OP
OP
On a brighter note we have removed all acro from the main display and have now transformed into a LPS dominated tank with tons of colors and movements and the family and visitors actually like it more of course.. go figure..
An Almost Successful In Tank AEFW Treatment
- Thread starter Laser
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OP
OP
lane:
OP
OP
Very Sorry for the lack of posts lately but been quite busy.
Onward...
So previously I had almost written off the SPS as most of you may remember. Well not soooo fasssttt...
It appears the recipe has been set that will work but with a disclaimer. First off I removed ALL sps from the display system and isolated them in a stand alone 200 gal frag tank. Being in the condition they were in this put them under even more stress. I began the process of formulating market dips and playing with the recommended dosage. I finally (with the help of my LFS) was able to effectively kill the black bugs with a 4X recommended dosage of Coral Rx pro series.
I dipped the SPS weekly for 8 weeks straight. I lost almost all the frags with this procedure but the mini colonies and large colonies were strong enough to make it. The 8 week process saw the SPS exhibit PE after the first effective dip of coral rx pro at 4x dosage. Frags would tend to bleach out quickly under any lighting and mini colonies and large colonies would lose color but not not bleached. They immediately started to show PE as well and started to recover within 2 weeks and have now almost totally regained colors and started to regrow and encrust again. :fencing:
I left the SPS in the frag tank for anther 3 weeks before returning into the main display 3 days ago. All are really doing well and happy to be back under the MH lighting as the colors are coming back intense now. I have been in contact with several reefers who have been fighting this problem and hopefully it will work for you as well if you ever have to resort to it. The black bugs are INCREDIBLY resilient...Updates soon.
Onward...
So previously I had almost written off the SPS as most of you may remember. Well not soooo fasssttt...
It appears the recipe has been set that will work but with a disclaimer. First off I removed ALL sps from the display system and isolated them in a stand alone 200 gal frag tank. Being in the condition they were in this put them under even more stress. I began the process of formulating market dips and playing with the recommended dosage. I finally (with the help of my LFS) was able to effectively kill the black bugs with a 4X recommended dosage of Coral Rx pro series.
I dipped the SPS weekly for 8 weeks straight. I lost almost all the frags with this procedure but the mini colonies and large colonies were strong enough to make it. The 8 week process saw the SPS exhibit PE after the first effective dip of coral rx pro at 4x dosage. Frags would tend to bleach out quickly under any lighting and mini colonies and large colonies would lose color but not not bleached. They immediately started to show PE as well and started to recover within 2 weeks and have now almost totally regained colors and started to regrow and encrust again. :fencing:
I left the SPS in the frag tank for anther 3 weeks before returning into the main display 3 days ago. All are really doing well and happy to be back under the MH lighting as the colors are coming back intense now. I have been in contact with several reefers who have been fighting this problem and hopefully it will work for you as well if you ever have to resort to it. The black bugs are INCREDIBLY resilient...Updates soon.
OP
OP
just to try to clear it up on the dipping tried we started with recommended dosage,then 2x, then 3x (saw some black bug floaters at this concentration but still would hang on at the base for the full 5 minutes and then when returned to frag tank would move), and finally 4x where I could see floaters during dip and then not visibly see anything on any frag base when returned to frag tank.
HTH
HTH
OP
OP
Another update:
I had about 17 colonies that made it through the initial kill from AEFW and then the black bugs. I had been nursing the colonies as they were removed from the tank and put into another seperate tank and dippped every other day for 3 weeks in various dips. The colonies finally showed no signs of black bugs and began to grow and get colors back. I decided to put the colonies back into the main display about 2 months ago and they had been growing like crazy and really exhibiting great colors again for the first time in about a year.
Bad News Again:
Come home yesterday and notice a Reef Raft Barney colony that was looking white on the base. I looked closely and could not see anything and did not see any signs of stress on any other colonies. Well today about 6 of the colonies have started to RTN on the base and after pulling them they have BLACK BUGS AGAIN! Really!??
I have not introduced anything else into the tank so I must conclude that the black bugs are resistant to our current dipping methods ( Or at least are able to survive in small numbers - I believe they are getting under the tissue of the acros). I have decided to finally throw in the towel with my beloved acros and let the tank sit for 6 months without any and then try and start again. Sorry for the bad news but thought I need to post and share this as I see what I was dreading during the original writing of this post has now happened any many are struggling with this new acro pest.
I had about 17 colonies that made it through the initial kill from AEFW and then the black bugs. I had been nursing the colonies as they were removed from the tank and put into another seperate tank and dippped every other day for 3 weeks in various dips. The colonies finally showed no signs of black bugs and began to grow and get colors back. I decided to put the colonies back into the main display about 2 months ago and they had been growing like crazy and really exhibiting great colors again for the first time in about a year.
Bad News Again:
Come home yesterday and notice a Reef Raft Barney colony that was looking white on the base. I looked closely and could not see anything and did not see any signs of stress on any other colonies. Well today about 6 of the colonies have started to RTN on the base and after pulling them they have BLACK BUGS AGAIN! Really!??
I have not introduced anything else into the tank so I must conclude that the black bugs are resistant to our current dipping methods ( Or at least are able to survive in small numbers - I believe they are getting under the tissue of the acros). I have decided to finally throw in the towel with my beloved acros and let the tank sit for 6 months without any and then try and start again. Sorry for the bad news but thought I need to post and share this as I see what I was dreading during the original writing of this post has now happened any many are struggling with this new acro pest.
dh350twin
Well-Known Member
Wow!!!! What a read. So sorry for your loss and mental anguish. I think I have the same problem. So I may save myself the anguish and just do nothing until every sps is gone then start over. How long after tank has no sps in it can we start over?
dh350twin
Well-Known Member
I have never taken it off the plug but it would probably be a good idea
ifarmer
Valuable Member
what I did was, I removed all the corals off of the rocks. Cut and throw away the base of the colony or frag.
Gave each coral a new frag plug.
and then do the weekly bayer dip for 9 weeks.
Gave each coral a new frag plug.
and then do the weekly bayer dip for 9 weeks.
dh350twin
Well-Known Member
Why 9 weeks? I thought it was 4 weeks and like 6 dips?
dh350twin
Well-Known Member
Can the display be without sps for 4 weeks and be pest free? Since the eggs are on the acros removed?
ifarmer
Valuable Member
With bayer dipping. Chances are your pods and shrimps in your tank will die. Does not matter how you wash the dipped corals but there is always some bayer residuals left over on the corals and even a tiny bit get in the tank it could wipe out all pods and shrimps.
Brad Vaughn
Active Member
After searching and searching online I finally found this thread. Not much info out there about these bugs. I just had them outbreak in my 220 and they have totally destroyed many, many acors. Have you seen them on anything else? montis? I have not yet seen them on my pocillpora or montis. I am breaking everything down, drying everything out and running freshwater over everything. Ditching all corals because I have seen them hanging on lps, although not eating them. Years of work gone. =(
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