AEFW experiments and study

[trueblackpercula]

Mike, please elaborate.. What is the dilution that has been effective for you?

Hey what's going on reefmutt ?

Sure now please be careful with this method and remember less is more in this case. At first when I did it i was to aggressive and found out the hard way that too much will lighten up your sps very quickly. if you watch the below video I mention 1000mls of tank water to 300mls of peroxide for 8 minutes. That is insanely too long and I now can say that the dilution ratio should be in the 200mls to 250mls in 1000mls for 3 minutes max.

I learned this late Sunday night when dipping again just to make sure and found this to be a very affective dip not only for AEFW but anything including Asternia starfish and algae <<<< The plugs are 100%algae free and you can see that clean looking pink purple coralline algae.
I did not see a single AEFW or eggs on any of the pieces i dipped. The one in the video below is doing very well has a little PE and still has color. AEFW free as of Sunday night
I do have another large colony that I dipped to aggressively, Meaning 8 minutes in 300mls in 1000mls of tank water way too long and too strong of a dip for this sps. So the below would be my recommendation and again less is more.
If you start to see your Acropora foaming you have dipped to long ( like when you were a kid and used it on a scab that kind of foaming) I hope she makes it as it has tripled in size since I acquired it, but I just could not go without dipping it.
In closing: 150 mls/200mls to 250mls MAX in 1000mls of tank water for up to 1 to 3 minutes MAX is more than enough time. Then place Acropora in another container with tank water for 15 minutes to calm down. Then back into a fresh batch of peroxide dip for 1 to 3 minutes just to be safe. Then back into tank water to calm down again.

At this point you can place into quarantine tank or back into main display. I would also like to mention that I did notice that the eggs changed color from deep orange to a cloudy orange look. So may also be good for the killing of the eggs but remember I did go strong in the beginning and more aquarist like myself and others may need to test to method thoroughly until we can come up with an almost perfect dip and possibly an in tank treatment.

In tank treatment: from what I noticed when I dipped the acropora in the solution I made they went crazy to get off the coral as if they were in fire. So just as a thought and I may explore this not only for AEFW but a few areas where I have algea. I was thinking about getting t Two Little Fishies Julian's Thing Coral & Fish Target Feeder filling it up and target spraying the areas where the algea is and spraying some of the sps to see if any AEFW fall off. Well this is another theory and will need some in depth testing before I can say if it is affective or not.
I do think that I am very close to the perfect dip but would really like to hear from others. I really think this could be the nail in AEFW coffin for a long awaited problem.

Michael


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghYYOb_BvMc

 

[JPMagyar]

Well look who showed up in my tank last night . . .

I am going to try and pick up where the OP left off and setup a mini-reef to try and find a way to kill these guys. So far they survived one whole tank treatment of Levamisole/Prohibit at a dosage 2g per 100 gallons (1 tsp per 250 gallons).

Anyways, standby for frequent updates. Sadly the holidays are here, and I'm host and chef for my rather large extended family so it might be a week or so before I get started.

 

[afernandez]

Sorry to hear that your amazing tank has been infested .

I was there A few months ago . I've been Acro free for about two months now going to give it two more and re try acros .

 

[Vidofner]

Hey what's going on reefmutt ?

Sure now please be careful with this method and remember less is more in this case. At first when I did it i was to aggressive and found out the hard way that too much will lighten up your sps very quickly. if you watch the below video I mention 1000mls of tank water to 300mls of peroxide for 8 minutes. That is insanely too long and I now can say that the dilution ratio should be in the 200mls to 250mls in 1000mls for 3 minutes max.

