Fwiw. It has always been buyers beware. Education to make people aware is the only way to keep this infestation at bay. People have no right to sell knowingly to other unless they disclose. This post should've been a public warning instead of a witch hunt. If there is anything people can get out of this thread is to raise awareness on how to deal with incoming corals than that might not be a bad thing.

I don't point fingers at no one and the only person Who is to blame is the person putting that tinted frag into their tank naive enough to think it will be okay. Local fish stores are the first one who are responsible to teach their clients but on the contrary they are probably the worse offenders of selling aefw and other pest infested corals but unfortunately this is the way it is.

Anyways, if it ain't you then don't worry about it. why all this fuss for no reason. Bottom line is if it goes in your tank the owner is ultimately responsible.

Myka, being an expert, can you give some examples of how people can identify and avoid buying from potentially affected tanks. I have always looked at the general health of the sps for signs of bite marks and it's underbelly. Corals that are pale and have dead spots on the base are likely been prayed upon. Fresh cuts and cutting off the bases of incoming coral is vital to keep your system safe along with dipping methods I suggested on my previous post are all preventitive measure to aid you with success of keeping sps.

Agreed here, good write up bro. Fresh cuts, dips and a keen eye is what we all need in this hobby....

Quick visuals.

bite marks, can be hard to see.
egg clusters at base of coral, easier to see, looks like masses of frog eggs
no polyp extension, particularly seen on milliporas, a favorite target.
Faded colors on pieces in an otherwise vibrant tank.

worms are not visible on wet frag, but if you blow on it slightly to dry it, you may see "wet" circular patterns, this warrants closer inspection with magnifying glass. Even under a microscope, they are tough to see unless they move. Don't trust your eyes.

Frog eggs lol when you setting the tank back up?

Unrelated to MY frogs lol

If I had a tank, I'd have to tear it down, doing some big renos now. :)

For the record, I don't have letters after my name. I am not an expert. :)

I do the same as Brad. Look at Milles in particular. Look for browned out colonies and bite marks.

I read your expert advices on bay sides news letter all the time....don't be so modest!

Thank you for your kind words. Still, I'm a reef professional with many years of experience in many areas of reef keeping, and I am not an expert. :p

Expert by experience! Do they make letters for that? :lol:

I made a new POSITIVE thread Preventative Protocol for New SPS Coral Purchases. Go check it out, and post your own protocols! Please don't reference this thread or "recent happenings".