Please help ID these acro eating pest! And cure!

[Roshisatoshi]

I’m dealing with some sort of acro eat pest I discovered recently. I’ve had several people in the community say they are acro eating flatworms and some tell me they are black bugs. You can spot them with the naked eye if you are looking for them and They move fairly quickly.

what is the best cure? I’ve sacrificed three acro frags at this point and have did several rounds of dipping to the surrounding frags.

any help is appreciated ty!

 

[C. Eymann]

Need to see under a microscope to be sure but their locomotion looks to be that of a ciliate, which despite not being actual arthropods/ "bugs" many refer to as "black bugs" however there are parasitic black copepods that affect sps coral referred to as "black bugs" as well.

Supplement grade/food grade Potassium chloride powder 1 tblsp dissolved in 1 gal of tank water for 5 min will remove them with basting.

Rebase and return to tank, inspect other acropora in the system twice a week and treat as needed.


Just my .02

 

[Roshisatoshi]

Need to see under a microscope to be sure but their locomotion looks to be that of a ciliate, which despite not being actual arthropods/ "bugs" many refer to as "black bugs" however there are parasitic black copepods that affect sps coral referred to as "black bugs" as well.

Supplement grade/food grade Potassium chloride powder 1 tblsp dissolved in 1 gal of tank water for 5 min will remove them with basting.

Rebase and return to tank, inspect other acropora in the system twice a week and treat as needed.


Just my .02

I’ll try that dip, revive dips doesn’t seem to affect them. Do you know where I can find more information on them?

 

[C. Eymann]

Th

I’ll try that dip, revive dips doesn’t seem to affect them. Do you know where I can find more information on them?

they are are a type of heterotrich ciliate, not much actual reliable, peer reviewed published studies have been done on coral parasitic ciliates other than halofolliculina sp which causes black band disease in coral, which are much smaller in size, but control methods on captive corals have little to no documentation.
But I have used potassium chloride solutions with basting on new mariculture acros affected by these with good success.

 

[Roshisatoshi]

Th
they are are a type of heterotrich ciliate, not much actual reliable, peer reviewed published studies have been done on coral parasitic ciliates other than halofolliculina sp which causes black band disease in coral, which are much smaller in size, but control methods on captive corals have little to no documentation.
But I have used potassium chloride solutions with basting on new mariculture acros affected by these with good success.

I just ordered some PC powder, I’ll try it as soon as it arrives. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge.

 

[ScottB]

I just ordered some PC powder, I’ll try it as soon as it arrives. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge.

In the first video, at about the 32 second mark, I think I see a clutch of eggs at 22:00 hours. You will want to scrape, brush, or glue over.

I don't know the gestation period for these bugs, but you will want to repeat the dips. For AEFW, which are larger and slower, gestation is 6-8 days.

@C. Eymann
Good to know that KCl works on these guys. It is super effective on AEFW; they practically dissolve in the stuff and my acros never minded KCl dips.

 

[Roshisatoshi]

Are there any known predators that maybe can help?

 

[Roshisatoshi]

In the first video, at about the 32 second mark, I think I see a clutch of eggs at 22:00 hours. You will want to scrape, brush, or glue over.

I don't know the gestation period for these bugs, but you will want to repeat the dips. For AEFW, which are larger and slower, gestation is 6-8 days.

@C. Eymann
Good to know that KCl works on these guys. It is super effective on AEFW; they practically dissolve in the stuff and my acros never minded KCl dips.

Hey they seem only be found on plugs that have acros encrusting under the plug (where there’s lots of them) i only find them if I see whiting on the edge of the acros on top of the plug .

where did you order your PC KCI from?

 

[Roshisatoshi]

In the first video, at about the 32 second mark, I think I see a clutch of eggs at 22:00 hours. You will want to scrape, brush, or glue over.

I don't know the gestation period for these bugs, but you will want to repeat the dips. For AEFW, which are larger and slower, gestation is 6-8 days.

@C. Eymann
Good to know that KCl works on these guys. It is super effective on AEFW; they practically dissolve in the stuff and my acros never minded KCl dips.

Source Nutrition Potassium Chloride Powder - Supports Hydration and Fluid Levels, Table Salt Substitute, Excellent Source of Potassium - KCL Supplement (8 oz.)

In the first video, at about the 32 second mark, I think I see a clutch of eggs at 22:00 hours. You will want to scrape, brush, or glue over.

I don't know the gestation period for these bugs, but you will want to repeat the dips. For AEFW, which are larger and slower, gestation is 6-8 days.

@C. Eymann
Good to know that KCl works on these guys. It is super effective on AEFW; they practically dissolve in the stuff and my acros never minded KCl dips.

Source Nutrition Potassium Chloride Powder - Supports Hydration and Fluid Levels, Table Salt Substitute, Excellent Source of Potassium - KCL Supplement (8 oz.)
Would this work?

 

[ScottB]

Are there any known predators that maybe can help?

I would suspect that wrasses would tear into them. I keep wrasses for aefw. They HELP but won't solve the infestation. I also keep peppermints which are said to eat eggs. Melanurus, yellow coris, 6 lines. Even springeri damsels.

I am curious though, do you see those worms running around during the light cycle or only after? If they are smart enough to go nocturnal, then the wrasses won't help so much.

 

[ScottB]

Source Nutrition Potassium Chloride Powder - Supports Hydration and Fluid Levels, Table Salt Substitute, Excellent Source of Potassium - KCL Supplement (8 oz.)
Source Nutrition Potassium Chloride Powder - Supports Hydration and Fluid Levels, Table Salt Substitute, Excellent Source of Potassium - KCL Supplement (8 oz.)
Would this work?

That is fine. I bought the Bulk Supplements version but they are both food grade and suitable.

 

[Roshisatoshi]

I would suspect that wrasses would tear into them. I keep wrasses for aefw. They HELP but won't solve the infestation. I also keep peppermints which are said to eat eggs. Melanurus, yellow coris, 6 lines. Even springeri damsels.

I am curious though, do you see those worms running around during the light cycle or only after? If they are smart enough to go nocturnal, then the wrasses won't help so much.

I’ve only seen them when I inspect a plug that has slight recession near the base of the encrusting part, they don’t seem to ever come out during the light periods