aefw the plague

[b_rad_G]

After a long conversation about aefw it seems people have gone a bit overboard with fear mongering. I do realize this is a serious pest in the hobby but a post like this

"I would never buy any coral from a system that I knew ever had aefw. I don't care if it was 4 years ago or 4 months ago. Plenty of other vendors have never had issues with aefw and move more volume than the one in question here. So saying moving volume is a guarantee to have aefw is just plain bull! If they weren't chop shopping everything that comes in before it loses the color in captivity then this wouldn't happen."

Makes me wonder about people. If you would never purchase a frag from a system that ever had aefw then could you even buy an acro? I'm sure that most if not all vendors have dealt with bugs in their systems at some point. Surely a place like divers den has to deal with them on a very regular basis.

Maybe I'm wrong but to even think you could ever have a coral that has never been in a system that once contained aefw is believing in a fairy tale.... after all it all originated from the same place anyways.

Anyways I would love to hear from some vendors even though I don't expect em to touch this subject and I don't think they would admit to it even if they were fighting bugs currently. I just can't believe as a hobbiest that deals in 10-30 corals a year gets bugs but a business like diver den that gets 1000 a month has never had an outbreak.

 

[ritter6788]

I don't fear pests at all, it's part of the hobby. I've just about had it all and how you handle it makes the difference in a tank that lasts a year or multiple years.

 

[Pete polyp]

You should take up your concern with the quoted post in the thread where it originated instead of cut and paste to a new thread. You're quote is from my post in another thread.

It is my choice to buy or not buy from a tank with known previous pests. If I choose to do this to try and protect myself from aefw then that's my decision.

Prove to me with some sort of reference that every vendor in the hobby has had aefw in their systems where corals are being sold.

 

[Pete polyp]

As far as divers den

They take the measures necessary to eradicate any pests before sales.

 

[spspirate]

Pest are everywhere is correct. So many people have red bugs AWFW and do not even know it. I say educate your self the more you know about the hobby the smarter the reefer you are. Don't just buy a coral and throw it in your reef. Inspect it.....look for signs of pest or pest eggs. Be familiar with the reef it came from if you can. Quarantine and or dip if you have doubt. Just be conscious.

 

[Pete polyp]

Pest are everywhere is correct. So many people have red bugs AWFW and do not even know it. I say educate your self the more you know about the hobby the smarter the reefer you are. Don't just buy a coral and throw it in your reef. Inspect it.....look for signs of pest or pest eggs. Be familiar with the reef it came from if you can. Quarantine and or dip if you have doubt. Just be conscious.

I find it extremely hard to believe that every tank in the world either has red bugs and/or aefw present. I believe the amount of sps without pests to be far greater than the ones with pests. Of all the colonies and frags sold on a daily basis the forum would be overrun with threads from people receiving corals with one or the other.

The rest of your post is very spot on though. People do need the education on what to look for and the practices on how to treat for it properly. I believe threads like the ones that have popped up recently spread awareness and help educate people about how to prevent am infestation in their system.

 

[ChristopherKriens]

As far as divers den

Divers Den - Treatment for Red Bugs on SPS items? - Reef Central Online Community

They take the measures necessary to eradicate any pests before sales.

Nobody's perfect: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/ge...colony-removed-order-grow-another-colony.html

 

[spspirate]

I said pest are everywhere and so many people have them and are not a ware that they are there. Not that every tank has them. But you might be surprised of the amount of tanks that do.

 

[Pete polyp]

Understood. Yes the actual numbers would probably be shocking to everyone.

 

[Addicting Corals]

its about learning from the experience and coming to a plan on how to address the issue. my main thing is acros......you really think ive never seen or had to deal with flatworms? i have just been accustomed to thinking they all have flatworms i dip every acro i recieve every 3 days in coral rx industrial for 30 days. if i get new acros for that system all the originals inculding the old ones get dipped too. i actually get paid just to dip corals lol . for me its about being proactive and not reactive. i tell customers even if i bring acros home from my store i still dip every 3 days for 30-45 days just because its easier than getting flatworms. some think im crazy ....some think im over the top. i tell them have you ever have aefw in a full blown acro system? as a vendor i try my hardest but as far as results......its a number game. to each his own you must inspect every piece yourself at the end of the day....it was each of us who made the call to add.....1 more piece to our systems. every single thing in life is much similar. its from ones own experience which one can learn.

thats my 2 cents
jw

 

[LindaW]

I am just setting up my tank this week( I am sitting up a QT at the same time... a thank you to everyone for sharing their view, experiences and thoughts..from what I have been reading dipping does not kill the AEFW eggs.....so my question is regarding " AEFW eggs on new frag" what do you do?

 

[spspirate]

Take the coral off the plug. Cut the coral off the plug or scrape off the eggs or don't introduce it to the reef at all.

