How do you know your tank is AEFW free?

[jhale]

While I think that this may hold true for full colonies, my concern would be getting a frag from an infected colony. Is it possible to get a peice that was fragged in such a way that you get the eggs, but not worms.

hey Matt, most of the eggs are laid between the branches, not an area you would normally get a frag from. once the eggs reach the outer branches the coral is either brown or white, it's obvious by then the coral is infected.

also once you dip the frags the eggs will appear, they are also not easy to see. the dip colors them, so after ten minutes you will know if there any eggs as well. I forgot to mention that part. Inspect the coral closely, use a magnifying glass if you do not have a decent macro lens on your camera.

you can also see tiny white bite marks from where the worms are eating. there are some threads with pictures of this that myself and others have posted. It's best to study the pics so you know what your looking for.
I'll look for the threads and pics.

 

[jhale]

this thread has the best pics I got of the aefw's and the eggs. you'll see after dipping the egg's and damage are easy to see, even with just your eyes.

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum...cro-eating-flat-worms-its.html?highlight=aefw

 

[JBNY]

Kedd, I'm with you I am getting ready to setup a new tank too. I found AEFW in my tank at the very end, and didn't realize that I had them until a large chunk of my corals were showing severe tissue loss from the flatworms. In my case was able to trace it to frags that I got from a friend. Of course that didn't help with treating or anything. So I've got the same fear as you that when I get corals back from people I will have the same problems with no real solution to getting rid of them.

-Joe

 

[jhale]

Joe, you can keep them out. For a new tank I would cook the rock for a couple of months to make sure you get no acro eating hitch hikers.
When you get the coral back have a good sized QT set up. I would dip and inspect the frags/colonies for any signs of worms, eggs, bit marks, tissue loss. Then QT them for at least three weeks. It's a pita but after QT and no signs of worms you can be confident the display tank will be worm free.

 

[JBNY]

I am planning on using my old rock. It is sitting in a tank away from any corals by itself for the last year. So I am thinking I will be ok to use the same rock. I'm also no planning on putting any corals in the tank for the first month. So I think I should be ok on the rock.

As for the corals I am planning on putting them in a QT and dipping/inspecting them first then putting them in my bare bottom frag tank hooked into the main system for a month (for observation) before they go into the main tank.

hopefully that will work.

I also see that people seem to be using the fluke tabs too. Are they having better success than with TMPC?

-Joe

 

[jhale]

I've not used the Fluke tabs, but some guys on MR have. I've found the TMPC does a good job of getting the worms off the corals. In less than a minute they will start flying off the acros. the fluke tabs may take longer, but I think they may be less stressful on the coral.

 

[meschaefer]

I am planning on using my old rock. It is sitting in a tank away from any corals by itself for the last year. So I am thinking I will be ok to use the same rock. I'm also no planning on putting any corals in the tank for the first month. So I think I should be ok on the rock.

As for the corals I am planning on putting them in a QT and dipping/inspecting them first then putting them in my bare bottom frag tank hooked into the main system for a month (for observation) before they go into the main tank.

hopefully that will work.

I also see that people seem to be using the fluke tabs too. Are they having better success than with TMPC?

-Joe

Do you think it would be wise to quarantine the corals in a frag tank that is hooked into the main tank? Not really a quarantine then. Based upon some of the information in this thread, that they tend not to travel far, maybe it is not that bad of a concept.

If set up right it would definately make setting up and mainting a quarantine tank much easier. Perahps if you ran the return from the quarantine tank through a UV?

 

[JBNY]

I'm not positive but based on my last experience I don't think the flatworms jump into the water column to get from one acro to the next. I had them in my frag tank first. I didn't know it then. But suddenly I started having color problems with all my frags, then I started losing most acros in the frag tank. This was over a 3-4 month period. During this time I had zero problems in my main tank. It wasn't until I took out corals from the frag tank and put them into the main tank to try and save them that I started having problems with coral in the main tank too. So based on that I was thinking that the flatworms are not going to move from the frag tank to the main tank unless I introduce a coral with them. I could be completely wrong though.

