In need of some advice on tic like bugs please

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polar88

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Aug 8, 2008
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I picked up another retic pup from my lfs and of course he was skinny and hip bones were very visible but I thought I'd take him home and nurse him back to health. He hid buried most of the first week but did pig out on beefheart and worms with the lights off and was putting on weight so I wasn't worried. When he started coming out more and swimming up the glass I noticed little brownish bugs all over his stomach. At first I thought is was sand suck on him but in looking closer the bugs did move a bit and legs were visible. I took the pup out and tried to remove the bugs but noticed they were stuck on the ray pretty good and had no intention on letting go. It took a lot of nudging and pinching with tweezers to remove them one by one and I thought I got them all. Now its about another week later and I see my big male hasn't been eating well and hiding alot(he is usually a pig and never hides in the sand). He did swim up the glass today and now there is 5x as many on him now as well as a couple left on the pup. I've been keeping rays a long time and have never had this problem, any help would be appreciated. Thank you. Surry about the pic is the best I could get with my phone

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Im no expert but I would start with a good size water change. Then a few doses of prazipro lasting 2~3weeks (replace after each wc accorrdingly) just to make sure any larvae or eggs or killed off

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I would use Anchors away or some product containing Dimilin ( Diflubenzuron ).
 
Yep.. and hard to get rid of because ime the only thing that kills them effectively is clout ( which is almost impossible to find, and I would NEVER expose my rays too) But... its a good thing to have a cup of and drop the bugs into after you remove them to kill them. Salt dips also work fairly well to get them to let go of a severely infested fish, never tried this with rays though. we use to always get goldfish in at work w/ these things pita. biggest issue imo is going to be balancing the stress of new tank/emaciated/ect and all the fun stuff w/ a new retic w/ battleing these pests.

ps- Diflubenzuron- never tried it but did a quick google ect on it.. I'de take ShadowStryder's advise on it. I'de try doing a 1/2 dos first to see how your guy takes it then follow-up w/ a full if they don't seem to be bothered... the "bugs" will start swimming around all crazy-like generally if the meds working ( at least this is what they did in the salt dips and clout water)

Also w/ that much infestation i'de make sure your doing a good syphon of 10%-25% daily to remove dead bugs so they don't foul your system, because nothing stinks more then treating something like this only to have a bio crash to deal w/ ontop of it.
 
What shadow Stryder said. Dimilin based treatment. I have used on skinny newly imported retics that were smothered. Eggs have a two to three week cycle so re treatment after two weeks is normally recommended but always go by what the specific medication says.


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Rough man. I wish lfs would quarantine and de-lice before they sold such unhealthy rays. Really annoys me.

Was really good of you to take it and attempt to nurse back to health.. but now your tank is infected with them bugs. Good theres some advice given here though. Good luck and blast them.bugs..
 
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