Reef Parasites
Identification, Consequences,
Treatment of
Overview
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Pyramidellidea snails
Red Bugs
Acro Eating Flatworms (AEFW)
Montipora Eating Nudibranchs
Zoanthid Eating Nudibranchs
Acoel worms (red planaria)
Pyramidellidea snails
• Commonly called pyramid, pyram or
rice snails
Identification
• Look for 1/8” snails on bottom and in all
crevices of the clam.
• Clear jelly-like egg masses which will also be
on the clam’s underside or in crevices of its
mantel
• When there are large numbers of snails on a
clam it will make the clam pinch or not open
fully and may be a sign of the snails
Consequences
• Tridacnid clam killer as well as bivalves,
gastropods, polychaetes, echinoderms and
polyplacophorans
• If left unchecked the snails multiply quickly:
Their egg masses can contain hundreds of
eggs. These eggs hatch after about 15 days,
become sexually mature at about 45 days,
and have a life cycle of about 120 days. So,
two Pyrams today can become hundreds in a
month and thousands in a few months
Treatment of Pyramid
• Tools
– Soft Tooth Brush:For brushing around the
edge of the shell and the byssal opening
to avoid damaging any flesh
– Stiffer brush(s) for scrubbing the middle of
the shell where you won’t be in danger of
contacting the flesh
– Wooden Skewers for digging in crevices
Cont’d
• Quarantine all new clams inspect them once purchased for egg
masses and snails and clean them off.
• Pyrams are nocturnal. So about an hour or two after all lights
are out in the aquarium the Pyrams will start to come out to
feed on their host. Fill up two containers that are large enough
to hold the clam with aquarium water.
• Gently grab the clam and turn it so that the mantle is horizontal
and slowly lift it out of the water. You never want to remove a
clam from the water – especially a large clam – with the mantle
pointing up (vertical) because clams can not support their
mantles well while out of the water
• Brush sides with stiff brush, use soft brush to clean close to
flesh and opening use the skewers to clean crevices of the
mantel
• Scoop out the substrate from where the clam was to remove
any Pyrams that might have been hiding there
• for the next four to six weeks you will need to repeat this
cleaning routine two to three times a week, discarding the
substrate as well. Even if you don’t see any snails, do the whole
routine. After six weeks you can slow down to once a week for
another six weeks
Cont’d
• Possible Predators
– six line wrasse (Pseudochellinus hexataenia), the
four line wrasse (P. tetrataenia) and the yellow
coris wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus) that may eat
Pyrams, however at best, these fish will only
control the population, not eradicate them.
Remember, Pyrams are nocturnal (active at night)
and wrasses are diurnal (active during the day).
Size Reference
Egg Mass
Red Bugs
Identification
• Red Bugs are flea like copepods which
are yellow with a red head
• Primarily affect smooth skinned Acro’s
and seem to prefer Nanas and Validas
• Usually acros that are highly infected
will loose polyp extension as well as a
loss of color.
Consequences
• In small numbers they will go unnoticed
unless you have seen them before.
• Once in large enough numbers they will
smother acros causing loss of color,
polyp extension and eventually death of
coral.
Treatment of Red Bugs
• Treatment medicine is Interceptor
– Which is heartworm treatment for dogs and must be
obtained by a Vet. Pills are for 51-100lbs dogs
• First type of Treatment: Quarantine Tank
– Fill a small tank or container with your tank water and a
small power head.
– Take one pill and use a spoon to crush it into a powder. You
will only have to use a small amount as one pill is enough
treatment for 380gallons of water.
– Put a small amount of powder into water and make sure its
mixed well.
– Now you place the infected coral or newly purchased coral
into the container and leave for 6 hours.
– After six hours has elapsed gently shake the coral in the
water to remove dead or dying red bugs and place it into
(ideally) your quarantine tank.
Cont’d
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In tank treatment
Calculate total water volume of your tank and all equipment.
Need to catch all shrimp, hermit crabs as the medication will kill most of
them unless they are very large. Move them to another tank.
1 pill = 380gallons of treatment, its always better to go a little over on
your estimate of gallons in your system. Crush the pill(s) into a powder
and mix in a cup with your tank water until absorbed.
