Aefw can live on other corals
- Thread starter toothman
- Start date
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Toothman, have a look at this site: http://www.ronshimek.com/flatworms.html#
Not sure but you may be able to contact Ron through that website and ask him if he can ID the flatworm for you. Ron used to be a member of RC YEARS ago...
Not sure but you may be able to contact Ron through that website and ask him if he can ID the flatworm for you. Ron used to be a member of RC YEARS ago...
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
+1
If they were Red Planaria, they would have been easy to get rid of...I used a Sixline Wrasse to completely clear my 24G tank about 10 years ago. Never saw any even after I got rid of the Sixline which had become too much of a brute.
DopeCantWin
Active member
Note, not all 6-lines eat them, you have to get lucky.
toothman
Premium Member
To me this is what the worms that I have look like up close up, not my photos.
<a href="http://s382.photobucket.com/user/eralff/media/flatworm1_jim_Nastulski.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo268/eralff/flatworm1_jim_Nastulski.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo flatworm1_jim_Nastulski.jpg"/></a>a href="http://s382.photobucket.com/user/eralff/media/aefw_penny1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo268/eralff/aefw_penny1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo aefw_penny1.jpg"/></a>
<a href="http://s382.photobucket.com/user/eralff/media/flatworm1_jim_Nastulski.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo268/eralff/flatworm1_jim_Nastulski.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo flatworm1_jim_Nastulski.jpg"/></a>a href="http://s382.photobucket.com/user/eralff/media/aefw_penny1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo268/eralff/aefw_penny1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo aefw_penny1.jpg"/></a>
reef bloke
Member
The LPS flatworm look very similar to AEFW , I've seen them infest bubble coral. I think you have two types in there.
toothman
Premium Member
Having the reef tank set up for 9 yrs seems it has got everything. The list is: Bryopsis, bubble algae, red cyano, red bugs, red planaria, aiptasia, bristle worms, limpets all of which were not too dificult to get rid of or live with.
The aefw or other flat worms (except red planaria) are however too destructive to keep acros thriving.
Even after dipping it is apparent that flat worms remain on the acros. I make this statement after dipping a heavily infested colony that I knew I would discard. The dip removes a lot of aefw after 15 mins, then I dipped it again and again and still had more flat worms come off, this dip would no doubt also kill the acro. It is also apparent that there is no dip that completely kills aefw, just stuns them making removal easier.
I can also say that dipping the acros with rock then rinsing with clean tank water and replacing really affects the biological balance of the tank, causing generalized stn. Dipping is sometimes deadly to deep water acros. Probably the only way recover from this pest would be to frag the tips of the acropora and set up a quarantine tank where coral can be easily dipped.
The aefw or other flat worms (except red planaria) are however too destructive to keep acros thriving.
Even after dipping it is apparent that flat worms remain on the acros. I make this statement after dipping a heavily infested colony that I knew I would discard. The dip removes a lot of aefw after 15 mins, then I dipped it again and again and still had more flat worms come off, this dip would no doubt also kill the acro. It is also apparent that there is no dip that completely kills aefw, just stuns them making removal easier.
I can also say that dipping the acros with rock then rinsing with clean tank water and replacing really affects the biological balance of the tank, causing generalized stn. Dipping is sometimes deadly to deep water acros. Probably the only way recover from this pest would be to frag the tips of the acropora and set up a quarantine tank where coral can be easily dipped.
Last edited:
tektite
I never finish anyth
What do you use to dip with? Unfortunately yes, AEFW are usually just stunned, which makes it hard to dip large corals due to the difficulty of getting all the AEFW off the coral.
Before a complete breakup of those gorgeous colonies, have you considered an in-tank levimasole treatment? Haven't played with it myself yet, lots of conflicting stories out there ranging from success to total tank loss. But if you're considering tossing a lot of the corals anyway, it might be worth the risk to attempt.
Before a complete breakup of those gorgeous colonies, have you considered an in-tank levimasole treatment? Haven't played with it myself yet, lots of conflicting stories out there ranging from success to total tank loss. But if you're considering tossing a lot of the corals anyway, it might be worth the risk to attempt.
toothman
Premium Member
I did use it several years ago to treat red planaria worked in a day. Having dipped half the rocks with corals my tank is quite stressed (in bayer). I am looking at a tank that I would say has new tank syndrome and need time to repopulate beneficial bacteria. Even my red planet which in the past was bullet proof has some stn, I am confident in a week or so things will calm down. Have heard of doing high dose levimasole dips but not high dose tank treatments. any good links to treatments.
aqua80
New member
Just want to share my experience with AEFW : I had a big STN event in the beginning and lost a couple of frags (even some colonies) but after about 1-2 months acros recovered and since that time (1 year) acros are doing fine with good colors and growth. I see a couple of aefw and bite marks from time to time and just blast the affected acros...
Pretty happy with my tank. some wrasse are there too. But have to keep everything in line (water parameters and feeding) in order to keep the corals in good health and resist to AEFW...
Good luck
Pretty happy with my tank. some wrasse are there too. But have to keep everything in line (water parameters and feeding) in order to keep the corals in good health and resist to AEFW...
Good luck
