AEFW from DD

[LobsterOfJustice]

While it is the OPs fault for not dipping - DD is supposed to be selling pest free, dipped and quarantined corals. They claim to be more than just a WYSIWYG wholesale import operation.

So, thank you OP for making us aware. Even though I dip all my corals, I would still prefer to buy from a place that is reputable for not selling corals with parasites - especially if you are paying a premium for them to supposedly be dipped and quarantined already.

 

[Thales]

While it is the OPs fault for not dipping - DD is supposed to be selling pest free, dipped and quarantined corals. They claim to be more than just a WYSIWYG wholesale import operation.

That was part of my point when I asked about dipping - if it had been dipped on arrival, we would really know something. Since it wasn't, it is much harder to say. Also, AEFW can be had to ID, so it is possible they (or the one - hard to tell from what's been reported) weren't that.

 

[eea60123]

Because AEFW cannot survive without a food source and the only acros owned came from there, it seems it would be the only source. Nothing(fish, coral, invert....) has been added in months besides these acros with zero existing acros for the worms to survive on prior to my first and only addition of acros in my tank. That is why I conclude it came from there. It was also only on the one piece. Because it took nearly the life cycle of the eggs to hatch and there were no signs prior to this, I assumed dipping would not have helped without properly quarantining it and dipping every so often. I’m not an acro guru so if anyone has any advice for any future purchases please let me know. Thanks for the help.

 

[Thales]

How many came off and are you sure they were Aefw? Did you take pics?

Dip and inspect all future purchases. If you see gees or adults scrape the eggs and be ready to dip again and inspect in a a week or two. Aefw aren’t a death sentence and can be managed.

 

[C. Eymann]

How many came off and are you sure they were Aefw? Did you take pics?

Dip and inspect all future purchases. If you see gees or adults scrape the eggs and be ready to dip again and inspect in a a week or two. Aefw aren’t a death sentence and can be managed.

I agree with everything above.

Thing is, yes AEFW aren't a death sentence if you have good amount of of well grown, thriving med-large Acropora colonies in your tank, esp with due diligence in population control.

I also believe Springer's damsels, acro safe crabs trapezia etc, certain wrasses can help cull the population too.

However, for a tank just starting out/ mostly consisting of frags, and not larger established colonies, AEFW can be a death sentence in my opinion and experience.

Just my .02

 

[Thales]

I agree with everything above.

Thing is, yes AEFW aren't a death sentence if you have good amount of of well grown, thriving med-large Acropora colonies in your tank, esp with due diligence in population control.

I also believe Springer's damsels, acro safe crabs trapezia etc, certain wrasses can help cull the population too.

However, for a tank just starting out/ mostly consisting of frags, and not larger established colonies, AEFW can be a death sentence in my opinion and experience.

Just my .02

Sure! At that stage anything can be a death sentence!

 

[eea60123]

Sorry, picture isn’t the greatest. Definitely dipping from now on. Thanks for the info.

 

[eea60123]

I didn’t epoxy or glue the colony down. Since some are usually on the base, is it helpful to secure its base?

 

[eea60123]

Smother them

 

[jda]

Stiff toothbrush will maul the eggs into nothingness.

 

[Thales]

Sorry, picture isn’t the greatest. Definitely dipping from now on. Thanks for the info.

What in there did you ID as aefw?

 

[eea60123]

Some of the debris was from the coral, but I noticed movement and took a sample from that (not around the edge but from the few specs to the left of the edge). I’ve tried to brighten the picture but am having a sometimers moment and can’t figure out how to mark the exact location. I took my sample to the LFS to verify what I suspected.

 

[Thales]

I see one thing that could be an AEFW at the bottom near the middle of the left side (but I just blew up the pic and don't think it is). All the stuff on the along the edge and to the right aren't AEFW.

Living With The AEFW PLAGUE

From Reefhobbyst Magazine //

packedhead.net

Did anything look like the pics in this article? Did the bite marks look like the pics in the article? What did you dip with?

Did anything look like these?

Thanks for bearing with my questions - I want to see if we can be difinitive on what you saw before recommending action.

