reefkeeper2
Well-Known Member
Since I am breaking down the tank in a few weeks I have removed all my acros and have been dipping them weekly. Ughhh it takes me 4 hours to dip all those big colonies. I also noticed it stresses them out a bit. So I wrote an email to Dr Kate Rawlinson who is doing research on the little buggers to see if I could go a little longer between dips. Below is the email and the reply I got from her. Also, FYI according to an article I read in Advanced Aquarist, they can only survive 5 to 7 days without a host.
Dr. Rawlinson,
I'm sure you get a lot of email from hobbyists and I appreciate your valuable time in reading mine. I am presently breaking down and replacing a large reef aquarium due to structural issues. I'm taking advantage of the circumstances to try and rid my system of AEFW that have probably been present for over 8 years. I have many large established sps colonies. I have already dipped all of them on a weekly schedule 3 times with 5 more planned. I know the life cycle of the flatworm has not yet been determined, but I was wondering if you might venture to advise on the frequency of the dips. Weekly dips appear to be stressful for the corals. I would greatly like to decrease the frequency to once every two weeks but not knowing how long it takes for the flatworm to sexually mature complicates the process. I'm sure you don't know that information yet either but I think your guess would probably be better than mine.
Thanks for your time and good luck with your research,
Paul Bruns
Hi Paul,
Thanks for contacting me. You're right I don't have these answers yet, but I would think that reducing the frequency of dips to once a fortnight should be equally effective. Preliminary data that my collaborator, Cat Dybala, has collected would suggest that they take about two weeks to hatch and they reach maturity at a small size, so probably mature within a matter of weeks if there is lots of food about. Dipping once a fortnight should hopefully get any new hatchlings that have survived previous dips.
I hope that over the coming months we can give you more accurate data and work out an optimal dipping protocol - that is our initial aim.
Good luck,
Kate
Here is the link to the article.http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/fascinating-and-insightful-research-about-aefw
Dr. Rawlinson,
I'm sure you get a lot of email from hobbyists and I appreciate your valuable time in reading mine. I am presently breaking down and replacing a large reef aquarium due to structural issues. I'm taking advantage of the circumstances to try and rid my system of AEFW that have probably been present for over 8 years. I have many large established sps colonies. I have already dipped all of them on a weekly schedule 3 times with 5 more planned. I know the life cycle of the flatworm has not yet been determined, but I was wondering if you might venture to advise on the frequency of the dips. Weekly dips appear to be stressful for the corals. I would greatly like to decrease the frequency to once every two weeks but not knowing how long it takes for the flatworm to sexually mature complicates the process. I'm sure you don't know that information yet either but I think your guess would probably be better than mine.
Thanks for your time and good luck with your research,
Paul Bruns
Hi Paul,
Thanks for contacting me. You're right I don't have these answers yet, but I would think that reducing the frequency of dips to once a fortnight should be equally effective. Preliminary data that my collaborator, Cat Dybala, has collected would suggest that they take about two weeks to hatch and they reach maturity at a small size, so probably mature within a matter of weeks if there is lots of food about. Dipping once a fortnight should hopefully get any new hatchlings that have survived previous dips.
I hope that over the coming months we can give you more accurate data and work out an optimal dipping protocol - that is our initial aim.
Good luck,
Kate
Here is the link to the article.http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/fascinating-and-insightful-research-about-aefw
