Aefw treatment idea?

tdo

New member
Hey guys, so I think I may have aefw in my tank. I have three or four frags that are in poor shape, no polyp extension whatsoever, and just all around struggling. Now my question is do I need to take apart my whole tank and destroy all encrusting sps to successfully do weekly dips?

So my idea is, I have a nice shallow tank that I can use as a qt. I can just remove all acros and millies from my display tank, along with the few rocks that are nicely encrusted with the sps, place it all in the separate tank, and pretty much do dips on everything. Would the rocks absorb any bad water that I would need to worry about?

Also, aefw eggs are only laid on dead tissue and such correct? So would I be ok with just removing the coral bases and then dipping in bayer, followed by fresh gluing to rocks/plugs? Would that be enough if I were to cut above the bases or dead tissue?
 
Oh and another thing, maybe I am looking too far into the aefw, because most of my frags have great polyp extension. Only like 4 or 5 frags are bare with no polyp extension. Should I just remove those frags and dip/qt? I have 4 Millie's that are nice and hairy, encrusting super fast, red planet that is sprouting new growth and excellent polyp extension. So maybe it isn't aefw? Or just aefw on certain frags? Or do I play it safe, break all encrusting and dip everything?
 
I would suggest dipping one of the corals first to confirm aefw before worrying too much about how to treat them. I got some frags at a frag swap last weekend, dipped with Coral RX, several aefw fell off and were reasonably easy to ID.

If you have them in a display tank, I think you choices may be removing all potentially effected corals to treat separately or trying to 'manage' their numbers in the display tank. I don't think there is an easy way to treat in-tank although there are several threads regarding potential eradication in display tanks.

Matt

Matt
 
So if I were to dip in bayer, how can you really tell what is coming off of the frags? I mean the water is like milk... Or should I use something else for a few frags to see if I have anything?
 
This is still a work in progress, and many hobbyists are hoping to find a cure. A variety of products have been thrust at these beasts, trying to erradicate them from the tank. Salifert's Flatworm eXit, Fluke, Tropic Marine Pro Coral Cure, Levamisole powder, and Betadine. More products with varied results: Coral Rx, ReVive, and Ultra Pest Control

For the most part, those that have lived through this infestation have set up a separate hospital tank with all the proper gear for flow, lighting, and stability. It is recommended that all Acropora sp. be removed from the reef for six weeks or more, and this includes any encrusting acropora that is still on the rockwork once the corals have been pulled out.

The theory, as it stands now, is that you need to remove the corals that are infested with AEFW. Treating the corals outside of the tank, these flatworms can be killed and removed. Any eggs on the corals or in your reef tank need to hatch before they too can be eliminated. I've been reading and discussing the procedure with others online, to better understand how others have tried and succeeded. If you would like to read the thread, you'll find more images, ideas, and opinions.

The foremost method recommended thus far is to set up a separate tank, and place all Acropora sp. in there. Use water from the reef for the new system, so the corals aren't shocked even further. It's bad enough that they have to be handled and broken off of the rockwork, and placed into a new system with different flow. Once a week, the system should be treated with Levamisole (which is pig de+wormer and available at Tractor & Feed Supply or from a local vet). After a specific period of time, which appears to be 5 to 7 hours, each coral should be carefully blasted off with a small powerhead. I would say a softer powerhead, not one that will rip tissue off the coral. Next, the coral should be inspected very very closely for any eggs. If you see them in the core, they should be scraped off with a dental tool or toothpick, and the coral is ready to be placed into a new setup for the next week. Working carefully, each coral should be handled the same way. Remember, if you have many corals to treat, keep in mind how long each one is in the solution. The first coral into the tank will be in longer than the last one, and while you baste each one clean, others are still waiting. If your goal is to keep them bathing for 5 hours total, and you spent two hours picking the first group clean, the others may end up sitting in solution for 7 hours or more. Try to keep track of time.

By having two separate tanks, it allows the hobbyist to dispose of the medicine-laden water and wipe down the system of any stragglers. There's no point putting "cleansed" corals back into a tank full of AEFW.

In the meantime, any AEFW that may be in the reef tank will have hatched, usually within 15 days of being laid. When they emerge, their first desire is to eat Acropora sp. The idea is if they can't find any acropora to eat within an estimated five days, they'll perish. So keeping your reef acro-free for 6 weeks is the best way to kill off any potential predators.

The corals that are being hospitalized need to be treated weekly. Hopefully after six weeks of killing every generation that crops up, they will all be terminated, and the corals can finally be placed back in the reef.


from the link I provided earlier
 
thank you phanesoul. i did check out the link earlier, and it is filled with a wealth of information about aefw.
 
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