It CAN Happen to you
 

Over the last couple days, I have had three peices of acro fade in color. I was having some slight alk issues, assumed that was the reason. Upon closer inspection last night I noticed small white bite marks. And the corals affected are all smooth skinned acros. You know what that means....

AEFW

Must have picked them up from an aquacultured peice from the LFS. But just incase, if you have sold me frags in the last little while, please check your colonies, just in case, but it was probably from the LFS. Luckily i have not passed on any frags to anyone is quite a while.

I have to confess, i have never done any dipping, QTing or taken any preventative measures. So it's my own damn fault. Guess I learnt my lesson.

As I am out of town for the weekend I am going to tackle treatment on monday. If anyone has had success in ridding themselves of these beasts, please give me some insight.

Please everyone, don't be like me, QT your new additions or at very least dip. I was just to the point where I was really happy with my tank and the success I have been having with sps, and then i get this kick in the nuts.

This is usually how I feel about the hobby :(
Good luck!

Speaking for all the newbies that might be reading this, what is AEFW?

AEFW = the enbodiment of all that is evil in reefkeeping, Acropora Eating Flat Worms

Ekk
 

That really sucks Mark, good luck with them as you said they are hell. Any ideas on how you are going to combat them, chemically or naturally?
Levi

I have found them two of the past three times I have bought and dipped corals from LFS.

Seems to be a lot of these going around lately. I'm on the look out thats for sure.

best thing to do is just toss those infected colonies, usually they are very localized.

I've got some reading to do to come up with a treatment plan. I am hoping i can avoid the "move all my acros route and separate qt them for more than a month". As it stands they seem to only be located in a very small area of the tank. And initially i am going to work on the hope/assumption that they have no spread to far. I am going to grab some betadine on the way home from the airport sunday night and start dipping all colonies and frags immediately to drop down the numbers.

Has anyone found any predators for these yet? Green madarin? some kinda wrasse?

This is what I did with the last one. Hard to toss away $60 but didnt want to risk my tank full of acros and I have no QT.