Another update on The AEFW fight... I've been watching various threads on the use of Bayer Home Defense with germ killer as a coral dip for over a year now with great success. I decided to try dipping the colony that I know is most effected, my tricolor valida.. Being a pretty large and encrusted colony, I took care not to expose any of the rock that the colony is attached to to the water in the dip... Within 20 seconds, I could not believe my eyes.. with the coral hanging upside down in the bucket I used to dip it, the AEFWs began raining out of the colony. I counted at least 60 of these little buggers... for 10 minutes or so they riggled until the wriggling stopped. After 15 minutes , I shook the coral in the solution and noticed the water take in a similar hue to the coral. My guess is that some of the xooxanthelae from the coral was released into the solution. Then, I rinsed it twice in saltwater from my water change in two separate buckets... There was a slight loss of color, but nothing significant... the coral hardly slimed at all once back in my tank and there was no visible signs of stress to any of the other inhabitants. The very next morning, the valida displayed better polyp extension than ever... what made me do this.... I had been noticing this colony getting light at the base... Upon basting, I would see two or three AEFWs come off and I knew there had to be more... This is the most striking colored piece in my reef amongst all the various "more expensive" corals and it is also one of my first corals introduced to this tank as a frag, which makes me particularly fond of it.
I in no way encourage others to try what I did, but once again, I offer my system as a lithmus test in finding some relief to this cause... Things have been very stable since the dip, I will update you all within a few weeks with a follow-up.
but first, a few post dip pictures...
Gotta' have a new fish shot
