rbta not healing after split

catdoc

Premium Member
I had an rbta start to split in February, then it stopped halfway through. It split completely through only one side of its mouth, formed two separate feet, but never finished splitting the other side of the mouth. This left a thin (less than an inch) bridge of tissue connecting the clones. I gave it a month, then finished the split with a blade.

I'm afraid that I waited too long to help though. It's been several days and the mouth still hasn't reformed on either daughter clone. Each one has the border of the mouth curling in, but I don't see that the edges are attaching. I need to get a good picture but it's hard to do since the tentacles are in the way. Both daughters are fully inflated and there has been no bleaching.

Has anyone else had this happen? How did it turn out?
 
How many days is "several?" :) I don't know if it will ever close around itself like a clone that split quickly and got to heal back around on itself. As long as they don't look stressed or bleached, I'd just keep an eye on them. IME they eventually grow so that their mouth is in the middle of their disk again but it can take several months.

Pic would really help but don't irritate them just to get a pic, if you catch them deflated maybe get a pic then.

-Sonja
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9625985#post9625985 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by catdoc
I finished the split (with a blade) on 3/24.

Oh. Yeah after a week+ I would think it would have started healing up. :( Have you tried offering it tiny pieces of the food it normally eats? I've had cut bta's eat within 24 hours of being cut even though they haven't even really started to heal up... If it will take in even a small amount of food it might get the extra boost of energy to start healing.

Hope they heal up for you soon! I hate that feeling of wondering if a clone is gonna make it...

-Sonja
 
I don't see how it could eat though, the "mouth" is actually one edge of the outer surface. Picture a big crescent moon, that's the shape it is (sorta...) I'll try to get pics, it's just too hard to describe.
 
Could attempt to raise iodine level to help...only use iodine like lugols soln if you know how to use it and have a test. If not, use potassium iodide...much harder(if possible) to overdose the tank. Supposedly helps coral cuts heal, inverts to molt, and anems to heal from splits...might help out.
 
Follow-up to this: both rbta's have finally healed and have normal mouths again, it took a very long time though--months, as Red Sonja suggested.
 
Back
Top