Can someone confirm AFW?

ssdawood

ssdawood

Member
I am 100 percent positive I have AEFW. It would be helpful if one of other experienced members on board can confirm it for me.

Pic of coral in dip



What fell of the coral after the dip.





I have a frag tank setup so I am already to start the quarantining and dipping process.

Also paging Dowtish as I know you have successfully beat them. Any pointers. I am trying to mimic your setup. How did you keep the phosphates and nitrates low in the quarantine setup. Also how many weeks to keep the DT fallow of acropora.

Also only acros are affected, so I can leave montis, millis and stylos or they have to be dipped to.
 
not sure what you are referring to.. the big pale areas certainly are not..
maybe the tiny white dots but even those don't look like classic bite marks..
or bit trails..
 
Aefw bite marks are small and very well defined and usually go in a line..
Have a look on some of the aefw threads.. Lots of pics..
 
The pale marks. It's hard to get an idea of scale. They look about the right size, maybe a little big. Usually they are a bit more defined, but who knows. The pattern of marks is also pretty consistent. I dont know of any other reason to have marks like that. You definitely don't have any large worms in the dip container. The small ones are hard to see. Some of the bigger worms can be 7-8mm, can't miss them. Small ones look like a 1mm translucent piece of skin. I would at the very least assume those are bite marks and treat accordingly until you can prove otherwise. What is the history of that frag?
 
That frag came in browned out and the total length of the frag is three inches tall. I have a couple validas in the same tank but no bite marks in them. But color and growth is off on all sps.
 
It seems everyone has different experiences with them. For me, millis were the most affected. Others soon followed. If it's a new frag, it's not worth the risk. I had to treat for them twice. I did a treatment similar to dowtish, but after 8 months they came back. My theory is I decimated not eradicated them. It took a long time for them to become apparent again. For me, the corals kind of grey out, polyp extension goes to the dumps, and after a while the corals just look ragged. Basting definitely helps, but not something I personally would want to do long term and daily at that.
 
rovster said:
The pale marks. It's hard to get an idea of scale. They look about the right size, maybe a little big. Usually they are a bit more defined, but who knows. The pattern of marks is also pretty consistent. I dont know of any other reason to have marks like that. You definitely don't have any large worms in the dip container. The small ones are hard to see. Some of the bigger worms can be 7-8mm, can't miss them. Small ones look like a 1mm translucent piece of skin. I would at the very least assume those are bite marks and treat accordingly until you can prove otherwise. What is the history of that frag?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't disagree with any of this..
My first hand experience with them was mostly on smooth skinned deep waters as I've never kept a lot of millis. For me the tell tale signs were nothing like the photos posted here.
I always had distinct pin hole sized white bit marks usually in a line of several bites. And of course the classic egg clusters at the base of corals right where the flesh of the coral stops.
I'd certainly err on the side of caution..
Do you have any other pics of affected corals?
 
+1 on Rovster's 2 posts. Spot on in my opinion. I can't think of any other explanation of those marks. My guess is that the original colony was infested and at the time of fragging this piece was aefw free and the bite marks have started to heal.
 
Those pale areas are really big and they appear to extend all the way to the tips edge where they are much smaller, distinct round circles . But it looks more like thinning and sloughed skin than bite marks overall. But not experienced or smart enough to be certain. Either way, not good
 
I will post more pics in the evening of other corals. But most of the sps have that grey look and zero polyp extension so I am thinking AEFW.

There are other colonies which are amazing in color and polyp extension. It is only the frags that have these grayed out look. Is it because AEFW have not yet made it to the colonies.

I could not see bite marks on any other frags that have this ragged look, only this one has clear bite marks.

I am very confused as I have checked my water again and again but to find nothing wrong. If it is AEFW it actually makes my life easier as I can progress with the treatment.

I am not scared to treat, it is an reality that SPS keeper face. The only way to prevent these is guys is to quarantine but space being limited I knew one day I will be facing this.

I am all ready for this, just needed to be sure before I go hacking in my reef.
 
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