Acropora Loosing skin (keeping polyps)

[familiar1985]

I have a few frags that are loosing skin. This doesn't look like STN to me as they are keeping Polyps.

1) top pic - was STNing from bottom about a month ago, STNing stopped but skin loss has continued. Polyps continue to be slightly extended as always.

2) 2nd pic - Garf Bonsai - started losing skin at random locations about a month ago, looked like tiny white dots.

3) 3rd pic - Started loosing skin in the middle a few weeks ago. This one is not loosing it by dots but by a spreading blotch. Thinking about fragging this one to stop the spread.


I have been looking at night and day to see if any hitchhikers could be present. Unable to find any red bugs, flatworms or anything else. Could any other hitchhiker or disease be the culprit?

Tank params are normal, nitrate was low (unknowingly) hence the loss of color but I have been raising it slowly and see improvements with acros.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

How big a swing is your ph.
How are you dosing.
What's you phosphate at.
Are you cabin doing or using bio pellets.

 

[TUSI]

I'm not sure from pics but they look like bite marks. Are there other corals like this in your tank or the only one. I would pull it out and dip it for precaution. The first two pics look like they have bite marks of aefw

 

[markalot]

AEFW I'm afraid, textbook bite marks. Remove and dip with Bayer, rinse at least twice with tank water and return. Read up on Acropora Eating Flatworms for long term care and treatment options.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'm not sure from pics but they look like bite marks. Are there other corals like this in your tank or the only one. I would pull it out and dip it for precaution. The first two pics look like they have bite marks of aefw

AEFW I'm afraid, textbook bite marks. Remove and dip with Bayer, rinse at least twice with tank water and return. Read up on Acropora Eating Flatworms for long term care and treatment options.

yea, on the big monitor you can see them on the coral in the first pic I think.

 

[BoomCorals]

Yep AEFW. There are two of them on the bottom half of the coral in the first pic.

Edit: and one near the top.

They are a pink rosy red translucent color.

 

[justingraham]

Yep AEFW. There are two of them on the bottom half of the coral in the first pic.

Edit: and one near the top.

They are a pink rosy red translucent color.

Is there one in the bottom pic as well halfway up at the y looking branch polop?

Just trying to see if what I'm seeing is what ur describing.

And sorry op I have faith u can beat them

 

[BoomCorals]

Is there one in the bottom pic as well halfway up at the y looking branch polop?

Just trying to see if what I'm seeing is what ur describing.

And sorry op I have faith u can beat them

Too hard to tell

 

[justingraham]

Right there I'm thinking

 

[BoomCorals]

Right there I'm thinking

Good eye that could certainly be one.

 

[justingraham]

Good eye that could certainly be one.

Ok thanks I have one coral not doing well in my tank so I'm making sure

 

[Reefltx]

AEFW for sure. They can be invisible to the eye as they blend in very well.

 

[familiar1985]

Dipped in Revive, AEFW confirmed. Thank you! Iv had them before in previous tank and was able to get rid of them, i guess i forgot how difficult they are to spot.

 

[markalot]

Dipped in Revive, AEFW confirmed. Thank you! Iv had them before in previous tank and was able to get rid of them, i guess i forgot how difficult they are to spot.

I would switch to Bayer, more effective and gentler on the acros. Up to you of course.

 

[familiar1985]

I would switch to Bayer, more effective and gentler on the acros. Up to you of course.

Will, do. I had revive on hand so I wanted to verify.

I dipped about 15 frags yesterday. Found AEFW on 4 but was not able to find any eggs. Hopefully caught them early enough to make eradication easier. Thinking maybe the clean up crew has been eating the eggs. Will continue to dip and inspect until no AEFW are found.