Is it just me?

[bigbuckdown]

Or does it seem like more and more cases of AEFW are being found in peoples tank more frequently then before. Im on a number of reef sites and it seems like MANY people are losing there tanks to this nasty parasite. Every time i go on another site there are new threads every day on the worm. Is it because alot more people are trying SPS or is this bug just sitting around waiting for the right time to emerge? I even saw on a site where a guy who has been keeeping SPS for years and QTed his new corals for weeks before introducing them to his main and showed pictures of his QT to verify he does so has been bitten by the bugs. Whats going on lately

 

[karsseboom]

It seems like everybody has Aefw nowadays. I know in our club most Sps keepers have them whether they admit it or not.

 

[SneekaPeek]

I don't know where the link is, but recently there have been studies on how AEFW are starting to evolve in the aquaculture industry. They have become more resistant, without a natural predator to keep them in check. Some one can chime in and hopefully post the study! BTW Evolve= To Progress!
It's funny how only recently there has been sightings of AEFW in the wild because people from the aquaculture industry are ****ed off from these little guys.

 

[Box209]

Sorry for this noob question but how do they look like

 

[aqua80]

Here in quebec I would say 80% of sps tanks are infected... including mine...
and for the 20% left maybe they just don't look close enough...

Sorry for this noob question but how do they look like

on a live acro:

eggs :

bite marks :

 

[trueblackpercula]

I've said it before and will say it again there has to be something that eats them, we just don't know what. Also were are they being found in the wild in some locations are all?

 

[SneekaPeek]

I've said it before and will say it again there has to be something that eats them, we just don't know what. Also were are they being found in the wild in some locations are all?

I believe the first sighting was in the Great barrier reef. There are predators, but what were looking for is a predator that takes out the whole infestation of aefw; however a smart creature would let them repopulate so that it can have food forever.

 

[WayneL333]

I have a qt system and I'm still terrified of getting them in my main display system. That's why I qt every acro I get for a good 6 months and take like a 100 macro pics and blow them up to examine before I introduce any new acro to my display.

 

[trueblackpercula]

I believe the first sighting was in the Great barrier reef. There are predators, but what were looking for is a predator that takes out the whole infestation of aefw; however a smart creature would let them repopulate so that it can have food forever.

Agreed ! But has there been any studies done? Maybe the retailers know how to kill them but don't tell anyone so we buy more corals...... Food for thought

 

[bigbuckdown]

Curious if anyone has a microscope and looks at there corals before introducing. I was honestly thinking of picking one up to use in my arsenal

 

[trueblackpercula]

Dip everything trust no one .....then dip again then quarantine it and even then you still may get them. I have seen a few good Videos on how to treat for them. The one I like the most the guy in the Video removes all frags off there frag plugs treats them in coral dip and re glues them onto new plugs.

 

[brad65ford]

Curious if anyone has a microscope and looks at there corals before introducing. I was honestly thinking of picking one up to use in my arsenal

This makes the most sense. Having some type of little station just dedicated to viewing the new piece you just bought.

 

[trueblackpercula]

This makes the most sense. Having some type of little station just dedicated to viewing the new piece you just bought.

I use a big magnifying glass and it works well. When I get home I will post a picture of it. There is also a telescopic viewer that was made for reeftanks that sticks to the outside of the tank. I forgot the name of it but I do remember it being very expensive.

 

[dvanacker]

Here in quebec I would say 80% of sps tanks are infected... including mine...
and for the 20% left maybe they just don't look close enough...

wow..that blows me away. There are only 2 people I knew in Ontario who believed the had them. Both of those people stocked wild and maricultured pieces in their tank regularly.

Can have a thriving tank with AEFW ? I was under the impression it destroys SPS.

Personally I have never seen AEFW. I think its because my tank is almost exclusively grown from frags. Its funny no one ever even knew about AEFW years ago......I wonder if they have infested the mariculture growing areas.

