What is a infestation?

[bigbuckdown]

Ive been battling AEFW now for around 11 months. My corals are not looking to bad except for a few i would say 3 out of 30 sps. I recently took out around 20 corals and dipped them and around 20 AEFW came off maybe a bit less. Now ive been basting and using this FWstop which i think is nothing more then a heavy amino but whatever i still have a bottle left. I just took out a small mille that wasnt looking good and only one popped off. Now 11 months ago when i dipped ALOT of worms were popping off. Do you guys still think im infested? Im really thinking of just cutting some frags off my colonies and take the encrusting base off my frags and starting over Im sure many reefers live with them but im so tired of watching corals lose color and STN it is driving me crazy. I dont have the means to set up a QT or the energy at this point. Do you think i can still have a successful SPS tank with these devil bugs in my system? does it seem like im winning with few worms coming off?

 

[hanas]

I wouldn't call it a win since you're still having them fall off. My reef survived with them by turkey basting everyday over day and my wrasse should would them in the water column, but when we moved into our new house I started fresh and bought all new SPS.

You can definitely have a successful system with them, check out reefbum's TOTM, he has AEFW and his tank was amazing. He mentions them in his TOTM write-up.

 

[bigbuckdown]

Im not to sure with that basting method. I just basted today at 6pm and at 630 i took a yellow milli frag out and dipped because it was STNing on the bottom and the worm came off. I think basting at night may blow them off but the fish that eat them are tucked in the sand bed sound to sleep. I am going to keep doing it and maybe i will try fresh water basting. This just stinks its so depressing when will we find the real hunter of this creature

 

[M88A2]

i supposed it depends on what you would consider and "infestation" is. But weather u think of it as numbers that degrade coral health or just having any number of them in the system, their presence leaves you open to the possibility of them getting critically out of control. just food for thought, but as nami19 said, you can have a thriving system with them.

 

[bigbuckdown]

Ok new game plan. I cant take out 4 of my SPS because they are encrusted onto lower rocks buried by other rocks so i went out and bought a mag 3 so i can baste every day without it being a chore. 2 of those corals that are encrusted are the ones that show major signs of being eaten. i bought a long hose so i can put it in my sump and a acrylic rod that i attached the hose to so i dont disturb the fish to much. I will see how this goes.

 

[bigbuckdown]

oh i also picked up a few springer damsels to go along with my wrasses

 

[allsps40]

What is an infestation? Well when it comes to pests I say more than 1 is an infestation and should be treated as so.

 

[REEF SMAC]

What is an infestation? Well when it comes to pests I say more than 1 is an infestation and should be treated as so.

Yup.

Seems as though all it takes is one and it's a nightmare from then on.