AEFW , What all will they eat ?

[reefrubble]

Please don't say Arcos . I know they will eat Milli s , because they ate the crap out of mine . Will they eat monti s ? I have a bad case of AEFW , and I am removing everything I know they will eat , but I don't want to kill something that they won't eat . This is very hard for me . I am trashing huge corals I have had for years . My corals are so big , and covered in flat worms , and eggs , there is no way I can get them all . I am going to have to start over , after I am sure the tank is clear .

[flamron]

I won't say arcos. ;)

They eat all acropora species. Montipora is not acropora, so you are safe.

[reefrubble]

I won't say arcos. ;)

They eat all acropora species. Montipora is not acropora, so you are safe.

Ronnie , Thank you for your help . I didn't think millepora was an acro , but they ate my milles .

[Bax]

Millies are acros.

Your montipora caps and didgis are safe. I found they don't touch bird's nest or pocilliaporas either. When it comes to acros they do have their favorites, millies are in that group so are smoother skinned tri colors (like a. valida) but if it is an acro, it is on the menu.

[Stanley-Reefer]

YEP--millies and tricolors will be the first ones they hit.

[reefrubble]

Millies are acros.

Your montipora caps and didgis are safe. I found they don't touch bird's nest or pocilliaporas either. When it comes to acros they do have their favorites, millies are in that group so are smoother skinned tri colors (like a. valida) but if it is an acro, it is on the menu.

I wish I had known they wouldn't touch birds nest . I pulled out a huge ORA Green , and a really big Pink Birds nest . This has really got me Down .

[reefrubble]

Stanley-Reefer, Thank you for your input .

[gon08]

Why are you killing everything? You know there are dips and the eggs can be removed and at the very least they can all be fragged, and treated and replaced in the tank. I mean they only eat Acropora sp. so if you plan to kill everything you might as well take a chance with a wrasse or bristle tail file fish, at best you would have a 50/50 chance.

[reefrubble]

Why are you killing everything? You know there are dips and the eggs can be removed and at the very least they can all be fragged, and treated and replaced in the tank. I mean they only eat Acropora sp. so if you plan to kill everything you might as well take a chance with a wrasse or bristle tail file fish, at best you would have a 50/50 chance.

I did frag , and dip some pieces . I didn't remove everything from the tank . I have LPS corals , some caps , and a few other things . All my Acros were covered in worms , and eggs , but Like I said I did do some fragging . I do have wrasses in the tank , and I think that is why I didn't notice anything until the worm population exploded .

[reefrubble]

Does anyone know how long you have to leave the tank fallow , to be sure all the adult flatworms , and all offspring , have died off ?

[screamincamaro]

Based on other posts it's six weeks of no SPS to starve them off.

[reefrubble]

Thanks Brian . So if I wait two and a half to three months , I should be OK ?

Ted

[Bax]

Yes, 2-3 months is good.

BUT!

You must really search the tank, be absolutely positive there are no pieces of acro liying around on the bottom or on the rock. Any acro tissue will support a new clutch of AEFWs!