Need help identifying eggs on acropora

AquariumService · 09/04/2014, 12:03 PM

Hello, past couple months I've been banging my head against the wall trying to figure out why some of my acropora species have been bleaching. Just today as I was going to take out another casualty and i noticed these small clustered brown eggs on areas where acropora had reseeded.... I noticed them also on other acros that had bleached spots.

I'm used to seeing and fighting flat worms and red bugs.... but i'm not sure what these are....?
Ideas?...
Could this be an opportune spot to lay eggs or does this have to do with what ever is killing my acros?

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discocarp · 09/04/2014, 12:06 PM

It isn't easy to tell from the picture, but I think they're AEFW (acro eating flatworm) eggs.

Check out some pics in this article and see if that's what you have:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/mc/index.php

DDon · 09/04/2014, 12:14 PM

My first though would be AEFW as well. Lots of threads on here discussing them.

animalkingdom · 09/04/2014, 12:27 PM

+1 to AEFW..the eggs you see are very distinct

AquariumNut · 09/04/2014, 01:14 PM

Time for quarantine

ganjero · 09/04/2014, 01:36 PM

Another possibility could be clown gobies. Do you have any clown gobies in there? They lay eggs on SPS and cause what you are experiencing, but I believe their eggs are whitish.

AquariumService · 09/04/2014, 06:55 PM

Sadly no clown gobys.... It seems like acropora eating flat worms...

I heard it takes a good dose of flatworm exit to kill these guys... I was going to do that and get a bunch of wrasses.
What do you guys think?..

I have 3 tanks connected totaling over 500 gal packed with coral... I don't think I have the room to quarantine.

AquariumService · 09/04/2014, 07:32 PM

Reading all the threads about these guys is a nightmare!..

I may just have to abandon all acros! Let thoes AEFW die off! Then start adding acros again in a few months to make sure they're dead! I have roughly 20 acro colonies infected :-(... Some acros are not bothered like the green slimmer and other staghorns thankfully

JoelA7 · 09/04/2014, 11:41 PM

Hoeven's wrasse.

jda · 09/05/2014, 08:49 AM

YTB damsels, peppermint shrimp and some wrasses can keep them at bay, but will never totally rid your tank of them.

AquariumService · 09/06/2014, 10:53 AM

I've decided to sadly trash all my acro's.... I'm going to get the super team together of everything that eats these things(wrasses, shrimp,etc) in my system.. I'll let these worm bastards die off for several months with nothing to eat in my tank.

After a couple months of no signs from these guys...Yes I will set up a quarantine tank for all new coming coral... I'll dip them weekly in a variety of dips and watch for at least a month. This appears the only way to be successful with keeping tons of acro. I've gotten very lucky the past 10 + years never seeing these guys.. Now I know there ugly face!

By far this is the worst thing a reef tank can encounter that I've come across... I'll take redbugs any day over AEFW's!

AquariumNut · 09/08/2014, 07:14 PM

Sorry man ..... maybe try and save a few colonies ? Separate tank . No rock and lots of flow . Flatworms hate flow . And treat with flatworm exit . Seems a waste to just trash them :/

discocarp · 09/09/2014, 04:50 AM

Flatworm exit will do absolutely nothing for AEFW. It is only for red planaria, and not always effective even then.

Tweaked · 09/09/2014, 05:04 AM

Sorry to hear. They are some of the hardest to get rid of in our hobby.

CuzzA · 09/09/2014, 05:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AquariumService

I've decided to sadly trash all my acro's...

No offense, but don't you think that's a little irresponsible. I'm confident you can kind find someone near you or even on RC that will take your Acro's and attempt to save them. With the constant pressure on law makers to ban our hobby a post like this just feeds their fire.

I'm not some tree hugger and I think law makers are uninformed about our hobby. We actually are beneficial to the science and it's the law makers who permit shipping lanes, water treatment plants and farming next to natural reefs that are the detriment to "some" reefs. But don't let them use our hobby against us. I'm sure the anti hobbyist troll these message boards compiling threads to send off to law makers.

CuzzA · 09/09/2014, 05:25 AM

In fact, if you want to ship all your acros to me at my expense I'll take on the challenge.

Silvergryphon · 09/09/2014, 11:54 PM

Doesn't Bayer work good for AEFW and possibly their eggs as well?