 

[eea60123]

I dipped it with coralrx. The pick I have is bad because the container is actually a pitcher that has a clear/white hue to it. They appeared to be somewhat oval in shape. In the pitcher it actually had a brownish gray tint, but that’s in the off colored picture. LFS took it and identified it as AEFW. I’ve never had a coral pest before and honestly couldn’t tell you 100% that it was AEFW. I’m going off of the advice of the owner of my LFS who deals with acros and has around 30 years reefing experience and 20+ years in FS retail. My acro experienced rtn at an alarming rate. I woke up to massive tissue loss. The rock around the colony was cleaned by a snail and I wrongly assumed that the snail wasn’t so reef safe. I moved the colony and got up several times throughout the night to see if it was a snail or even a fish chomping down. Didn’t see anything that night and saw no signs of snail activity but the coral was worse. That’s when I put tank water in the pitcher and gently swished the coral around. I saw a lot of things(tissue mainly) fall off of the coral and noticed something moving in the water. I wasn’t completely sold on my problem even with the LFS telling me it was AEFW. I kept part of the sample to check the next day to ensure the water was completely settled and still noticed movement in that sample. I dipped, fragged, and quarantined all of my acros on the second day. No other acro has been affected and everything was actually doing really good. I had some noticeable encrusting on one acro, another had began showing amazing polyp extension, and a third was finally showing the colors it is supposed to. The colony was great up until that point as well. It was colored well and the tips were showing pink coloration. My parameters are in line as I had actually checked them 3 days in a row leading up to this to calculate usage and to ensure nothing was amiss. I dose kalk but only 1/4 teaspoon and drip in top off water. I also dose acropower at 50%-75% recommended amount for the last month.
I really appreciate your time and would love to hear any thoughts you have. I’ve been reefing since mid 2000’s and far from know it all. I have some experience with acros, but haven’t messed with them in the last couple of years and mainly went the monti route. I just want my tank to work and am open to any advice.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

I am with Thales and I don’t see anything but the grey shape at the bottom which isn’t the color of an aefw but resembles the shape. Aefw don’t eat a colony overnight either so that’s probably not what happened and maybe it got necrosis.
Honestly the most death I have seen from aefw quickly is from people freaking out and setting up unstable fast qt tanks and stressing their corals out further.
Maybe you should try and find some again and send a new pic to make sure this is what you have. The experience of the owner is a plus but people can be wrong.

 

[Thales]

Great! I like Sherlock Reefing!
eea60123, how many individual things did you see moving, or that looked like the thing moving that you described above after the dip?

 

[Thales]

Just confirming - you gently swished and the thing (things?) came off the acro?

 

[Doctorgori]

Yeah I have aptasia in sump as well... it’s near impossible to avoid. I started dry as well on my SPS tank less a couple chunks of LR from my other system.

I havw great results using peppermint shrimp in all my sumps

 

[eea60123]

I didn’t count the moving pests. I noticed a few and didn’t think it would be necessary to count them especially since the picture is from my tank water dip and not the coralrx.
When I took the picture I wasn’t sure what to think. I noticed movement but wasn’t really sure if there was slight water movement that tricked me into believing something was moving. That’s why I waited overnight to recheck the water and look for a fish or invert attacking it. The coral was going downhill but I was trying not to panic and do something drastic that would kill it. I know there are multiple acro pests and honestly wasn’t totally convinced that they were my only problem at the time. The coral’s tissue loss slowed after moving it around in bucketed tank water but it still continued. That and no signs of invert or fish abuse is what made me think they were my problem. So I dipped all of my acros, fragged the tips of the dying colony, and quarantined everything.
I didn’t move faster because originally I thought it was a snail, I had to mix up my salt, get the quarantine set up properly, and I never imagined it would die by the 3rd day. I used my existing tank water for my quarantine tank and made sure everything was stable with it. I added acropower and a vitamin supplement to the quarantine with hopes it would save what I fragged.
milk attach a crappy picture and you can get an idea of what was going on.

 

[eea60123]

Bad shot of my quick quarantine tank.