Finally! In Tank AEFW Treatment Success

[Laser Lammons]

My brother has been reefing for many years right along side me. Over the years he has accumulated a nice collection of acropora and keeps backups for me if necessary. He recently purchased a few acros online and although they were dipped he has now developed a bad case of AEFW. So bad that within 2 weeks his acros went from beautiful and growing nicely to most being infected and showing no PE, loss of colors, RTN at base. As most of you know the classic signs of the nasty critters that all Stick Heads despise. Unfortunately for my brother his tank is filled now with mostly large colonies that are totally encrusted on rock and removal for QT and dipping over a several week period was not an option. So desperation set in and a new method was employeed based on readings from the following

http://www.ph84.idv.tw/vbb/showthread.php?t=191451

The treatment was performed last Thursday (8 days ago) and was amazing. I added 1lb of pure potassium chloride per gallon of tank water. We mixed the KCL solution (water softner product from Lowes) with RO water. Approximately 5 gallons RO for 7 lb of KCl is about the max I could dissolve.
We removed as many fish, crabs, snails, shrimp as we could prior to treatment and put in QT. We then dumped the entire contents of KCL solution into the sump and observed.
What followed was amazing for sure but not shocking due to the success that the solution showed during dipping experiments (Yes We did at least test some acros in a dip solution and they came flying off, shriveled up, changed to circular shape, turned white, then discentegrated). A snow storm of AEFW, pods and many creatures instantly floated off the acros! The treatment was left in tank for 30 mintues with all powerheads running full blast, skimmer on, carbon running.
After 30 minutes we then did a 25% water change.
3 hours after treatment did another 25% water change.
12 hours after treatment did another 2% water change
24 Hours after treatment did a 50% water change.

Potassium levels in tank were initially 450 ppm. After treatment levels were 1500 ppm and then brought back to normal levels with water changes.

Observations:
1- AEFW in tank treatment was successful with first treatment
2- large amount of kill off turned low nutrient system into hight nutrient instantly promoting algae outbreak. Dealing with this is nothing new for SPS keepers. Just lot of water changes, carbon, filter socks, and heavy wet skimming.
3-8 days after treatment all acros are recovering very nicely and all exhibiting PE again with colors coming back quickly
4- only the most infected acros were lost and would have been DOA within 24 hours most likely anyway. We estimate we had about a 90% survival rate.
5-many fish were not caught that went into rocks during treatment. 6 total were left in tank and 3 are actually still alive and show no ill signs of the treatment at all. 2 bluethroat triggers, blue tang, and a wrasse
6- after being left for dead many of the snails came back to work once Potassium levels were restored


We will be doing 3 treatments total. Our second treatment will be this upcoming Thursday and the last 2 weeks after that. We anticipate that the next treatment will not yield anywhere near the kill off and should bounce back much quicker. We are watching one colony of Jason Fox yellow tips acropora that has eggs on the base and has shown a great recovery. 8 days now and they still have not hatched so maybe the treatment was effective on the eggs as well. If not the follow up treatments should do the trick.

I know this will open up a bag of worms and that many will question the method but it WORKED for us so far. We will certainly keep all updated with further findings.

We have tried to get in touch with the AEFW research team with no luck but I really think they will be interested in this info...
Disclaimer--- It worked on my brothers tank and may nuke yours just sharing personnel experiences.

[Laser Lammons]

Forgot to mention that the tank also had zoas,palys,LPS,and chalices. A total mixed reef. All other corals have been totally fine since the treatment and never showed any ill effects.
The 10% or so loss that occured, other than the obvious pieces that were doomed, were all on the top of the reef. In retrospect I believe that AFTER the treatment during the 50% water change we left the acros exposed in the tank too long. I really believe this occured since I was able to splash the acros on the left side of the tank during the large water change and they all survived and are now doing fine. So if you try this be sure to keep the acro damp in some way during water changes as they may be weak during this time.

[Laser Lammons]

Here is video of the process

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVnXz...e_gdata_player

[Laser Lammons]

sort of like lethal injection you could say

[jayjerk]

Hallelujah!!!!

[Laser Lammons]

Originally Posted by jayjerk

Hallelujah!!!!

[jayjerk]

What product did you use..if I missed it my apologies

[Laser Lammons]

http://www.homedepot.com/s/potassium+chloride?NCNI-5
It was the diamond crystal bag second from left in post above. Made for use in water softeners.
Easily available for all to get their hands on..

[Laser Lammons]

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Diamond-C...2447/100614656

Sorry bout the previous link. Here is actual product used

[sahin]

Very interesting. Will be keeping an eye on this thread. Video was very convincing. However I did notice the slime coming off the Acros...the same slimeing happened when I dosed Magnesium chloride too fast in my tank.

My acros were all fine.

[Puffyluv]

Interesting!!! Wondering...you weren't dipping with All-out, were you?

