AEFW Questions

[Mallowes84]

Hi guys. I'm a lurker but need help!!!

I am new to an all SPS tank - started ~3 months ago. All of my frags are small and don't really have colonies.

Couple weeks ago I started noticing one of my frags with some discoloration and what looked like bite marks. Today I dipped the coral and off came one moderate sized flat worm. Looks like AEFW and this confirms the bite marks. I didn't really see any signs of eggs. I don't really see any problems with other frags. I removed and dipped probably 50% of my frags but I am not seeing any AEFW coming off. I am also not seeing any eggs or bite marks on others. Do I have to dip every acropora in the tank every week based on the protocol I am seeing on this forum? Would it be ok to just watch and see if others start showing signs of stress?

I am planning on doing a treatment with Purge from Underwater Creations.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks!

 

[divewsharks]

If you can dip and inspect them all at least once, then that would be the best option. Eggs are going to be on the undersides or on the frag plug (if they are on one). Juveniles and newly hatched are going to be very hard to see, and you likely won't see bite marks by newly hatched and juveniles, too small.

Purge has had mixed results, some have had success with it, many have not; so I would not rely on it as the sole path to resolution.

What kind of fish do you have, after dipping you can baste the corals see if any come off. If you have fish like wrasses they will snack on them out of the water column.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

From what I have seen none of the guys I know have had luck with purge. I would dip once a week from the display if things are small enough or try the flat worm stop or wormwood approach and let them die off slowly over months.

 

[michael giordano]

Dip once a week or every other week depending on how stressed the corals are. Take a toothbrush and brush the plugs every time you dip to remove eggs and move your corals on a Frag rack in the tank is possible and keep inspecting and basting. Get some wrasses and do this for two months or so. No need to freak out take it slow and be diligent and you will be fine. How people kill everything is by freaking out and doing to much to de-stabilize your tank.

 

[jda]

I have never used it, but from what I have seen and heard you have more of a chance of losing SPS than you do of Purge working to kill AEFW.

They can live off the corals for a while. They often lay eggs just off of the corals on the rock or dead skeleton.

I might suggest that you be very diligent or else you could have a big problem later. Frags and small colonies are easier to take care of than larger ones where you cannot often remove them to dip them.

 

[Mallowes84]

I have dipped every Acro in the last 48 hours and today basted every single one of them. I have not found any further aefw. No clusters of eggs noted. After what period of time does one know they are free of the devil?

 

[jda]

...like if you don't have any in 6 months. They are no joke, so take extra time now to make sure that you don't get them later. If you have not switched out the frag plugs, then I would do that too.

 

[divewsharks]

Like JDA said, its long-term war, not a single battle.
I dose Flatworm Stop every day and have been since July; no plans on stopping anytime in the near future.

 

[jd-woodlands]

Thumbs down on Purge as well here... KZ FWS has been great so far along with weekly basting with RO. Haven’t seen eggs in awhile and only been seeing mature worms for awhile. If you have small Frags or plugs, weekly dips as others suggested.

 

[michael giordano]

I don’t mean to argue with anyone, but I would not switch out the Frag plugs. It will stress the crap outta the corals. I would scrub them down with a tooth brush and glue any gaps between base of the coral and the plug.

 

[divewsharks]

I don’t mean to argue with anyone, but I would not switch out the Frag plugs. It will stress the crap outta the corals. I would scrub them down with a tooth brush and glue any gaps between base of the coral and the plug.

Curious, is this your experience? I have never had this issue. First thing I do when getting a new coral is breaking out bone cutters or Dremel to get rid of the plug. #1 I hate the look frag plugs in my DT; #2 Frag plugs are most often where the hitchhiker pests are hanging out waiting for a new tank to infest (in my cynical experience).

 

[DEWreefing]

We beat AEFW by doing a weekly bath for 5mins in melafix pond edition it is a lot strong then the saltwater version.

 

[ScottR]

I don’t mean to argue with anyone, but I would not switch out the Frag plugs. It will stress the crap outta the corals. I would scrub them down with a tooth brush and glue any gaps between base of the coral and the plug.

I have never had a problem taking frags off of plugs. In fact, I take every frag I get off the plug if I’m glueing to rock. They typically break off cleanly from the glue quite easily.

 

[kireek]

Sorry for your troubles.
I agree that AEFW are no joke.I would personally examine and dip every 3 days for at good 3 weeks.Be certain to agitate the dip water during the process to dislodge the pest. Yes, this will be brutal on the acros.Afterwards I would painstakingly check every crevice on those acros once a week .

 

[Graffiti Spot]

I think three days is a little much and will stress the corals more than help them. Every 6 or 7 days for 5 or more weeks works without as much stress.
It would be nice to get more people to try the wormwood (I did the fws) but I think the 6 plus months to have them die off turns some people off. Probably because most want to be able to trade and sell stuff I would think.

 

[kireek]

I have not tired the wormwood method.I will definitely look into if I ever have to deal with AEFW again. Hopefully never,lol. Dipping repeatedly for weeks on end is no fun.