09/04/2014, 12:03 PM	#1
AquariumService Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Thousand Oaks Posts: 99	Need help identifying eggs on acropora Hello, past couple months I've been banging my head against the wall trying to figure out why some of my acropora species have been bleaching. Just today as I was going to take out another casualty and i noticed these small clustered brown eggs on areas where acropora had reseeded.... I noticed them also on other acros that had bleached spots. I'm used to seeing and fighting flat worms and red bugs.... but i'm not sure what these are....? Ideas?... Could this be an opportune spot to lay eggs or does this have to do with what ever is killing my acros? DSCN1335.jpg DSCN1338.jpg DSCN1339(1).jpg DSCN1341.jpg

09/04/2014, 11:41 PM	#9
JoelA7 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Brookline, MA Posts: 1,056	Hoeven's wrasse. __________________ New 48x24x26.25 w Precision Marine R30 sump, Vertex Omega 150 skimmer, 2@Vertex 1.5L reactors for carbon & phosban, GEO Ca reactor w Aquarium Plants regulator. 2 MP40's 2@Radions. #120 live rock & #12

09/09/2014, 05:04 AM	#14
Tweaked FUP&A Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Madison, CT Posts: 7,722	Sorry to hear. They are some of the hardest to get rid of in our hobby. __________________ DSA 105 Pro, Cebu Sun-Radiums-M80 Ballasts, 4 T5's, XHO LEDs. Through Wall 55g Sump, 10g Frag and 29g Display attached, Vertex V6, 3 mp40's, Gyre, 2 mp10's, GFO, Carbon, Pellets - 10g Bar Tank

09/04/2014, 12:06 PM	#2
discocarp Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Winter Park, FL Posts: 2,707	It isn't easy to tell from the picture, but I think they're AEFW (acro eating flatworm) eggs. Check out some pics in this article and see if that's what you have: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/mc/index.php

09/04/2014, 12:14 PM	#3
DDon Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Brentwood,CA Posts: 776	My first though would be AEFW as well. Lots of threads on here discussing them.

09/04/2014, 12:27 PM	#4
animalkingdom Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: AL Posts: 632	+1 to AEFW..the eggs you see are very distinct

09/04/2014, 01:14 PM	#5
AquariumNut Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 159	Time for quarantine

09/04/2014, 01:36 PM	#6
ganjero saiperchémibatteilcorazon Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 4,027	Another possibility could be clown gobies. Do you have any clown gobies in there? They lay eggs on SPS and cause what you are experiencing, but I believe their eggs are whitish.

09/04/2014, 06:55 PM	#7
AquariumService Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Thousand Oaks Posts: 99	Sadly no clown gobys.... It seems like acropora eating flat worms... I heard it takes a good dose of flatworm exit to kill these guys... I was going to do that and get a bunch of wrasses. What do you guys think?.. I have 3 tanks connected totaling over 500 gal packed with coral... I don't think I have the room to quarantine.

09/04/2014, 07:32 PM	#8
AquariumService Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Thousand Oaks Posts: 99	Reading all the threads about these guys is a nightmare!.. I may just have to abandon all acros! Let thoes AEFW die off! Then start adding acros again in a few months to make sure they're dead! I have roughly 20 acro colonies infected :-(... Some acros are not bothered like the green slimmer and other staghorns thankfully

09/05/2014, 08:49 AM	#10
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	YTB damsels, peppermint shrimp and some wrasses can keep them at bay, but will never totally rid your tank of them.

09/06/2014, 10:53 AM	#11
AquariumService Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Thousand Oaks Posts: 99	I've decided to sadly trash all my acro's.... I'm going to get the super team together of everything that eats these things(wrasses, shrimp,etc) in my system.. I'll let these worm bastards die off for several months with nothing to eat in my tank. After a couple months of no signs from these guys...Yes I will set up a quarantine tank for all new coming coral... I'll dip them weekly in a variety of dips and watch for at least a month. This appears the only way to be successful with keeping tons of acro. I've gotten very lucky the past 10 + years never seeing these guys.. Now I know there ugly face! By far this is the worst thing a reef tank can encounter that I've come across... I'll take redbugs any day over AEFW's!

09/08/2014, 07:14 PM	#12
AquariumNut Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 159	Sorry man ..... maybe try and save a few colonies ? Separate tank . No rock and lots of flow . Flatworms hate flow . And treat with flatworm exit . Seems a waste to just trash them :/

09/09/2014, 04:50 AM	#13
discocarp Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Winter Park, FL Posts: 2,707	Flatworm exit will do absolutely nothing for AEFW. It is only for red planaria, and not always effective even then.

09/09/2014, 05:25 AM	#16
CuzzA Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Palm Harbor, FL Posts: 2,997	In fact, if you want to ship all your acros to me at my expense I'll take on the challenge.

09/09/2014, 11:54 PM	#17
Silvergryphon Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Seattle, Wa Posts: 540	Doesn't Bayer work good for AEFW and possibly their eggs as well?