I learned this late Sunday night when dipping again just to make sure and found this to be a very affective dip not only for AEFW but anything including Asternia starfish and algae <<<< The plugs are 100%algae free and you can see that clean looking pink purple coralline algae.
I did not see a single AEFW or eggs on any of the pieces i dipped. The one in the video below is doing very well has a little PE and still has color. AEFW free as of Sunday night
I do have another large colony that I dipped to aggressively, Meaning 8 minutes in 300mls in 1000mls of tank water way too long and too strong of a dip for this sps. So the below would be my recommendation and again less is more.
If you start to see your Acropora foaming you have dipped to long ( like when you were a kid and used it on a scab that kind of foaming) I hope she makes it as it has tripled in size since I acquired it, but I just could not go without dipping it.
In closing: 150 mls/200mls to 250mls MAX in 1000mls of tank water for up to 1 to 3 minutes MAX is more than enough time. Then place Acropora in another container with tank water for 15 minutes to calm down. Then back into a fresh batch of peroxide dip for 1 to 3 minutes just to be safe. Then back into tank water to calm down again.

At this point you can place into quarantine tank or back into main display. I would also like to mention that I did notice that the eggs changed color from deep orange to a cloudy orange look. So may also be good for the killing of the eggs but remember I did go strong in the beginning and more aquarist like myself and others may need to test to method thoroughly until we can come up with an almost perfect dip and possibly an in tank treatment.

In tank treatment: from what I noticed when I dipped the acropora in the solution I made they went crazy to get off the coral as if they were in fire. So just as a thought and I may explore this not only for AEFW but a few areas where I have algea. I was thinking about getting t Two Little Fishies Julian's Thing Coral & Fish Target Feeder filling it up and target spraying the areas where the algea is and spraying some of the sps to see if any AEFW fall off. Well this is another theory and will need some in depth testing before I can say if it is affective or not.
I do think that I am very close to the perfect dip but would really like to hear from others. I really think this could be the nail in AEFW coffin for a long awaited problem.

Michael


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghYYOb_BvMc

What concentration is the peroxide you're using? Is it 3% or stronger

 

[bigzman]

Great work tektite and Dr. Rawlinson , 5 Star vote! I look forward to future results.

I think someone mentioned it, but just in case please add Levamisole Hydrochloride as a possible in tank treatment to future testing and research. So far from reading the below it seems promising.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2412052

Also I have read about solutions like korallen zucht flatworm stop which is not meant to eradicate but reduce an infestation while creating protective tissue. I works by minimize tissue damage on Acropora by making the Acro tissue unpalatable to Acro-Eating Flatworms, slowly starving them. (Following your results so far this might take a great deal of time before making a large impact on a severe enfestation and not to mention costly).

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/korallen-zucht-flatworm-stop.html

After watching Dr. Rawlinson Interview with Mr. SaltwaterTank's, she mentioned that there is a possible predation in the wild that could be the reason behind AEFW population staying in a check.

After some thought I have the below questions that you might be able to shed light on:

1. I would like to see if in your research you can investigate whether the same effects occur in the wild that are similar to the effects that flatworm stop claims?

2. Is it possible that Acropora in the wild can naturally defined itself via rapid tissue regeneration?

3. Is it possible that the same toxins used in coral warfare can affect AEFW palatability?

Thank you for the great work.

Regards,
Z

 

[scoly]

Great thread! Thank you for your dedication!

 

[trueblackpercula]

What concentration is the peroxide you're using? Is it 3% or stronger

3% sorry for delay

 

[GinaSofia]

I've skipped over this thread but haven't found an answer to my question.
Are Monti Caps susceptible to this flatworm?

 

[markalot]

I've skipped over this thread but haven't found an answer to my question.
Are Monti Caps susceptible to this flatworm?

No, this flatworm feeds exclusively on acropora.

 

[GinaSofia]

thank you.

 

[trueblackpercula]

Hi Tek,

It was mentioned earlier in the thread and you commented on it, are you going to put into the study some redbug experiments? There are so many anecdotal stories of how systems will either have redbugs or AEFW, but never both at the same time. The experiment I'd love to see would be to add redbugs to an AEFW infested system and monitor AEFW population growth. As both affect and would compete over the same colonies, could redbugs be effective at limiting AEFW? Or even possibly see AEFW or their eggs as prey?

