What all is known about LPS white bugs?

[triggreef]

I thought I beat them multiple times but they just keep coming back. Little white specs the size of a pin point, not a pin head. Barely visible but can clearly be seen moving over the fleshy polyp. Thought they only went for frog spawn since I have hammers which I never see them on. But now I found my gold torch infested. They don't seem to bother the torch though. The frog spawns show obvious signs of stress as they close up to 1/3 the normal size.

Last time I spotted the bugs I dipped the frog spawns in Bayer & again in Bayer a week later. Haven't seen them in close to a year I would say since then. Now they're back. I've added no new frog spawns so they had to come in on the torch but even that has been in my tank for months.

I want to know what exactly these are? Why do they bother only certain euphillia? What are they actually feeding on? Etc.....

 

[drdavethedude]

I have had these tiny white "bugs" for a couple years now on one of my frogspawn corals and a torch. I've never tried treating for them, though I know they survive dipping in Revive and Tank water/H2O2 mix without a problem. Dipping in Bayer I haven't tried since the version that many use as a dip is not available in Canada.
The frogspawn did great for a couple years but lately has shown some recession. The infested Torch has always struggled along and recedes very, very slowly. Most of my other corals seem to do well, but some have shown problems at times.
I have no idea if the Euphyllia problems are related to the bugs or not, but my guess is they are incidental, and not really a part of the problem. I once contacted Bob Fenner from WetWebMedia with this, and he felt the same...but I am also interested if others have any insight.

Edit: By the way, as you pointed out, I never notice them on my Hammer, so they seem to be somewhat choosy.

 

[triggreef]

I think they might be a bigger problem than you think. You noted that your frog spawn & torch are slowly receding. How are your hammers? I ask because I would think if it were environmental, hammers would also be slowly receding.

When I first noticed these critters, it was because one (of my only 2 at the time) frog spawn was closing up more than normal. So taking a closer look I found the white bugs on that one. That was about the same time I found the bayer dip method. After a dip, the very next day, that frog spawn was beautiful again. A month or so later, the other frog spawn that was previously not infected, began to close up. That one had become infested too. Dip solved that one too.

A few months later, began to notice same issue on both again. So now I thought the dip was killing the bugs but not the eggs. Dipped again, follow up dip one week later. Never another issue. Skip ahead many months & here I am again. I guess I could have brought them back in when I bought the torch coral. I think I did dip it but only once when I first got it. Probably had it 4 or 5 months so I guess it fits the time line.

 

[triggreef]

I'm also wondering, completely baseless here, but wondering if sexy shrimp might eat the white bugs. I used to have one, & it always hung out on my frog spawn.

 

[drdavethedude]

I'm also wondering, completely baseless here, but wondering if sexy shrimp might eat the white bugs. I used to have one, & it always hung out on my frog spawn.

Don't know, but interestingly in another tank I had a few years ago I also had a couple sexy shrimp that always hung out on my frogspawn (different from the one in my current tank)....I quickly realized that the reason they hung out on it was because they were eating it! I saw them many times tear little fragments of tissue and consume it. The coral never seemed particularly bothered by it though, and I saw no lasting injury.

The reason I felt the bugs did no harm was because 1) I believed Bob Fenner, for better or for worse, and 2) I have had other corals periodically recede as well, and they never showed any of the bugs on them. An Acan, a Symphyllia, and a Favia all have gone through short bursts of recession which seemed to stop and reverse when I started spot feeding them almost daily. Thus I figured what's ailing the Euphyllias is the same as what affected the others...but I have no hard evidence, and your experience with visible improvements post-dipping definitely seems to indicate that the bugs are harmful.

Regards,
Dave

PS you asked about my hammer, and as I mentioned it has never shown any bugs, but did have a period of recession some months ago. It seems to have stopped, and the coral seems to be doing well at the moment...so, that doesn't point one or the other.

 

[triggreef]

Yes I just did some reading up on the sexy shrimp & found they normally eat the flesh of their hosting anemone. So I guess they aren't the answer either.

I can't believe with nearly 2 dozen wrasses, none of them even glance at these white bugs. I did get a photo showing some I will post it when I get a chance.