ATTN SPS Keepers! Acropora Eating Flatworms possible cure?
 

Most of you are aware of the damages that acropora eating flatworms can inflict on our SPS, which probably about 90% of the time causes death to most acropora and spreads like wildfire. This is like a disease, like an AIDS for acros if you will. So far there has been nothing out there that could stop this, and the only prevention was either quarantine or abstinence :D

I've been following a thread on RC where some reefers have been battling and experimenting on these little buggers. Up till now, nothing has worked until someone tried using Fluke Tabs as a dipping procedure before introducing into their main display. This so far seems to be a successful procedure without any harm to the coral itself. Please note that this is an "out-of-tank" treatment, and it is not recommended to be performed in your main display as it is uncertain on what the effects would be on inverts.

Fluke Tabs are dirt cheap! I bought a pack today for under $10 and tried it on a new arrival. No harm to the coral whatsoever, so I am quite excited about this treatment as it will help prevent the spread of these little bastages within our own community. Please have a look at the thread below and try to educate yourself on how we can keep this pest out of our aquariums :) If anyone has any questions, please feel free to post in this thread and I will try my best to help or point you in the right direction. Thank you

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...5&pagenumber=1

Cool, thanks for the tip.

Help me out, maybe I've missed it... But last I read the AEFW threads, the fluke tab's were an unknown, in lower doses they weren't effective at killing AEFW, in higher doses they worked - but the acros RTN'd.

Did they work out an effective dosage?

Woulnd't you want to quarantine the corals first and see if its infected prior to treating just to reduce stress??

The tests performed by Melev and "Stoney Mahony" have had success with this treatment. 1 tablet per gallon seemed to be the consensus so far.

This treatment may not be foolproof yet, look how long it took to finalize the Acro Red Bugs Interceptor dosage? I'm sure Dustin Dorton or others experimented many times with different dosages before coming up with the treatment and instructions that we have today.

I am just communicating this because it seems like a new solution is on the horizon, and hopefully we won't have to fear these as much as previously.

Do you quarantine your corals first? I know you had another tank going beside your display but I wasn't sure if that's what it was. I certainly don't have a QT for corals, letalone my fish. I know we all should have but let's face it, about 90% of us don't. I would rather have some sort of line of defence before throwing a new coral in my tank.

Alot of others dip in Lugols. I'm sure this is stressful too. But it's probably better than nothing, I would rather stress out a coral and risk losing it rather than introducing a parasite into my tank that could potentially wipe out everything.

treatment
 

Blaine
whats the treatment plan? I'm reading through the posts on RC and half the posts are (unfortunately) battle posts.
And where did you get the AP Fluke Tabs from?
thanks
chin

Does anyone in the lower mainland actualy have the AEFW? I have not heard any mention of it on here.. I thought maybe our little community was free of them.

I didnt read anywhere that the tabs kill the Eggs ?
Did i miss it ?

It's looking like 1 crushed tablet per gallon.

I bought it at Big Al's for $8.99 (for 10 tabs). I'm sure you could find it cheaper elsewhere since I find BA's a little expensive when it comes to EVERYTHING :D

Marc check out Page 20 on the thread by Stoney Mahony (I think he has some other posts on the previous pages that you might want to read up on), he has done a few tests on them.

Some reefers on RC have had success with TMPCC aka Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure dip. I've read it works on red bugs as well as AEFWs but not the eggs. We don't have this product locally though :(

Hope that helps

Actually Hidden Reef has this stuff now :)

heads up
 

Hey guys, just a heads up, but Health Canada or something has issued a warning on these pills, and the APones are no longer allowed to be imported into Canada...but now, to save acros later...

Nate

Has anyone heard of sucess using dragon pipefish for predation or am I confusing this with "red bugs"?

Do you have a link to this? I'd be curious as to why it's being banned by Health Canada.

Ummm...
 

I have a letter for it at work...

I believe that it has ingredients that have been discovered to be carcinogenic. I will read it over again, but could not tell you if it is online anywhere.

The letter we got had about 12 fish medications on it that are no longer available for import, and the inventory we have is to be destroyed.

Figured I would give you guys a headsup.

Nate

Wow thanks for the info Nate, no need for the details on the meds though. I'm surprised they want you to destroy the remaining inventory instead of it being recalled for their disposal. I hope you guys don't just throw this stuff in the garbage as it doesn't sound like it is environment friendly.