Thanks for the consideration

I would have to disagree with the red bugs and aefw not living together in the same tank as AI have had both a the same time. It was easy to kill the redbugs with interceptor.
Michael

 

[bangai64]

Hi,
I've caught up on the thread. Great stuff! Wouldn't it be some thing if something as basic as peroxide was an effective dip for killing the AEFW's and there eggs. I'd be interested to find out more about that from any one else who experiments with it.

It was suggested to me that treating the tank with Marine Melafix might be the answer, but I've heard no back up to support this.

Anyway great thread, I'll be interested to see what develops since I to am battling them. I have found them abundant on my milli's as well as my smooth acro's such as my tri-color.

I appreciate all the time and effort tektite and Dr Rawlinson are putting into this. Keep up the good fight.

 

[trueblackpercula]

Hi,
I've caught up on the thread. Great stuff! Wouldn't it be some thing if something as basic as peroxide was an effective dip for killing the AEFW's and there eggs. I'd be interested to find out more about that from any one else who experiments with it.

It was suggested to me that treating the tank with Marine Melafix might be the answer, but I've heard no back up to support this.

Anyway great thread, I'll be interested to see what develops since I to am battling them. I have found them abundant on my milli's as well as my smooth acro's such as my tri-color.

I appreciate all the time and effort tektite and Dr Rawlinson are putting into this. Keep up the good fight.

I used peroxide and it does work well as a dip to knock them off the sps but it does not kill them or the eggs unless left in 1:5 solution for 30 minutes. But after 30 minutes the acropora will be bleached to death. What i have found that works better is bayer, now this stuff kicks there butts super fast but doesn't seem to work on eggs. Now there is also a third option that i came across and thats an in tank treatment that seems to be very promising and that is called prohibit and this stuff works very well. It can even be used as a dip and also may even kill eggs. I did manage to get some on ebay just in case.
hope this helps and peroxide only stuns them but sure kills all algea in minutes.
Michael

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

I just started peroxide dosing for algae.
Thankfully I don't have AEFW but I do have flatworms.
I noticed they are not as prevalent in the past few days & will have to check the fuge.
There was a big patch on the top of the chaeto.

 

[StarF]

Now there is also a third option that i came across and thats an in tank treatment that seems to be very promising and that is called prohibit and this stuff works very well. It can even be used as a dip and also may even kill eggs. I did manage to get some on ebay just in case.

what is prohibit ? sounds promising.

 

[trueblackpercula]

what is prohibit ? sounds promising.

Here is an amazing thread >>>>http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2412052&highlight=prohibit

 

[flamron]

Do some research on older threads with levimasole used in tank. The results were less than stellar. Not saying it won't work (because it can and does), just saying research it before you go head first into the treatment. Lots of people experienced full tank losses inexplicably months later. The theory was that the levimasole was locked in the rock/sand/whatever and released and kill many or all sps.

 

[dadummy]

Do some research on older threads with levimasole used in tank. The results were less than stellar. Not saying it won't work (because it can and does), just saying research it before you go head first into the treatment. Lots of people experienced full tank losses inexplicably months later. The theory was that the levimasole was locked in the rock/sand/whatever and released and kill many or all sps.

hmm. there's am sps guy that used this method, then was having issues with his sps. I was wondering if it could be related.

I won't be trying Levimasole, after reading this.. thanks

 

[flamron]

I went as far as buying pig dewormer in 2011 to battle them, but didn't want to risk it. Ironically, I ended up shutting the tank down anyways and lost them all.

Bayer is my go to now. QT is essential. I dip every six days in 10ml per cup for 10 minutes. Repeat for 60 days. I've been pest free for 5 months with this method. And all new incoming go into the QT tank. If you don't have room for QT, then just plan to have pests.

 

[Pbetz20909]

Has anyone thought about praziquantil as a whole tank treatment? Obviously doing several treatments over a specific time. Afew is in the same family as Polyclad flatworms....if,so the praziquantil should affect any stage out of the egg. Just putting it out there as I've treated a 55 gal for a Polyclad flatworm with no ill effects on my sps, lps or softies.