cfw1199
01/24/2009, 10:54 AM
I had a good experience with interceptor and could not believe how easy it was. I didn't have the bugs bad but I had them all over a colony of tri-color and as it turns out everything else as well just couldn't see them on the stags and millies. My vet gave me the pill which was only the green pill which was for small dogs did not give me the whole interceptor tab. I have to admit I have never done this before and was scared to death but for those that are tentative over it, don't be at all. And further more I think I got lucky as I deviated from the protocal a little bit and only dosed it for 5 hours. Left the shrimp in as there was no way to catch them as I knew I would kill them. I took out 17 hermits that's all I could find and put them in a bag in my fuge and let them float. I shut off the T-Valve to my fuge so only water would go through the sump. I did this on the premise that without Acro's red bugs don't exist as I have no sps in my fuge I figured I should be o.k and wanted to do as little damage to the pod population as possible. Removed the ton of carbon I run and I mean it's a ton. Unorthodox how I do it but trust me it's a ton. Shut off the skimmer. Crushed the pill between 2 spoons put it in a ziplock with a large cup of tank wanter. Shook it up for 2 minutes until all disolved and dumped it right in an area of high flow and crossed my fingers. I couldn't believe it. You would have never known that I put a heartworm pill in my full blown reef. Everything looked completley normal except for the shrimp which looked like they were tripping on acid. I guess trying to get away from the treatment which was impossible. Waited for the first two hours and not much happened. Bugs still scampering about. But then the third hour hit and all of the bugs seemed to huddle together and then that was it. Some of them slimed off and floated away some stayed there dead. I waited for two more hours and was really tired so I said the h### with it and doubled my dose of carbon about 2 pounds and put it in my sump switched the skimmer back on and hoped for the best. Woke up at 7am with a dreaded feeling walked into the living room and turned on the moonlights. Low and behold clear as a bell. Both shrimp cruising around. One peppermint didn't make it of the 3 that I know are in there. I have put like 14 in there over the years and see some sometimes and then they are gone again. I did lose 10 of the 17 hermits that I took out and floated as I didn't let them float all night I just threw them back in the tank after the 5 hours and I am sure whatever hermits that were left in there are gone. I didn't even lose my acro crab that lives in my millie. I still couldn't tell if the bugs were all gone as the lights weren't on yet. Got home last night for sure they are gone and my tri color looks like it has a new life. PE everywhere and happy again along with all of my other sps. I never would have imagined that those bugs would irritate them so much. I know this is long but that's my story and want to thank the boys at the LFS for talking me into it. So for those that are weary of treating don't be. 50/50 shot on losing the inverts but that is really a small price to pay. It absolutley effects nothing else and believe it or not I never even did a water change and it's clear as a bell.