Turn off skimmer, UV, Carbon, phosban reactors
Pour cup of medicine into the tank and wait 6 hours
End of 6 hours turn on skimmer, UV, add fresh carbon, phosban
reactors
You can perform a large water change but is not necessary as the
medication should go neutral after 24hrs
Ideally you should re-treat 7 days later and again another 7 days later to
make sure you have killed all the possible eggs which could have been
missed and hatched between treatments.
Once you have finished treating the tank you can re-introduce the
shrimp and hermit crabs back into the tank.
Possible Predators
3.
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5.
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Wrasses- will not completely kill all red bugs but will help to control
population
Mandarins- This is not a guarantee but some have seen them eat them
Acro Eating Flatworms
• Commonly called AEFW
Identification
• White marks on Acro’s (bite marks)
• Small Orange/brown eggs at base or
on coral
• Loss of color
• Tissue recession from their base
• Loss of growth
Consequences
• If left unchecked could cause total
death of coral.
Bite marks, Photo from Melev’s Reef
Treatment of AEFW
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Paraphrased from Reefkeeping Magazine
no in-tank treatment at this time
separate quarantine tank
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Make sure this tank is well cycled and conditioned and is appropriate for housing Acropora corals
The corals can be treated and then placed immediately back into the display tank. Though not
ideal (keeping them isolated in a quarantine tank is ideal)
Dips
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Fresh water dips work but are very harsh on coral
Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure(TMPCC) dips for 25 to 30min’s.
levamisole hydrochloride
Formula:
Volume in Liters x PPM /mg/ml of drug
For instance: most Levamisole drugs are either 80% or 90% active ingredients. For a 40ppm dose
of 90% active Levamisole in a 5-gallon dip, the formula would be: 5gal x 3.78L=18.9L 18.9L x
40ppm/900mg= .84g of Levamisole.
The 900mg comes from the active ingredient of the drug. If it’s 100% active, it’s 1000mg/g.
Anything less than 100% active is a percentage of that. So a 90% active drug is 900mg/g, an 80%
active drug is 800mg/g and so forth.
Dip length is dependant upon users discretion anything from 10 to 30min’s
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After Dip
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take a small power head and blow all the coral’s crevices and branches to dislodge any stubborn
flatworms. While doing this, carefully inspect the coral for any sign of eggs. If you see small brown
egg sacs, either cut off the area, or scrape these eggs off of the coral. Sometimes it is best to cut
off all the dead parts of the coral, leaving a healthy, flatworm- free coral.
Ideally place the coral in a separate Quarantine tank and watch for up to 6 weeks
Montipora Eating Nudibranchs
Identification
• White frilly nudibranchs about max of 3mm
in size.
• If you see death on Montipora species coral
that is in a band pattern it is most likely them
7 days before was healthy
4 Days later
Consequences
paraphrased from qualitymarnine article
• asexual reproduction (only takes one to make
tons)
• A single adult can lay over 100 eggs, they only
take a few days to hatch as they have already
been incubating within the adult before being
laid. The larvae start out very small, but within
the first few days with an abundant food source
present they grow quickly, reaching adult size in
less than a week after hatching
• If left untreated they will eradicate all montipora
species in the tank
Treatment of Montipora eating Nudi’s
Treatment Options (as indicated by QualityMarine Article)
• Chemical Dips:
• These options offer different ways to kill the adult specimens of
nudibranchs. Eggs are unfortunately resistant to these treatments
however it may reduce the successful hatch rate. Eggs must be either
removed manually, if they can be found, or allowed to hatch to be treated
as adults. The key is to eradicate any adults before they get a chance to
lay eggs. It is also best to dip all Montipora and Anacropora all at the
same time as well as rocks in close proximity to the infected corals, as
the nudibranchs are known to frequently roam around in search of new
host coral.
– Iodine/derivatives – (ex. lugols iodine, TMPCC, Seachem reef dip) when
used at recommended dosages and times, these medications will kill most if
not all adults. Throughout the procedure it is important to stir the coral in an
effort to detach any adults from the coral. Once the dip is complete, the
coral should be inspected for any nudibranch remnants which can be
removed using a toothpick.