Love it when people take scientific discovery into their own hands...best thing for this hobby! The scientists don't move fast enough, do they? We would all be up the creek if we waited on them!

[Jim Z.]

Glad it worked for you. What happened is you increased the salinity with potassium chloride. Little worms with permeable skin desiccate immediately as water leaves their cells. Most corals are covered with slime which protects them from drying during low tide. I'm surprised that some of the fish survived the treatment..................Jim

[xtlosx]

This is exciting... keep us posted, thanks for doing this on your system.

[Eric The Red]

looking forward to updates

[Laser Lammons]

Originally Posted by sahin

Very interesting. Will be keeping an eye on this thread. Video was very convincing. However I did notice the slime coming off the Acros...the same slimeing happened when I dosed Magnesium chloride too fast in my tank. My acros were all fine.

Yes the acros were sliming instantly during the treatment and for up to about 24 hours after. We have also had a major shift from low to high nutrient system due to all the die off and algae has insued. Remember his clean up crew is now almost completely gone (yes a few snails did make it) so he has been blowing the rocks constantly to keep them from turning into algae factories. Every time he does this a few of the acros still slime but are now looking better than ever with total PE and colors coming back extremely quick. I mean I am shocked how fast they are recovering.

Originally Posted by Puffyluv

Interesting!!! Wondering...you weren't dipping with All-out, were you?

Love it when people take scientific discovery into their own hands...best thing for this hobby! The scientists don't move fast enough, do they? We would all be up the creek if we waited on them!

Yes he dipped EVERYTHING that ever went into the tank with Bayer (same as the all out from what I have heard). He was in a position with his tank where it was impossible to remove all the acros so a desperate move was tried. Could have been an instant tank crash but he felt it was immanent anyway and in a 3 day period his tank went from incredible to total infection.

Originally Posted by Jim Z.

Glad it worked for you. What happened is you increased the salinity with potassium chloride. Little worms with permeable skin desiccate immediately as water leaves their cells. Most corals are covered with slime which protects them from drying during low tide. I'm surprised that some of the fish survived the treatment..................Jim

As mentioned earlier the only real problems we encountered with acro loss was mainly during the large water change and we feel due to air exposure while the acros were already in a weak phase.
Completely shocked fish made it as well.

Originally Posted by xtlosx

This is exciting... keep us posted, thanks for doing this on your system.

I will pass the info from all to my brother as he does not participate in forums.

Originally Posted by Eric The Red

looking forward to updates

As are we! We are actively trying to get in touch with Kate Rawlison (SP?) to discuss the treatment, eggs we are observing, and what to look for going forward with the eggs. We are really hoping to get this right the first time and have a method for us all to use in the hobby to get rid of this pest in our captive systems once and for all!

[sahin]

Currently, I am battling AEFW's.

I am dipping in Revive. I am lucky in that I use the coral pegging method to mount my SPS and am easily able to remove corals for dipping.

Good luck to your brother. Please do report back on the long term.

[Redrosetuscan]

Wow!

Certainly interesting.

I believe removing acros and dipping them is not good for them at all, a sure fire way to brown them right off and possibly even kill them.

For about 3-4 months I've had them and am keeping on top (quite easily) by simply basting them off, any one of the wrasses (though a fairy wrasse loves them the most) gobble them up and pretty much doesn't miss a single one.

Corals have held colour well, some have slowed in growth (although I've had all sorts of un related problems I think are more the problem).

I haven't had a proper outbreak so to speak, initially I had a badly infected milli, covered in eggs which I threw out. Since then I can't see a single egg, but they must be there as I keep finding a couple here and there (over 200g total).

It's good to read this as if I ever get a full on outbreak I might just try this.

[rovster]

Sweet!

[scoly]

Tagging along

[Laser Lammons]

Day 11 now after treatment and the recovery of the acros has been amazing. Several that were 50% RTN have totally stopped and the rest of the coral is now thriving agian.
Observations of the eggs on the Yellow Tip acropora has yielded no changes as of today so that is great news as well. Maybe they wont hatch at all and they were effected during the orignal treament.
Treatment #2 will be dosed on Thursday evening at 10 central. I dont expect die off to be as dramatic and hope not to see the same type snow storm event from the AEFW. May see a few straglers but we will see.
I have been trying to get in touch with Kate Rawlison to discuss the eggs we are observing to get her insight on what to look for..

[MisterP]

Pics or it didn't happen

Just messing with you...but pics of the recovery would be nice.

[Laser Lammons]

shots from aefw eggs being observed from day 9 and day 11

[Laser Lammons]

shots from day 12 observation with zoom look. The eggs appear to have white specs in them and I have not been able to observe any movement through the camera zooom. Also included a pic of the same coral that was almost a goner before treatment, had totally lost color, no PE, and the base --well you can see that pretty good. Colors have already come back, PE somewhat back and recovering nicely.

Please dont hatch eggs!!

[Laser Lammons]

a closer look at the eggs

[Laser Lammons]