 

[acroholicreefer]

I have had them before. It sucked. The only way that I was able to get rid of them is with a leopard wrasse. These are difficult wrasses to keep but I had no problem adjusting them to captivity with AEFW.

Yes, there is little doubt in my mind that AEFW have plagued this hobby by the increase of importing wild and maricultured colonies. There are certain acros that seem more likely to carry AEFW than others (Solitaryensis, Cerealis). I'm sure that there are others but that is what I discovered. However, I did not get AEFW from maricultured colonies. I got mine from a "friend" who brought me a frag. At the end of the day it doesn't matter though. You are the one responsible for what goes in your tank.

 

[aqua80]

wow..that blows me away. There are only 2 people I knew in Ontario who believed the had them. Both of those people stocked wild and maricultured pieces in their tank regularly.

Can have a thriving tank with AEFW ? I was under the impression it destroys SPS.

That's what I think too about maricultured/wild pieces...
Here before some of you guys sent some nice frags over here most of acros were coming in as wild/maricultured pieces...

At the beginning of the infestation (7 months ago) I lost a couple of frags and some colonies started STNing but now everything is back to normal and thriving even if I see some bitemarks on and off...
and i'm still not sure if the AEFW were the culprits for the STNing as a couple of montis also started reciding at the same time...

this lokani was really affected at the beginning and too encrusted to get out and dip so it just made it trough it and back coloring and growing nicely :

Also I have yet to see a tank that lost all their acros... most are doing very good with great colors and growth....

 

[karsseboom]

There are a lot of really nice thriving Sps tanks with Aefw. They turkey baste weekly and dip as needed. It's seems really annoying to know you can never sit back and relax and know there gone.

 

[Allmost]

wow..that blows me away. There are only 2 people I knew in Ontario who believed the had them. Both of those people stocked wild and maricultured pieces in their tank regularly.

Can have a thriving tank with AEFW ? I was under the impression it destroys SPS.

Personally I have never seen AEFW. I think its because my tank is almost exclusively grown from frags. Its funny no one ever even knew about AEFW years ago......I wonder if they have infested the mariculture growing areas.

Ive had them for more than a year now Darryl. but as you said, my corals are mostly wild ...

I do notice them, specially if I skip a water change / blowing of corals. but my friends who keep soft corals never notice lol only ppl who know SPS well do, you are welcome to come see my pests anytime haha

<a href="http://s1340.beta.photobucket.com/user/voipa-z/media/Reef0196_zpsb2e1c744.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o735/voipa-z/Reef0196_zpsb2e1c744.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Reef0196_zpsb2e1c744.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1340.beta.photobucket.com/user/voipa-z/media/Reef0195_zps61b67fb1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o735/voipa-z/Reef0195_zps61b67fb1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Reef0195_zps61b67fb1.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1340.beta.photobucket.com/user/voipa-z/media/Reef0194_zps35a6ff2c.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o735/voipa-z/Reef0194_zps35a6ff2c.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Reef0194_zps35a6ff2c.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1340.beta.photobucket.com/user/voipa-z/media/Reef0165_zps9dc6bfff.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o735/voipa-z/Reef0165_zps9dc6bfff.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Reef0165_zps9dc6bfff.jpg"/></a>

the corals in this tank still grow, and color up okay. so I can assure everyone that its possible to have a living/thriving reef with this pest. but its not fun ...

Hopefully soon Id redo this tank and QT all corals. summer time

 

[Allmost]

I think the reason there are more reports of it, is cause now the public is aware of their existence and we have pictures of them and the damage they do, so more ppl know they lost corals to AEFW, while before some years ago we might have assumed it was something else that caused it. ....

just like now, we still have corals die once in a while for no reason we know of ! I think later on we will find the cause, could be an AEBC too ! Acro eating bacteria ...

 

[karsseboom]

Allmost are you big ray on The zeovit forum?