Marc â€"œ I think more of us have them then we think. I’ve been wondering wher I got mine and came to the following (copied from post I made on DFWMAS today)
A discussion on the source of my AEFW’s:
I gave it a lot of thought and it wasn't till SERVO and I started to discuss it at length that we both are leaning toward them being there all along. Or, from the live rock I got when I set up the tank, SERVO got some sps from the same guy at the same time and is pretty sure that's where he got his. I was having some issues with some corals earlier on, and now in looking back they could very well have been AEFW's and I do recall going through a cycle of the same type bite marks almost a year ago on the tricolor (but at the time I did not have a clue what they were). So, there is at least some evidence they may have always been there. If so the question becomes why are they now becoming more of an issue? and here are my thoughts on that
First - my 6 line and mandarin are lazy, fat, worthless, pigs. They use to hunt and pick at stuff but now they just gorge themselves on mysis.
Second â€"œ the Tricolor (AKA the factory) reached a point where it became a haven proving enough regenerative skin for food and enough branches to keep the population out of reach of predators.
Third â€"œ The red bug connection; if there is one. There appears to be some growing coincidence that once treated for red bugs AEFWs become a problem. I suspect the only relationship has to do with food source competition (red bugs win) and possible the red bugs kill or eat the small AEFWs to protect the food source
Forth- and less likely in my opinion is my drop off of my CuC. I suspect hermits and peppermints may help munch on AEFW’s, and why not the Anthias think they are cookies.
I thought they may have come in on a coral but I’ve QT and very closely inspected everything I added to the tank in the past year. I can’t say I QTed long enough so it’s still a possibility.
So my current hypothesis is; I’ve always had them from a known or at least suspected source. They were the demise of a few SPS, but at the time, I just didn’t know what to look for. The population use to be in check, but, for several interconnected reasons the population expanded. Don’t forget it wasn’t until I happened to read up on them that I started to inspect my SPS for them and viola, the signs were there on “the factory†walls big as graffiti calling out to me
- and it blew around the tank uneaten. I quickly decided it didn't deserve the opportunity to land on anything in my tank, so I sucked him out with the turkey baster when he got close enough. 
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