Need fish suggestions for AEFW

phurst

phurst

Richmond Reefer
OK, so the other night I discovered AEFW on 2 colonies. I'm well aware of the treatment options protocols, so this is not a discussion on treatment. I'm going to try the baste-corals-and-live-with-it approach for a while, because, well pulling apart my tank for treatment is not something I'm prepared to do ATM.

Anyway, I know there are several fish that can or will reportedly eat AEFWs. I'm not looking for something that's necessarily going to hunt them on the colonies, but it would be nice to have a few fish that will snap them up when i baste, or if one lands on a rock or the sand. I already have a yellow coris wrasse. I'm open to other wrasse suggestions, or anything else relatively reef safe for that matter that would be compatible with my current inhabitants, which are:
yellow tang
hippo tang
yellow coris wrasse
pair of percs
pair of maroons
yellow watchman goby
5 reef chromis

Thanks in advance for suggestions.
 
Six Line wrasse, Hovens wrasse, Radiant wrasse. cant go wrong with this combo. the key i have found to aefw control, is blowing the corals off 2-3 times a week while you are feeding so they suspend in the water for your fish to eat.
 
i would suggest a six line wrasse or a mandarin goby.
are they the clear flatworms?
did they come on those colonies that you were rescueing?
 
They're the clearis brownish AEFWs, not the regular brown/red planaria FWs. Yes, they appear to have come in on one or more of those corals. Probably the valida since it was looking a little rough, and they seem to have a preference for them.

None of those wrasses will have an issue with my yellow corris?
 
Man, Im in the same boat as you. I had a few AEFW sneak into my tank from some maricultured acros. I dont have the funds for a QT set up. Im pulling all acros out of my system this weekend. Im going acro free for a few months.

Maybe A copper banded butterfly? Ive heard the 6 line rasse works. To me tho its a gamble. No guarentee your particular fish will have an appettite for them.
 
Same boat here guys... Been basting over the last week.. the fish go to town once they are in the water column.. Looking to add a few more wrasse that will hunt for them versus waiting for them to be blown into the water column.. The population is not high right now so, I think I have a good chance of eradicating them..... I hope! Good luck to everyone else as well.

Fish that are currently eating them:

Solar flare wrasse
blue headed fairy wrasse

Looking to add:
melanurus wrasse
Six line wrasse (may have an issue with your yellow coris & other fish once established)
Radiant wrasse
 
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Re: Need fish suggestions for AEFW

Get a cryptic sixline wrasse the regular six line is very territorial and will attack any new wrasses you add after the six line
 
I have never seen a six line eat an AEFW, however a very similar fish The Hawaiian 4 line wrasse goes crazy with this flat killers.
I never have my tank without a 4 line wrasse they are the best IMO at controlling the critters, they are also way less aggressive than the six line.
 
Update... AEFW's are gone, but none of the above did the trick... I ended up purchasing two Green Coris Wrasse.. These guys now have high privilege in my reef.. They WIPED THEM OUT without me having to do anything in less than two weeks.. All affected corals are now regenerating. They stay on the hunt here is a pic for reference :

IMG_0724-1.jpg


They are a tad nasty, but more so towards each other without doing any real harm.. I definitely suggest adding two together..
 
Don't get your hopes up.I've had them and thought They were completely wiped out only to see them a month or 2 later...all it takes is a batch of eggs that you've missed.
 
Can you actually see the flatworms on your coral while the coral is in the tank? Also can you see the flatworms fly off the coral after you baste it? Thanks
 
Twistedpro said:
very cool, have they been aggressive towards the other wrasse? So have they actively been searching for the AEFW then
Click to expand...

To be honest, I don't think these fish like any of the other fish, but it's more fluff than anything. They will ocassionally chase my yellow coris, but that's about it. Typically, it's them opening up thier mouth like in the pic above to show that they're not afraid and it ends there.

luvdiving said:
Don't get your hopes up.I've had them and thought They were completely wiped out only to see them a month or 2 later...all it takes is a batch of eggs that you've missed.
Click to expand...

I continue to keep my eyes open. What I'm hoping is that whatever hatches gets eaten before they are able to reach their adult stage where they will start munching on the coral and reproducing. I'll keep a watchful eye. Thanks for the warning.
Reefer08 said:
Can you actually see the flatworms on your coral while the coral is in the tank? Also can you see the flatworms fly off the coral after you baste it? Thanks
Click to expand...

I could not see them with my bare eyes while on the coral. They are masters at camouflage. However, I could see them when on the glass of my tank. I could also see them when they flew off the coral when basting.
 
They were actually interested with the coral from the beginning. I continued basting after one week of them being in the tank and could see nothing blowing of the corals any longer. I tried a couple more times and still nothing.. So I stopped basting for a while and thats when I saw the following coral start to regenerate.. Also, I would see AEFWs on my glass every morning. I haven't see any in weeks.

Coral before AEFW
IMG_6092-1.jpg


Coral After AEFW.. notice the lightening in the pigment and no polyp extensions.. and there is TN from the Base (Coral is on top center)
IMG_6463.jpg


5 weeks after green coris wrasse.. Areas where the Coral had RTN are slowy regenerating and polyps are coming back in light blue & green areas.
IMG_0143.jpg
 
melanurus wrasse

general rule of thumb, any Halichoere wrasse. Your Green wrasse is a Halichoeres chloropterus.
 
Indeed Ralph. That's the one. I tried a male and female Melanurus.. Great looking fish, but they didn't last for me and didn't seem as interested as these guys are in the coral.. I also have very coarse substrate and I don't think they like it. However, these green guys never skipped a beat from the time they were introduced to the tank. They've even adapted to the coarse substrate..
 
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