Can species-specific pests become "extinct" after time, if the target species is gone?

natebatey · Sep 10, 2021

So this question is more complex and subtle than the title. I'm not looking for people to say "yes, I suppose that that is possible", or "that sounds like a reasonable idea". I'm looking for anyone who has had concrete anecdotal experience with this, please.

Can a coral-specific type of pest, such as AEFWs or EEFWs, become "extinct" in your tank after some period of time, if the target coral does not exist any longer?

I've been in the hobby around 10 yrs, so not a newbie. Moved across the country last year and left my tanks behind. Have a modest new tank for nearly a year now and am having enormous issue with EEFWs. I have literally tried everything to get rid of them for the last 6 months, and they are still causing a problem. Frankly, I'm sick and tired of screwing with them! They only affect my frogspawn and a fox coral, both of which have gone from beautiful, to sad, to on death's door. Everything else in the tank is doing GREAT. So I wonder, if I throw in the towel and let those two corals die, then wait another 6 months, then maybe all of the EEFWs will die out and I can re-try a new frag at that point?

T-J · Sep 10, 2021

Anecdotal or not: if an organism doesn't have food, it won't survive. That's the whole idea behind fallow periods for fish diseases. The same should hold true for anything else.

Having said that, I'm not sure if EEFW's "solely" survive on your Fox and Frogspawn coral. IF they do, then yes, your problem would be solved.

natebatey · Sep 10, 2021

T-J said:
Anecdotal or not: if an organism doesn't have food, it won't survive. That's the whole idea behind fallow periods for fish diseases. The same should hold true for anything else.

Having said that, I'm not sure if EEFW's "solely" survive on your Fox and Frogspawn coral. IF they do, then yes, your problem would be solved.

Thanks TJ, Yeah I guess that's kind of the real question, and maybe nobody knows for certain...can the EEFWs survive even without their "preferred" food?