Is this aefw?

[ajm83]

Noticed a missing patch (in yellow) on this acro, and a bunch of what look like irritated patches with what looks like mesenterial filaments hanging out.

My millipora have got tissue recession at the base and have lost colour significantly (but I did have a doser fault causing an alk drop recently)

I have blasted them all with a powerhead and turkey baster and cannot see any worms flying off. Unfortunately they are all based onto the rock so cannot easily dip them.

 

[ScottB]

I can't confirm based on that image. It is a good photo though.

It can be difficult to confirm in the tank. These buggers have incredible camo. You can try this:

a) shut of flow
b) Baste the piece with some RODI and see if anything flies off

If you are really concerned, you would need to chisel off and dip.

 

[Yellowsound]

In my experience, most AEFW damage begins near the base. I’m not convinced the spot on this frag is AEFW, but would be interested to see pics of those millies.

 

[ajm83]

Thanks @ScottB and @Yellowsound

I will continue to blast and monitor for now. Hadn't thought of using RODI in the baster, will try that next time.

The millis are all hard to photograph due to their positions, but I will try.


I really regret mounting the corals directly to the rocks wish I'd seen the Coral Euphoria video where he shows how he mounts his onto a little stick of fibreglass rod so that they can be moved/removed easily.

 

[ScottB]

Thanks @ScottB and @Yellowsound

I will continue to blast and monitor for now. Hadn't thought of using RODI in the baster, will try that next time.

The millis are all hard to photograph due to their positions, but I will try.


I really regret mounting the corals directly to the rocks wish I'd seen the Coral Euphoria video where he shows how he mounts his onto a little stick of fibreglass rod so that they can be moved/removed easily.

I usually glue/putty to a small rock, then glue/putty that rock to my reef rock.

 

[guylaga]

IMO looks like a new polpy will be sprouting from that spot.

AEFW bites are usually toward the base or on the underside of the coral.

 

[ajm83]

Thanks everyone, I will just keep a diligent watch on them for now... just can't get my head around why the colouration is so poor.
In a way, AEFW would have been a relief as I'm doing the same as i ever do, but getting no results

More patience required!

 

[ajm83]

In my experience, most AEFW damage begins near the base. I’m not convinced the spot on this frag is AEFW, but would be interested to see pics of those millies.

Again, poor pics as I'm just using my phone. But here:

 

[Yellowsound]

It’s very difficult to tell from these pics if that recession is due to AEFW. To complicate things further, millies are just plain hard to keep sometimes.

They look fairly new, since they haven’t encrusted much yet. You could try to pop them off and dip… see what comes off, if anything. If no bugs/AEFW, I’d cover the areas of recession w/ epoxy & put back in the tank. There is a risk of further stress, but if you’re seeing that recession progress, it may be the lesser of two evils.

 

[sculpin01]

What are your nitrate, phosphate, and alkalinity levels?

Basal receding milleporas may need elevated phosphate levels in my experience. I have one tank I run at 0.05-0.10 phosphate where this will happen occasionally. When I move receding milleporas to my other tank which runs 0.20-0.30 phosphate, recession stops and they start to regrow over the area of tissue loss.

YMMV

 

[ajm83]

Alk is currently 7.15, nitrate is 4, phosphate is 0.08. I feed heavily but it stays low without any GFO or refugium, guess either the coral or the rocks is taking it up. It had not even occurred to me to run it any higher than 0.1 ...

As I mentioned earlier in the thread I did have an alk drop due to a doser fault. It actually went as low as 5.7 as it was off for a couple of days. So the STN could be a delayed response to that, but aside from the STN and weird white bits on the acro in the original post, they are all lacking colour and look generally a bit poorly. Good polyp extension however...

 

[ajm83]

Quick update, the millepora pictured above has severe STN now. I cut it up in the hope of saving a little nub to regrow it.

The good news however is that before cutting it up, I dipped it in Revive and jetted it with a pipette and no AEFW were found (nor eggs or other pests).

I have a nagging thought that maybe they were getting too much flow, which damaged the coral and allowed infection in.

 

[Yellowsound]

Are those millies mariculture pieces?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Does not appear to be a flatworm. If ever unsure, dip the coral and you will know

 

[ajm83]

Are those millies mariculture pieces?

Yes it was. I know they are more tricky, but I've had sucess with them on previous tanks.

So far the nubs I fragged from it are holding on and have some polyp extension. I'm still expecting that they will succumb to necrosis though.

 

[IKD]

The Alk (7.1) is on the lower end, but not sure that would drive what you are seeing.