There are harmful species of copepods that feed on corals. The most popular are the so-called “Red Bugs” (Tegastes acroporanus), which feed on selected species of acropora.

Acro Red Bugs are pests that can attack your acropora colonies. These are tiny, barely visible red worms – almost imperceptible to the naked eye. They inhibit the growth of corals, affect the color and limit the display of polyps.

Coral treatment

Getting rid of the worms is not easy, although the hardest part about this infestation is getting rid of the eggs laid by the copepods.

To get rid of insects, we can use a drug dedicated to dogs – Interceptor. The drug is available on prescription, so it will be necessary to consult a veterinarian. Once you purchase the agent, be sure to use caution as the Interceptor (milbemycin) is also lethal to hermit crabs and shrimp, so it is essential to remove these animals from the main tank before starting acropora treatment. Aquarists also confirm that dipping corals in Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer brings good results.

Importantly, none of these drugs will kill the eggs. Therefore, to get rid of them, we have to remove the corals from the aquarium and manually scrape the insects into a separate container.

Remember to always dip and inspect a new coral carefully before adding it to the tank to make sure there are no eggs on it.

You can read about dipping corals in a dedicated article on ReefPedia.