 

[b_rad_G]

You should take up your concern with the quoted post in the thread where it originated instead of cut and paste to a new thread. You're quote is from my post in another thread.

It is my choice to buy or not buy from a tank with known previous pests. If I choose to do this to try and protect myself from aefw then that's my decision.

Prove to me with some sort of reference that every vendor in the hobby has had aefw in their systems where corals are being sold.

That thread was closed so I could not reply there.

 

[b_rad_G]

No one said every system had bugs present. My problem comes when you say you would never buy an acro from a system that ever had aefw. This is just ridiculous. Even if diver den is proactive with pest control the pure volume of corals they move would make anyone believe their system has had a aefw at least once. Nothing is perfect. No quarantine is always 100% effective. To think you can buy from a major supplier and have 100% certainty of no pest is not only ridiculous it is very irresponsible.

 

[Pete polyp]

Why do you have a problem with me? What I choose to do with my tank is just that, my choice. I don't understand why you would single me out of the several others that have similar points of view. I do feel that this thread is a personal attack aimed at me.

Your assumption that every system has had aefw is based on what evidence? You have no reference to back that claim up, and you never will. You're actually insulting the people who have taken proactive measures and prevented having aefw in their systems which they sell from.

 

[reeffirstaid]

I've often heard people claim that every system is infected with ich, bugs or any range of pests. It's not true, as there are many reef aquarists and retailers that take focused measures to keep pests out of their systems. It would be impossible to know if every retailer has had or currently does have, an infestation of aefw, or any other coral predator for that matter. Responsibility in this hobby is shared between collectors, exporters, importers, retail outlets, but ultimately lies in the hands of individual hobbyists. I used to tell divers, when I was still working on dive boats, who would whine they got hurt, we took responsibility to provide a safe atmosphere for you, but you're the one that signed the waiver and stepped onto the boat.

 

[b_rad_G]

I don't have a problem with you. I have a problem when you publicly state you would not buy a coral out of a tank that ever had a acro pest problem. This is fine. This certainly can't be verified. Also if this is going to be your policy you should not sell anything.

 

[Pete polyp]

I don't have a problem with you. I have a problem when you publicly state you would not buy a coral out of a tank that ever had a acro pest problem. This is fine. This certainly can't be verified. Also if this is going to be your policy you should not sell anything.

Obviously in your mind I don't have the right to my own opinion or have the right to choose which way I practice this hobby. If I follow my own policy I would be very able to sell anything out of my tank at this very second. I have never had any sign of aefw in my tank so your points ate invalid there.

This is a personal attack directed at me, because this thread followed a 2 hour texting argument you had with me yesterday. Then you come on here and quote what I said in a thread that's closed? You're grasping for straws trying to win am argument you can't.... Because you have nothing to prove anything you have said.


I will agree to disagree and bow out of this conversation.

 

[b_rad_G]

I've often heard people claim that every system is infected with ich, bugs or any range of pests. It's not true, as there are many reef aquarists and retailers that take focused measures to keep pests out of their systems. It would be impossible to know if every retailer has had or currently does have, an infestation of aefw, or any other coral predator for that matter. Responsibility in this hobby is shared between collectors, exporters, importers, retail outlets, but ultimately lies in the hands of individual hobbyists. I used to tell divers, when I was still working on dive boats, who would whine they got hurt, we took responsibility to provide a safe atmosphere for you, but you're the one that signed the waiver and stepped onto the boat.

Exactly! And when in the dive business if someone said "I would never dive off a boat where someone ever got injured" what would the response be? It happens its gonna happen. Don't mean its a bad boat. It blew me away completely to read I would never buy from a tank that had aefw at any time. Who cares if it had red bugs 3 years ago? Who cares if it had aefw last year. If it was dealt with properly there is no reason to think this.

Now on the other hand if a vendor has a continuing problem with pest then sure boycott them. I will not give my business to someone who purposely sells pest ridden corals.

I have never stated every tank has aefw or ich or anything. There are some hobbies that take the proper precautions but for someone to think Petco don't have ich in their system is absurd. To think you can buy an acro from any major seller and expect it to come from a system that has never seen aefw is also just absurd.

 

[Msmith2813]

I have had aefw myself before and treated my tank to remove the pest and no longer have them in my system. Anybody that buys from me should have no worries about getting them from my tank. With that said I exercise more caution with getting frags from a tank that had aefw. I also inform others when purchasing from my tank what the previous situation was. Nobody who I have sold frags to since has aefw. So I cant say I wouldn't buy from a tank that had aefw but I would exercise more caution. Its definitely a plague I wouldn't wish upon anyone. This is why its up to each person whether they want to purchase from said person or not, and this is why I inform them before hand