the amphipods are there to clean up or take advantage of an already sick coral. I respect his opinion, and he may very well be right. But the thing that irks me is that so many reefkeepers have noted the same loss of color and eventual death of corals infected with these pods. It only occurs with corals infected with these pods. Furthermore, if something else was causing the stress, then wouldn't we see other types of sps experience the same type of stress? Why are all other corals growing with healthy coloration, and only those infected with the pods dying? Why are only Acroporas(with the exception of the two species noted above) bleaching and dying in all the tanks infested with these pods. I find it hard to believe that all the reefers that have contacted me, are all just experiencing these effects due to other stressors, and coincidentally it only affects certain Acroporas (Meanwhile, assuming that the pods have nothing to do with it, even though the only corals that are dying are those exact same targeted by the pods). Again, I'm just speculating and brainstorming here.
So let me quickly sum up what I observe in my tank. These pods migrate quickly from Acropora to Acropora. Once a colony or frag becomes infested, it eventually begins to lose coloration(particularly the browns attributed to the zoo's). Eventually, the colony/frag loses tissue and dies. The pods only seem to target Acroporas, with the notable exception of yongei and millepora seeming to be immune. I've examined other corals with a magnifying glass and they do not appear to be present. I've tried a mandarin for eradicating them, but no success. I have not tried any of the wrasses
Yes, you MAY be right. I don't want to take that chance. This is new, yes, but all the tanks survived so far, minus some pods.
Dan
