I Hope This Is Not AEFW!!!
- Thread starter dragonfisher33
- Start date
- Tagged users None
They look like AEFWs you should Bayer dip every piece and scrape off any identifiable eggs. Sure way to tell if they are AEFWs is to find an egg cluster on the sps. This is easily accomplished by shining a flashlight at night onto the sps.
ngvu1
Valuable Member
Ahhh, thats what I was afraid off. Thanks for the info
OK these guys are just regular flat worms(FW):
and what the OP posted is a acropora eating flat worm(AEFW).
The differences are very evident as the regular flat worms(or FW) are bit orange and they don't grow very big, meanwhile the acropora eating flat worm (or AEFW) are almost transparent much larger once they mature and blend in with the coral, thats why it is very difficult to see on coral until bite marks are evident or they come off in a pest dip.
There are a few more other flatworms which I'm not going to get into, however the two above are the most common with the AEFW being the worst as there is no known in tank cure and it can quickly take over corals.
The other common pest is the FW which doesn't affect coral at first as it does not feed on coral, however they multiply very quickly and smother the coral inhibiting it from feeding which affects the growth and polyp extension. These are easy to get rid of as FW exit seems to do the trick, however there are many cautions as the FW's are very poisonous and need to be removed quickly after FW exit dose and their death otherwise they will cause a tank crash.
When you say regular flatworms do you mean acoel flatworms, aka planaria.
Check out this video on Inspecting & Dipping corals. It has closeups of AEFW's and their bite marks.
Dave
Dave
OP
OP
dragonfisher33
Well-Known Member
many thanks for all the helpful information/advice and i truly appreciate all the helps. i will set up a QT tank and follow through with the treatment using the recommended method. some acros are, unfortunately, encrusted to the rocks. i will see what i can salvage from these rocks.
Nomadic1
Active Member
Y'all should read some of the items on this page before commenting on the lifecycle of the AEFW, and how long your tank needs to remain fallow:
https://experiment.com/u/fnLgeQ
Dr. Kate Rawlinson is probably one of the only people out there doing valid scientific research on the AEFW.
Edited to add:
http://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/18/insights-eradicating-dreaded-acro-eating-flatworm/
^^ An article highlighting the work of Benjamin Hume on AEFW lifecycle.
https://experiment.com/u/fnLgeQ
Dr. Kate Rawlinson is probably one of the only people out there doing valid scientific research on the AEFW.
Edited to add:
http://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/18/insights-eradicating-dreaded-acro-eating-flatworm/
^^ An article highlighting the work of Benjamin Hume on AEFW lifecycle.
Last edited:
rsav
Community Member
In my experience it is best to keep the red bugs which seem to fend off aefw. Once I had killed many of the red bugs an even worse enemy appeared.. aefw. It sucks but red bugs are the lesser evil.
