acropora pest

[Archie]

seems i have some new critters in my tank. found two of them on the base of blue tort.
it appears that they like to eat acros. it was clear they were working their way up the base
of my tort

[Sandy]

(In my best little green alien from the movie "Toy Story" voice) OOOOOOOOOOOO, that sucks!
Hope you don't find anymore of those little buggers!

[Archie]

just my luck those two were a mated pair

[Jessi84]

Did you find out what they are called?

[Archie]

do believe they are Coralliophila abbreviata

found this article on noaas website.


http://coris.noaa.gov/about/eco_essays/ ... biota.html

[Gerwin]

Coralliophila abbreviata

Latin for

Coral eating SOB

[goalk33p3r]

i hope you get them all out that would totally suck to lose some coral because of them

[Gerwin]

yet another pest has been discovered by a customer the AEFW (acro eating flat worm), if the identification is correct these can eat certain acropora corals, if correct it also means they may exist in our tank at the shop,
the danger to those with LPS is pretty much None but those with acro's should keep a watch for tissue necrosis. I guess a good coral dipping should be the new lesson for the day.
There are a number of villains for corals just as there is for fish, cats, dogs etc. this does not mean doom and gloom so much as wear a condom protect yourself.
How do we get them?
they can come along on the corals you buy / swap as well as in / on the live rock you buy. Pretty much any marine water not medicated could be carrying the pest or egg. I will load up on coral dip and run a special for a month or so, to make it a no excuses reason why you do not have the means to deal with any coral bugs you find.

[don]

whats a ACRO?

[Jessi84]

whats a ACRO?

Acropora is a calcium carbonate based coral (stoney) from the Phylum Cnidaria. They are colonial with small polyps that have symbiotic algae that produce their energy thru photosynthesis.
See...guess Zoology class is paying off a little


Gerwin, I have no visible problems as of yet with my little beauty, I have Kent Marine Lugol's Solition...Is this what you are referring to? Will dipping my acro in this do ANY harm to my good residents like my female acro crab and my feather worm?

BTW I wouldn't mind having a stud for my little lady crab too!

[Gerwin]

acro short for acropora,

lugols will work but could do the worms in, crab will be probably be just fine, but the other coral dips will have the same result on the feather worms I fear.
Yes all our store corals are fine but we had a couple frags that had been around for months that started slow dying and C21 got them to recover, other than those which were in a rough shape already all else looks good here as well, growing even.
Best to be aware of things you can do to keep pests to a minimum, just like the little leather eating nudibranchs, acro eating snail and Zoa eating snail, and the Apstasia anemones, mantis shrimp and on and on.

[Redfish]

Just trying to learn something here If you were to take the SPS corals out of your tank to treat them, not that I have any would you have to put the corals into another tank and then treat your main tank? Will the treatment for the main tank, if it needs a treatrment, effect any of the fish, shrimp, snails, crabs or softcorals that may be in your main tank.

[phisher]

Generally you don't treat the display, these type of products kill just about anything invert wise. If you catch it early, dipping pieces themselves a few times will take care of it.

[Gerwin]

what he says

[Redfish]

I think I read some where that a Yellow Coris Wrasse will hunt them down, also a Six Line Wrasse, but read that a Six Line can be a bully towards other smaller fish.