-Joe

 

[spykes]

fluke tablets somehow stuns the AEFW, but you gotta blow it off making sure 1 doesnt stay on the acro. with the TMPCC you accually kill off the FW. The fluke pill is good for eliminating alot of the FW until the last dip with TMP.

 

[Dace]

thanks. see ya monday
:biggrin:

Daceman I wouldn't worry about the hermits, I think by this time all eggs in my tank have hatched and starved about a month ago.
I have also dipped other monti's and some LPS just to see, and have found nothing.

Kedd

 

[jnfallon]

I have a bit of experience with these bastards now as well.

I have been putting off a full breakdown, and have been dipping colonies in fluke tabs. I havent done a second round yet, so I'm not sure how truly successful it's been. I can say that during a 20 minute dip, hundreds of them came off the most affected corals, and although some adhered to the dip container at first, after 10 minutes or so they all appeared to die. I believe the fluke tabs do more than stun them, I think its a sure kill.

Good news is that I have not had any corals bleach out from the treatment, and certain corals that were infested and semi-bleached for months (millis), are now extended and coloring up. Of course, lots and lots of things were consumed before I figured out what the heck was going on.

I'm not sure whats in TMPCC, but it appears to be iodine based. Melev did some test dipping with Betadine, and had a complete wipeout of all test corals. That leads me to believe that it is much harsher on the corals. There are several guys doing the fluke tab method, and corals losses have been minimal.

Of course, unless I break down everything, sterilize, and start over like you're discussing, I'll always feel like I'm just counting days till my next outbreak. Totally sucks.

Lastly, given the impossibility of finding them without dipping, and the slow pace of infestation (I had not added corals for almost a year), I would definately agree with Kedd's belief that the vast majority of sps tanks have these things.

 

[jhale]

Lastly, given the impossibility of finding them without dipping, and the slow pace of infestation (I had not added corals for almost a year), I would definately agree with Kedd's belief that the vast majority of sps tanks have these things.

this is important to remember when trading with people.

fwiw, all the new colonies I've dipped from stores and vendors in the past year, none have had a worm on them.

 

[Kedd]

JBNY it sound like what happened to me it all seemed to happen in about 3 months, but I probably had them before that.
I'm not going to drive myself crazy trying to figure out where I got them , but how not to get them again is my goal.

I think a QT hooked to the main system would work for the AEFW, a little scary to test it though.
If I did that I may try a micron sock on both sides, it would need constant cleaning, but I don't think they could get through.

They must travel somehow, maybe when the hatch they are released into the water column.

Kedd

 

[meschaefer]

JBNY it sound like what happened to me it all seemed to happen in about 3 months, but I probably had them before that.
I'm not going to drive myself crazy trying to figure out where I got them , but how not to get them again is my goal.

I think a QT hooked to the main system would work for the AEFW, a little scary to test it though.
If I did that I may try a micron sock on both sides, it would need constant cleaning, but I don't think they could get through.

They must travel somehow, maybe when the hatch they are released into the water column.

Kedd

I am planning 180 gallon with a fishroom behind it, the planning is going slow (not as slow as JBNY's thread on RC), but I hope to have it up and running by October. I was playing around with different ways to plumb a quarantine tank into the system. My original plan was to have it hard plumbed into the system, but without a return, strictly for doing water changes in the quarantine by pumping tank water into the qt. But now I am thinking that perhaps I could have it completely plumbed in, if I run a UV on the return to the main system.

Even if this is not a good idea for fish, it might be a perfect idea to quarantine corals before being added to the display.

 

[jhale]

The QT plumbed to the main tank would make life easy, but it could be a disaster as well. I'd find out the size of the worms when they hatch, and get a filter sock small enough to trap them, as Kedd wants to do.
then you have to consider all the other things that can be on the corals, red bugs, nudi's, zoa pox... it all would have the possibility of making it to the main tank. would a big a$$ UV be enough to kill them? maybe a ozone reactor inline between the QT return and sump. I know for sure nothing would be making it alive through the ozone reactor :dead1: but I would not want to run ozone on my tank.