How to diagnose AEFW?

[Miami Reef]

I think I might have AEFW, but I never saw the actual organism.

If I dip an acropora with suspected flatworms, what type of container is best to see the flatworms?

Clear? White background?

Will a black light (about 400nm) help? Any tips?

The first step is diagnosing the culprit.

The symptom: many acroporas have a RTN/bleach appearance, but the polyps are still intact. It looks like an RTN/STN happened, but the polyps remained.

Some corals have a lighter skin patchy appearance.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

Tiny white dots on the coral or the bottom like polka dot if you shine the white light on the coral at night. Brown eggs at the base. Or dip in melafix and they will float off in two minutes.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

 

[cabinet pumper123]

oh?

 

[Miami Reef]

Is this AEFW? 2 different acros. Both are staghorns


@jda @Charlie’s Frags

Here’s the base of one of the acros

 

[Miami Reef]

@thatmanMIKEson @Troylee @vetteguy53081

 

[Miami Reef]

Another acro (strawberry shortcake)

Another coral

 

[vetteguy53081]

Is this AEFW? 2 different acros. Both are staghorns


@jda @Charlie’s Frags

Here’s the base of one of the acros

You will see missing tissue which many refer to as bites out of coral tissue. The flatworms themselves represent polyclads as pictured below

The coral will looks something like this at first

They favor the body and bases of coral and consume flesh of coral which is their energy source.
Removal can be accomplished by siphoning them with a 3/8" tubing into a nylon stocking and discard
OR
Add a wrasse such as Yellow coris, 6 line, lunare or malanurus OR even a springieri damsel which will eat them

With the number you have, for the next 2 weeks you will have to look for eggs and scrape off as there is likely some and would be future acoels. Eggs are really tiny

 

[JGT]

I’m not seeing AEFW damage. How’s your NO3/PO4?

 

[Macdaddynick1]

I can actually see the flatworms on your coral bud. :/

 

[Miami Reef]

I can actually see the flatworms on your coral bud. :/

Can you circle it? I want to poke it with a pipette to see if it’ll fly off the coral. I need to see it to believe it. (I’m in denial lol)

I tried to dip a few severely damaged acros, but the dip water turned cloudy, and when I put the suspected “flatworm” in a microscope slide, it basically disintegrated. I wasn’t sure if it was a flatworm or just tissue.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

Sorry. Here is what I see.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

The eggs.

 

[Miami Reef]

OMG guys! It’s true, I do have AEFW. The purple staghorn is absolutely infested. I put a nice cutting in RO/DI and look at this!

I’m so happy. I’ve been having acro issues for MONTHS, and I always thought I was the problem. I obsessively sent ICP and tested my parameters because I thought it was my fault! I feel so validated!!

 

[Miami Reef]

WOW! No wonder my SPS never truly took off.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

bud don’t use RODI, that’ll kill off your sps

 

[Miami Reef]

bud don’t use RODI, that’ll kill off your sps

I sacrificed that piece to give me clear identification. I needed to see it for myself. I tried saltwater with Coral RX, but the water was too cloudy to see anything. Perhaps there weren’t AEFM on those pieces, but it doesn’t matter at this point.

 

[billyocean]

The eggs.

Which part is the eggs?

 

[Macdaddynick1]

I sacrificed that piece to give me clear identification. I needed to see it for myself. I tried saltwater with Coral RX, but the water was too cloudy to see anything. Perhaps there weren’t AEFM on those pieces, but it doesn’t matter at this point.

I had AEFW in a system with 100+ acros. You’ll be ok, if you don’t have that many acros. You just need to dip in melafix remove the basis, put these guys onto the Frag plugs and dip. They’re not a death sentence, unless you become too aggressive with dipping etc. Melafix is super good and doesn’t stress out acropora either. These guys fall off almost instantly with melafix. After one dip, your corals will begin to recover. So take it super slow.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

Which part is the eggs?