Acro Eating Flatworms (AEFW)- Have you had any success treating this?

[bgifford]

I dipped a few corals this morning and WHAM~! AEFW started swarming in the water of my dip. ( I used coral RX in a 1 gallon container and dipped for 4 minutes).

The picture shows them on a paper towel so it doesn't show its definitive shape in the picture, but you can see the granulation of their jelly like body.

Please let me know what you have done to get things under control with AEFW. I'm not going to use flatworm exit, its just not worth the risk...

<a href="http://imgur.com/szbmakW"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/szbmakW.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

 

[82ndengineer]

Seperate them from the display tank in a temp qt with good lighting and flow. Do water changes from the display into qt and watch your parameters. Bayer dip them once a week. Remove any parts that encrusted in the display. Qt for 2-3 months and you should be good.

 

[evolved]

Flatworm exit is not effective on aefw regardless.

 

[vincent92]

Those dam buggers

 

[sweet2004r1]

Ugh had this issue 8 months ago.. I took all acro out of display tank and put them in a separate tank with no live rock.. I then dipped them every 5 days in revive.. did this for 3 months havnt had a problem since. Prepare to lose a couple though. I lost 2 pieces but in the grand scheme of it, it was better then loosing all of them.

Good luck!!

 

[bgifford]

Ugh had this issue 8 months ago.. I took all acro out of display tank and put them in a separate tank with no live rock.. I then dipped them every 5 days in revive.. did this for 3 months havnt had a problem since. Prepare to lose a couple though. I lost 2 pieces but in the grand scheme of it, it was better then loosing all of them.

Good luck!!

I'm a bit confused... how would this prevent the AEFW from eating the acro's when they return from QT? I assume that the Flatworms will be still thriving in the tank-living in the live rock and using another food source other than coral flesh...

Are you assuming that the AEFW only eat acro flesh and will eventually die off without this one food source? (if so, is there other's with experience to support this claim?) - not that I don't believe you, but this would be surprising...

Any chance fighting this problem with a wrasse? or some other fish?

 

[DgenR8]

Flatworms in general are very specific about their diet. AEFW only eat Acropora.

 

[bgifford]

Flatworms in general are very specific about their diet. AEFW only eat Acropora.

How do you know that? I cannot find any information about flatworm diets that suggest anything that would remotely support that claim. (i'm not trying to challenge you, I am sincerely looking for any supporting evidence).


Most information that I have found suggests the following about FW diets:

" In the wild: diatoms, algae, protozoan and copepods. In aquariums: small invertebrates including copepods, Artemia naupli, polychaetes and rotifers [5]. Some species contain symbiotic photosynthetic zooanthellae or dinoflagellates implying they derive at least part of their energy indirectly through photosynthesis."

I wish that what you are saying is true (removing/dipping/qt-ing the corals woud be a very simple solution to my problem)... but It's hard for me to believe that they will all starve off by removing one, of many, food sources.


HOWEVER, I would be willing to give it a try if others on the forum's have had success with this strategy...

 

[BobthePhotoGuy]

http://www.melevsreef.com/aefw.html

 

[bgifford]

http://www.melevsreef.com/aefw.html

Thanks bob, that was an interesting read.

I don't have the resources available to set up a new tank for the acro's. So far I have noticed receding on only a few acros and on a two chalice's and I will work to dip them in "coral rx" as I see them receding.

I will also plan to buy a wrasse to see if that will help. I can post pictures of the tank and corals later today

 

[BobthePhotoGuy]

All you need is a 10d tank with a hang on back filter, lights and water from your existing tank.

The lights are the most difficult. I have heard of people using the Gro Lights from Home Depot/Lowes. This is only a temp setup for a couple weeks.

In the mean time keep your eyes on Craigslist for a Biocube. I grabbed one for $100 and it makes a great Quarantine/hospital tank.

Bob

 

[bgifford]

Finding a biocube for around $100 sounds like a great idea. It will at least keep things somewhat less messy... the lights will most likely be the most difficult, and most expensive part.

Thanks for the idea

 

[Allmost]

here are some good info :
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0042240#pone.0042240-Jokiel1

From it :
"he presence of Symbiodinium and cnidarian spirocysts in the gut and parenchyma provides evidence that Amakusaplana acroporae is a corallivore in its natural habitat. No other prey items were observed in the gut of A. acroporae indicating that perhaps they are obligate corallivores (as has been demonstrated in the only other known scleractinian-eating polyclad Prosthiostomum (Prosthiostomum) montiporae"

you can keep them in control, via adding wrasses, and blowing corals, and getting the wrasses to eat the FWs that fall off. but QTing it to remove them fully from your system is the best way. I lived with them for about 2-3 years.

 

[evolved]

Are you assuming that the AEFW only eat acro flesh and will eventually die off without this one food source? (if so, is there other's with experience to support this claim?) - not that I don't believe you, but this would be surprising...

It's not really an assumption.

There are literally days worth of reading on AEFW. I suggest you start here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/search.php?searchid=12499169

However, the hospital tank treatment (as outlined above in this thread) is generally perceived as the best course of action if you wish to rid yourself of them.

 

[82ndengineer]

Or if you only have a few acros trash them and go without for a couple of months. Make sure there is no encrusted parts on the rock though otherwise they will stay on that area. The chalices receding sounds like a separate issue.

 

[DgenR8]

You're right to call me on it. I was reading flatworm and thinking Nudibranch. Nudis have very specific diets, I don't know how that applies to different flatworms. My apologies for my brainfart and any misinformation that resulted.

 

[NaClH20NMYVEIN]

Lots of good info in here. The real question is how many acros do you have? If you dont have that many I would just throw them away and start over in a few months. If you have a lot then its worth all the work your going to have to do. You will loose a few to the dips & tank change anyways. Good Luck.

 

[bgifford]

Here is some quick pictures of the tank and corals

I dipped this yesterday in coral rx. It just fell and is not usually placed here.

This receding happened overnight; may have been to a nearby lobo that I just moved

The cactus looking hydnophora is receding at its base. The birdsnest has two small branches at the base receding, and the coral inbetween the blue acro and the hydnophora is a purple with green tip acro that I dipped yesterday. It is receding on half of the base.

All of the euphylia monti's, clams, chalices are doing fine. The Hollywood stunner chalice has doubled in size within the last 4 months.

this is a youtube of one of the flatworms http://youtu.be/31-hNSUnd0E

This is a youtube of the tank: http://youtu.be/If1l7LpRn2E (just mute audio)

 

[markalot]

That looks to be just a standard red flatworm ... Planaria?

I have AEFW and have just started the Bayer dip and 8 week QT while my main tank goes acro free. I also have red flatworms but these are relatively harmless. AEFW take on the color of the coral they are chewing on and can't be seen easily.

If you have more than acros receding it might be another issue, or a combination of issues, in my opinion.

 

[82ndengineer]

You wont have to remove anything else other than the acroporas and the encrusted portions of the acros. Your hydnophora and chalices, monti's and birdsnest can all stay. Also I can say with almost 100% accuracy that you brought them in on the maricultured frags that are on the bottom of your display.