– Another option for chemical dips is Levamisole, It acts as a contact
poison blocking nerve transmission to kill or stun the parasite. This
drug has proven to be a very effective treatment for both parasitic
nudibranchs and flatworms. We recommend a minimum dosage of
50ppm for a total duration of 10 hours or more. At this dosage the
nudibranchs become paralyzed and fall off the coral. This treatment
can be used in an existing reef system, however it is advised that it
be administered in a separate tank, as there can be a lot of
secondary die off of aquatic life. Note, Levamisole is only available
with a prescription from a licensed Veterinarian.
– Freshwater dipping is a very dangerous yet very effective treatment
option. Freshwater creates a large difference in osmotic pressure
between the inside and outside of the body of the nudibranchs. This
sudden change in osmotic pressure causes the cells to rupture and
quickly kills the nudibranch. The dip must be done with dechlorinated water adjusted to the pH and temperature of the tank
and must last no longer than 15 seconds. Note, this is not
recommended as a safe treatment option as it can be very harmful
to the zooxanthellae in the coral, longer exposure times can and will
kill coral.
Manual removal of adults and egg masses:
• This method is very effective for aquarists with smaller colonies and the
ability to remove those colonies/fragments from the water. Colonies with
deep inaccessible crevices may need to be broken apart in order to provide
access to all areas of the coral. With good eyes and careful observance,
these pests can be eradicated within a matter of weeks, as their egg cycle
time is less than a couple weeks in length. Nudibranchs can either be
scooped up with tweezers but scraping/squishing their body with a toothpick
will also work. Just be sure to either shake the dead nudibranchs off in a
separate container of water or use a jet of water from a pipette or baster to
remove any remaining parts.
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Introduction of natural predators.
Fish such as certain members of the Pseudocheilinus (Sixline wrasses),
Coris (Coris wrasses), and certain Thalassoma (Banana wrasses) Genus’
are known to actively feed on these nudibranchs. While this can be an
effective control mechanism, it may not completely get rid of all
nudibranchs. Most of these wrasses lack the mobility to get to most of the
places where the nudibranchs hide. There are many other natural predators,
including certain crabs, several other nudibranchs, and perhaps more,
however these are not as commonly available to the aquarist as the
aforementioned fish.
Zoanthid Eating Nudibranchs
Identification
• Zoanthid will stop opening
• Loss of Zoanthid polyps
• As they digest the Zoa’s they turn the color
of the Zoa’s so its harder to find them
Consequences
• Asexual reproduction
• If left unchecked will consume all
polyps
Treatment of Zoa eating Nudi’s
• Fresh water treatments are most
common
• Also see treatment of Montipora Nudi’s
Acoel Worms
Common name is Red planaria
Identification
• Red/pink/brown/orange flatworms
• 1mm to 3mm in size
• Usually cover substrate and can cover
corals
Consequences
• They can reproduce asexual therefore
can reach plague proportions very fast
• If left unchecked they can smother
coral and cause coral to slowly die
• They are very toxic and once in plague
proportions if food runs out there can
be a massive die off which can kill fish
and invertebrates.
Treatment of Acoel worms
• Siphoning them out of the tank
• Fresh water dip corals to get them off
• Flatworm exit will kill them but you need to
siphon as much of them out as possible and
follow directions on the box to ensure your
livestock doesn’t die from the toxins.
• Chelidonura varians slug feeds primarily on
them but once flatworms are gone it will die.
Chelidonura varians
Sources
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Distressed Clam: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-02/nftt/index.php
Red Bugs: http://www.melevsreef.com/redbugs.html
Red Bugs: http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/viewtopic.php?t=14402
AEFW: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/mc/index.php
AEFW Photos and info also from Joseph Weatherson
Montipora Eating Nudis: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/eb/index.php
Montipora Eating Nudis:
http://www.qualitymarineusa.com/article.asp?page=feature&id=FA22AE9AA335-4F27-A5C5-0913F83DCB60
Pests: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.php
Red flatworms: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2002/short.htm
Acoel worms:
http://www.ronshimek.com/Animal%20Groups%202a%20Flatworms.htm