Pest ID- Are these AEFW?
- Thread starter FDAWG
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WnYreefer
Active Member
I could be wrong. Normally when I get new frags I clip them off the frag plug/rock regardless if it's encrusted and inspect them and dip them in Bayer. Who knows what could be on or in the frag plug/rock. Hopefully some one else will chime in just to verify.
OP
OP
FDAWG
Active Member
PM coming your way.
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I agree.
Op, dipping with ANY dip isn't going to prevent aefw since the eggs can hide in tough to see spots. The only way to not get them is to observe or at in another tank for a while until you are sure a cycle is through and none have hatched.
The eggs are fairly easy to see once you know what you are looking for. They will scrape off the coral fairly easily. Lots of people who do the method where you pull any base off the coral and dip, still get pests.
If you need info on how to rid them from the tank just say so. There is no need to set up a separate tank to rid a tank of aefw. Dipping and adding back to the display works just fine and doesn't stress the acros as much.
I have seen more aefw in hobbiests tanks and vendors tanks than what I have seen come in on wild or maricultured coral. Something to think about. Most hobbiests don't know they even have them.
Also just because that frag was new and it ended up getting aefw on it doesn't mean that's the price that brought them in. When eggs hatch the baby aefw can float to other colonies. This is why when someone has them and asks if they can just dip the one coral to get rid of them, people say "If they are on one piece odds are high that they are on a few more or many more"
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I did a little write up on how I got rid of aefw for someone who pm'ed me looking for help so I figured I would post it here for anyone who needs it.
First make sure there are no acros encrusted onto any rock in the tank so aefw can't lay eggs and feed off it while your dipping, either putty over them or scrape them off if small enough.
Dip for 5 weeks or more depending on the infestation. Really 4 weeks should work if everything works perfect but the odds of that are slim. Do NOT skip any time between dips. In fact I like to dip every 6 days because I have found eggs after waiting 9 days between dips.
Dip every acro (mille are acros, stylos, monti, birdsnest pocci and such are not and don't need to be dipped) with a good dip. I used revive and melafix and switched each week. Melafix is the best, it's mild and easy to see what happens in the dip bucket. I forget the dosage but just check online. Bayer is too hard to use because of rinsing and visability but it works. You want to make sure the process is easy. When you dip every acro you also have to inspect every part of the corals and bases for acropora eating flatworm eggs. Most of the time they will be on the edge of the acro or on a dead part that's freshly eaten. Scrape them off or glue over any eggs you see. Do this after your dip in the rinse container. Aefw will also be easier to see after all this has happened. If they are still on the coral they will appear darker and especially when exposed to air for a bit.
When dipping make sure to shake every acro in the dip container to dislodge any aefw before you move it to a rinse bucket. Then give them a good shake in a bucket of fresh tank water. It's easiest to use a tank or bin big enough to dip everything in one shot and move them to another tank or trough to clean any dip at once as well. Shake them in the fresh tank water bin good to dislodge any flatworms that may have not been dislodged in the dip. It will also be easy to see in this tank. Let them all sit in this bin as long as it takes to inspect every acro and find any eggs leftover before you add any back to the tank. It is much easier to see any bite marks after a good dip, somehow they stand out more. Inspect anything with bitemarks vigorously.
Once this is complete, move everything back over to the display tank and try to keep them in the same placement as they were previously in order to not stress anything further.
Remember stress on acropora is what causes aefw to gain ground and breed. Healthy acros in a healthy tank can live with aefw for a long time without much intervention.
A bad infestation can be made easier to treat by basting every acro daily for four or five weeks before you start dipping. Getting the population down while your not dipping anything and letting as many eggs hatch as you can will leave less work for you when dipping later. Do this only if your fish will eat the dislodged flatworms. Not only wrasse will do this but almost any fish. Not feeding as much will help fish take to any floating aefw if your having trouble. Also try making food to get the fish excited before you baste. Feed the fish with a turkey baster by squirting the food in the water in small amounts so the fish have to come up to the baster and get used to it. Once they are used to it squirt a small amount of food into the water before you baste to get fish in the feeding mood.
First make sure there are no acros encrusted onto any rock in the tank so aefw can't lay eggs and feed off it while your dipping, either putty over them or scrape them off if small enough.
Dip for 5 weeks or more depending on the infestation. Really 4 weeks should work if everything works perfect but the odds of that are slim. Do NOT skip any time between dips. In fact I like to dip every 6 days because I have found eggs after waiting 9 days between dips.
Dip every acro (mille are acros, stylos, monti, birdsnest pocci and such are not and don't need to be dipped) with a good dip. I used revive and melafix and switched each week. Melafix is the best, it's mild and easy to see what happens in the dip bucket. I forget the dosage but just check online. Bayer is too hard to use because of rinsing and visability but it works. You want to make sure the process is easy. When you dip every acro you also have to inspect every part of the corals and bases for acropora eating flatworm eggs. Most of the time they will be on the edge of the acro or on a dead part that's freshly eaten. Scrape them off or glue over any eggs you see. Do this after your dip in the rinse container. Aefw will also be easier to see after all this has happened. If they are still on the coral they will appear darker and especially when exposed to air for a bit.
When dipping make sure to shake every acro in the dip container to dislodge any aefw before you move it to a rinse bucket. Then give them a good shake in a bucket of fresh tank water. It's easiest to use a tank or bin big enough to dip everything in one shot and move them to another tank or trough to clean any dip at once as well. Shake them in the fresh tank water bin good to dislodge any flatworms that may have not been dislodged in the dip. It will also be easy to see in this tank. Let them all sit in this bin as long as it takes to inspect every acro and find any eggs leftover before you add any back to the tank. It is much easier to see any bite marks after a good dip, somehow they stand out more. Inspect anything with bitemarks vigorously.
Once this is complete, move everything back over to the display tank and try to keep them in the same placement as they were previously in order to not stress anything further.
Remember stress on acropora is what causes aefw to gain ground and breed. Healthy acros in a healthy tank can live with aefw for a long time without much intervention.
A bad infestation can be made easier to treat by basting every acro daily for four or five weeks before you start dipping. Getting the population down while your not dipping anything and letting as many eggs hatch as you can will leave less work for you when dipping later. Do this only if your fish will eat the dislodged flatworms. Not only wrasse will do this but almost any fish. Not feeding as much will help fish take to any floating aefw if your having trouble. Also try making food to get the fish excited before you baste. Feed the fish with a turkey baster by squirting the food in the water in small amounts so the fish have to come up to the baster and get used to it. Once they are used to it squirt a small amount of food into the water before you baste to get fish in the feeding mood.
