Hammer Coral Rescue Mission!!

[matiLanza]

I passed by my local fish store today and they offered me a $5 hammer coral which dying ! Can I make it work ! HELP !!

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[debincalif]

Check out this rescue thread:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1918483

I'm working on 2 rescues right now myself.

 

[Neogenocide]

Wall Hammer....that's gonna be a tough one.

 

[matiLanza]

Thanks for the link, I saw its mostly a general discussion about it but is there anything in particular that I can do for a hammer ? Anyone?

 

[matiLanza]

Wall Hammer....that's gonna be a tough one.

Damn really ? Any advice ? I felt bad because they threw him in the live rock tank like he is worthless ! Not letting that happen !

 

[Neogenocide]

Perfect water params, the right flow and good light is the best you can do. I'll be honest that hammer is pretty far gone, not sure how much of a chance it really has. Walls are a lot touchier than your standard hammers.

 

[usmc121581]

I would move it to a lower lit area with less flow. Try to hand feed it atleast 3x/week also try to keep any fish and inverts from picking at it and you maight be able to do it.

 

[matiLanza]

Ill give it a try and keep everyone posted, what should I hand feed it ? I try mysis but they just blow away in the current

 

[usmc121581]

Ill give it a try and keep everyone posted, what should I hand feed it ? I try mysis but they just blow away in the current

What you can do to stop that is either; turn of all pumps, use a clear glass to place over top of it, or cut the top off a 2 liter bottle(clear) big enough to place over the coral. You will feed the coral with the coral with the pumps off, place the container over the coral until you see it has consumed some food. Using clear containers will allow you to see this. It will also protect the coral from fish who also want to eat. You could feed it anything that you feed your fish, Mysis, plankton, brine shrimp.

 

[matiLanza]

Thanks ill give it a try and see how he acts, I really hope he isn't to far gone

 

[matiLanza]

I tried it out and I got mysis to land right on him but didn't take them in..
I'm not sure what to do but he has opened up a lot since I got it

 

[Neogenocide]

Don't leave the food lay on it if he won't take it in. It's not healthy enough to eat. I'll be honest though, that's not a deal breaker. I've never seem my hammer eat. Just keep the water parameters good. with low to moderate flow....wherever it will stay open. Keep a eye on it and keep posting pictures would love to see it come back.

 

[MechEng99]

Hey, I'm the one who started the Rescue Coral thread, and I've rescued hundreds of dying corals over the past 6 years. There's some really good advice in there on rescuing just about every type of LPS...including tons and tons and tons of hammers. On the first page I gave a summary...and it works for hammers (but yes, wall hammers can be a bit more tricky.)

...
For the actual coral itself, look for corals that have at least the majority of one mouth. I haven't had any luck rescuing corals with less than 3/4 of a mouth (unless they are my own frags). Usually rescue corals with less than 3/4 of a mouth have just gone through so much stress they won't survive. (If it's a freebie though, it's worth trying!!) Avoid corals with jelly-like substances on them. I also try to avoid obvious pest-damaged corals unless I know exactly how to treat it and have the medication on hand. Nothing worse than coming home to a pest you don't know how to treat and don't have the medication for!

Tank itself:

Of course, you want stable parameters, but this is really really important with rescue corals!! I actually acclimate the rescue corals less than healthy corals (float for ~15 min) since they are probably just getting their bag water really nasty.

Next - dip in Lugol's. I have other dips on hand, but I find this one is the best for rescue corals. During the dip I inspect for pests (and treat as needed).

Here's where I think is the MOST IMPORTANT!!! Use bone cutters to remove excess dead skeleton. New tissue growth seems to have more trouble covering old skeleton than it does making new skeleton. After that, superglue wherever tissue is torn/missing. This will help the flow in your tank from literally ripping the tissue off.

Keep hermit crabs away from the rescue coral for about a month. They will often go after dead tissue to the point of ripping away good tissue...which will ultimately kill the coral.

Food:

For about the first month I'll feed my corals as if they were non-photosynthetic (about 3 times per week). I use my own homemade blend of raw oysters, clams, shrimp, whatever other raw shellfish I can find, seaweed (red, green, brown), sugar, and garlic. Initially, this can be very difficult. If the coral refuses to extend tentacles, I'll turn off all flow and drop sinking fish pellets right onto each mouth. It'll take a while, but the coral will eventually open its mouth. If you still have trouble, placing the coral into a container full of food will work as well (see all the non-photosynthetic tutorials).

Lighting & Flow:

Keep the coral in a pretty low light/low flow area. After the coral starts to heal and recover, you should be able to move it slowly to a higher light/higher flow area.

I wouldn't cut the skeleton off your hammer until it starts healing up more. Make sure to turn off all flow for about 30 minutes while you try to feed. Pellets are good starter food for LPS, and mysis are great.

 

[james1990]

for 5 bucks its worth the try. I picked up one in worse shape than that one and i didnt show it any TLC and care what so ever, and its taking care of itself growing weekly. So i think your in good shape!

 

[sjwitt]

I've had the best results from simple pellets when they're really bad off. I soak the pellets to soften them and then deposit them right on top of the ailling animal. Like others have said, need low to no flow for them to stay on. I leave them sit 15-30 minutes. You should see some sign of a feeding response (slight swelling is a sign). Anything they can get will help them recover. It's amazing how far gone some corals are and are still able to come back. Also, it seems to me that the ones that HAVE come back are the strongest in my tank.

 

[matiLanza]

Hey, I'm the one who started the Rescue Coral thread, and I've rescued hundreds of dying corals over the past 6 years. There's some really good advice in there on rescuing just about every type of LPS...including tons and tons and tons of hammers. On the first page I gave a summary...and it works for hammers (but yes, wall hammers can be a bit more tricky.)



I wouldn't cut the skeleton off your hammer until it starts healing up more. Make sure to turn off all flow for about 30 minutes while you try to feed. Pellets are good starter food for LPS, and mysis are great.

There is really a ton of information on that forum and i went through it for the most part. You have pulled off some serious rescuse from scolys who praticly had nothing left. Thats something amazing about the hobby. I woke up today to something a little better than i thought, it really opended up a lot more than usual. I have it in a very low light low flow spot.

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[MechEng99]

Hey! That looks *much* better already!! Keep us posted!

 

[matiLanza]

Thanks for the help ! sigh of relief! He has actually extended a lot more since the picture ! Ill keep posting on his progress

 

[chrisfont23]

Nice job. Looks real good. Keep us posted.

 

[SomeDude12]

I'm surprised they didn't just give it away. Looks like you're seeing some success. Good luck!