AEFW Help

[DopeCantWin]

Well it looks like I've discovered AEFW. I saw some circular bites on a smooth skin Acro, so I took a baster to it. I blew off 2 what looked like AEFW. I can't find any eggs. I have quite a few Acros, a lot have grown into the rock. I'm not seeing damage on anything else. What's my recommended next step?

 

[Reef Bass]

My condolences. IMHO, aefw are the worst of the worst pests, as they are tough to eliminate completely and will eventually kill all your acros if you do nothing.

There are many different opinions on how to treat. Here's mine:

At the very least you should dip the ones you blew aefw off of. It is very likely there are eggs somewhere, usually on skeleton just next to tissue, generally out of the light (like on the underside or backside or in a branch crotch).

Your new goal is to eradicate all adults before they can lay eggs, breaking their life cycle. Each egg prolongs your agony another month or so (it takes eggs 21 days to hatch, and each egg can contain 3-7 aefw).

The most aggressive approach would be to remove all acros and to not put any more in the tank for months (starve them). The next most aggressive approach would be to remove and dip each acro. The least aggressive approach would be to do little other than baste and hope fish keep aefw populations under control.

I personally have found that aefw (because they consume acro flesh) irritate acros so their polyp extension and color decrease. I prefer more aggressive methods of treatment. The key is to keep dipping regularly (like every 5-7 days) to kill any newly hatched flatworms before they can lay eggs themselves. Treating a tank with a large number of acros is tedious and time consuming.

 

[Logzor]

It all depends on how long you want to extend the frustration.

I would recommend buying a used 110g stock tank, some egg-crate, pvc, and a light hanging kit.

Bust off all your acros, place them in the tub, and dip weekly.

 

[DopeCantWin]

I have 4 encrusted base rocks. I also have a 55 I can set up quickly. There is a Hoeven's Wrasse in the tank, but he's probably too spoiled to eat them. I'm kicking around throwing a pair of Caramels in there, or another wrasse. But it's hard to put in a second Wrasse in a 90 gallon tank with a 5" Hoeven's. I can't find any eggs on the one I blew them off. Just throwing some options around. Based on everything I've read I'm going to go with one of 3 choices.

1. Use my Koralias to blow them off every 5 days and hope the fish start eating them. The damage so far hasn't been great, so I don't think they have a good hold on my tank yet.
2. Possibly if that doesn't work, place a pair of Caramels into the tank. I'm worried if they start eating corals I would have a hard time getting them out. I could do the German way and place them in a side tank and put in the effected coral rocks in for a few hours every 5 days.
3. Take out all the Acros into the 55. Do the Levinsoe(not sure how to spell it) treatment on that tank. Leave them in there for 2 months, letting the 90 stand without any.

 

[DopeCantWin]

Looks very much like a worm I found. But mine is completely white. I'm going to take the coral out and dip everything I have on my frag rack.

 

[mroccoralman]

Man that sucks the main reason for AEFW is not dipping your corals know one realizes how important it is until a pest appears in your tank. My advive is to buy a bottle of coral RX and continue to use that.

 

[DopeCantWin]

Man that sucks the main reason for AEFW is not dipping your corals know one realizes how important it is until a pest appears in your tank. My advive is to buy a bottle of coral RX and continue to use that.

I have a bottle. I've been dipping quite a while.

 

[danil]

Not sure about AEFW but CoralRX does not kill Red Bugs even x10 recommended doses. And since we have two major Acro killers AEFW and RB CoralRX is not effective as stand along dipping solution. You can check Buyer's tread it might has some potential though I wasn't successful many reported good results. At least this is the only one (as I know) solution to kill both AEFW and RB (along with others).

 

[DopeCantWin]

Not sure about AEFW but CoralRX does not kill Red Bugs even x10 recommended doses. And since we have two major Acro killers AEFW and RB CoralRX is not effective as stand along dipping solution. You can check Buyer's tread it might has some potential though I wasn't successful many reported good results. At least this is the only one (as I know) solution to kill both AEFW and RB (along with others).

The thing about it is I haven't put any Acros in my system for quite a while when this started. The last Acro corals I put in were from Vivid Aquatics maybe 3 months ago. I dipped them as usual. Another person who put in an order with me hasn't seen anything.

 

[rogerwilco357]

feel for you buddy I had this problem last year into jan.2011 it wiped out 9 mother colonies and alot of my frags by May I was done just have fish and live rock hope you have A qt tank to remove the infested pieces ...good luck in your battle hope you do better than I did.
And I also dipped my corals before putting them in the tank guess there were eggs I missed..
Now that I have A QT tank ..the best way to go is to dip new corals house them in the QT tank , dip them weekly and perform inspections for eggs and baby aefw. lets say 6 weeks if nothing then I will put them into the main tank that is the new procedure I will incorporate into my new system when I am back in the game..
good luck ..hope you win I hate AEFW with a passion .

 

[Finland]

And I also dipped my corals before putting them in the tank guess there were eggs I missed..
Now that I have A QT tank ..the best way to go is to dip new corals house them in the QT tank , dip them weekly and perform inspections for eggs and baby aefw. lets say 6 weeks if nothing then I will put them into the main tank that is the new procedure I will incorporate into my new system when I am back in the game..
good luck ..hope you win I hate AEFW with a passion .

+1^ This is my new practice also after battling aefw. I dipped everything before it went in my tank, but still got them. Qt tank from now on!