AEFW questions

[needbiggertanks]

Hi to anyone nice enough to help...Ive been lucky and dont have them but am trying to learn about them during my new build since ill be introducing even more acros.

1) Can AEFW survive a system with no sps? If so, is there a time frame i can wait in an sps free tank to rid them?

2) A link to updated treatments and initial dips that are effective. I dont have a computer and the search on my app hasnt pulled anything up. I usually dip my frags in coralRx

3) Has anyone had success with a dragon face pipefish controlling AEFW? I understand high flow may be a problem but otherwise...?

 

[Coronus]

Question 1 is No , typical fallow time is 90 days minimum. I would go 4 solid months.

Most important advice is to use a magnifying glass lamp to inspect acros closely. Pick 1 up at Staples
Always remove the acro from the plug after inspection and before the dip. Toss the old plug. It may have eggs you can't see. Dip the coral. I use Bayer. Rinse very very good.
Remount on a new plug. If you do find a red bug or flatworm, I would just throw it away. Why risk it??? Toss it and sleep at night.
I have read about the pipe fish before, but never kept one. I keep wrasses. They eat tiny little critters. Yellow coris, Melanarus, christmas, 6 line. Ime, add in the order.

 

[jda]

The AEFW are quite tasty. Peppermint shrimp will eat them, most fish that eat from the water column, arrow crabs, acro crabs, etc. The problem is getting them out of the corals. Once you have colonies, the predators cannot get in there (unless you have an acro crab). Frags should be no problem to keep them under control... until they are colonies.

CoralRx and Bayer will do a good job as a dip, but nothing gets the eggs. Always inspect frag plugs for eggs and any dead skeletons or just replace the frag plug and cut away any dead parts of the SPS.

 

[Scorpius]

I went 5 weeks fallow in my display tank and haven't had an issue since. My AEFW problem was small though.

 

[needbiggertanks]

Thanks for the responses... so?

1) remove frag from plug,

2) put frag in coralRx

3) rinse in clean saltwater

4) glue to new plug

5) put in QT tank

6) pull frag every few days to look for eggs

Am i just temp acclimating the frag to the dip bath?

 

[Scorpius]

Skip Coral Rx and use Bayer. I've killed coral with Coral Rx. I've yet to kill any with Bayer. If they ever discontinue Bayer I'll be buying a truck load of it. lol

 

[needbiggertanks]

Ok. Thanks for the heads up. Ill use bayer then.

 

[jda]

I use Coral Rx in a top-down viewer because I want to see what falls off of the frags so that I know what to do next - top-down viewer allows me to see through the water to really spot things especially if I shine a light from underneath. This does not work well for smooth skinned stuff which CoralRx can kill, so straight to bayer for them.

Step zero is to inspect the frag plugs. Step 2.5 is to inspect the junk that came off of the frag in the dip.

 

[needbiggertanks]

Thanks for the info. Ill make sure i inspect the frag and look in the bowl.

 

[cFloor]

AEFW will not survive without acros. I would go fallow for 90 days or so.

My QT procedure with all new acros:
Remove coral from plug or rock and cut off base.
Dip in Bayer, rinse, then place in QT.
I usually dip every 5 days for 6-8 weeks and I'll change the plug a few times just to make sure I'm getting everything with the dips.