Rescue Corals

[benjaminspades]

Hi guys If anyone wants to try to save corals I can provide you with free coral or at highly discounted prices in the southern california area

 

[Mhayes462]

Wish I had a before pic of this rainbow hammer. But I got it at work, it came in a shipment in bad shape. It was a nice wall hammer about 6" long. It was not extended at all and the middle looked like it was turning to brown jelly. So I talked my coworker into giving it to me. I dipped it, then took it over to the band saw and cut the bad parts off. I super glued the flesh where I cut it and I wound up with 3 parts. These two started opening a Lil each day and are doing great. The third didn't even make it out of the bag when I got home. It just melted. They are turning into the best hammers I've ever seen. The pic doesn't show the color very well.

Mike Hayes

 

[maroonman]

Great work on all the rescues everyone.

I picked up one the other day ,,,But I am stumped what to do .

I bought it with 2 sides receeding back about 4-5mm on each side.

I placed it in the tank in med. light & low flow. And It puffed up pretty healthy looking. Popped out about 10-15 feeder tenicals as I was feeding .

3 day past and I noticed about another 1-2 mm of receeding .
So I placed it in low light super low flow.
Doesn't puff up when the lights are on ,,but not sucked in to see skeleton under the flesh. It still pops the feeders out to eat ..and I do light target feeding .
It looks to have 2 mouths...and the receeding at it's narrowest point is almost right between the 2 mouths.
Should I chance it and cut it in half and smooth the skeleton part that is showing & glue the flesh where I cut it?

sorry for the crappy pics..I don't have a good phone or camera.
Thanks for any input or help.

 

[Mhayes462]

I hope Mecheng chimes in here because honestly, I have not had very many successes with open brains(trachs). I have a coral skeleton graveyard to prove it. But I always try because they are my absolute favorite coral and I hate to see them die. They seem to just start receding like how yours is doing and don't stop. Mine still ate when I fed them directly and everything. Just try to feed it directly, and I would super glue the flesh to the skeleton where it is receding. Oh, and dip it if you havent already. Good luck.


Mike Hayes

 

[jason angel]

A large scolly that was being given away for $30. Over in Aus scollies retail for between $60-$350. I am confident this will come out ok.

 

[Mhayes462]

That thing is bleached. Out it in lower light and feed it every day. If you have fish and critters that will steal the food, then cut the bottom off a bottle so you can put it around it while it eats. I have had good luck with scoly's. should pull through nicely.


Mike Hayes

 

[greg1786]

Heres one i got in my tank on march 22nd. It was my brothers and it was once beautiful but he neglected his tank for so long and after weeks of begging and pleading he finally let me try to save it. Ill give updates every few weeks its already perked up quite a bit in the week ive had it. If you look close at the bottom right there is a one inch are where there is zero tissue completely exposing the skeleton. Obviously the rest of the tissue is not far from that point as you can see the skeleton completely through the skin all over the poor thing. Wish me luck

 

[Mhayes462]

Good luck on that. If you haven't already I would take it out and dip it. Get it all cleaned off don't let anything sit on it. It's bleached so you need to feed it every day. If you have shrimp and critters in the tank that will steal the food cut the bottom off of a 2 L bottle and put over it while you feed it so nobody can steal it. Put it in lower light. I would also superglue that flesh to the skeleton where it is receding.


Mike Hayes

 

[Jstn]

I got a dying lobo for free wish me luck, it has a nice metallic red shimmer.

I did bayer, iodine, and coral rx dips, I got it in the shade I am waiting for feeders to start showing. Any additional tips,?

 

[jason angel]

That thing is bleached. Out it in lower light and feed it every day. If you have fish and critters that will steal the food, then cut the bottom off a bottle so you can put it around it while it eats. I have had good luck with scoly's. should pull through nicely.


Mike Hayes

:thumbsup: yes im hoping it turns out a nice color.... even if the bleached bit turns back to a drab purple i'll be happy for my $30 investment! :dance:

 

[Mhayes462]

Jstn, if its not bleached you should feed it about 3 times a week or so. If its not putting out feeders, go ahead and put food on it anyway. It may take a little while, but it should eat it. Just turn off all flow, and cover it if there is anything that will steal the food.


Mike Hayes

 

[maroonman]

update on the open brain...It is in full shade now,,Still puffing up nicely . But from day one i have seen about 3 mm of receeding on both spots..
I dread the idea of cutting it and glueing..But I think that is my best bet .

Any thoughts on that idea?

 

[Mhayes462]

Yes, I think that is your best course of action. Instead of stressing it a lot by cutting the skeleton, just glue the flesh to the existing skeleton. Then if it becomes fully healthy, you can trim the skeleton.


Mike Hayes

 

[Jstn]

Jstn, if its not bleached you should feed it about 3 times a week or so. If its not putting out feeders, go ahead and put food on it anyway. It may take a little while, but it should eat it. Just turn off all flow, and cover it if there is anything that will steal the food.


Mike Hayes

I placed food on it last night (pump cut) and It didnt seem to take the food. Im sure it was just stressed on day one after moving tanks along with dips.

 

[johnike]

Wonderful thread, here's one I've been working on for a little while.

 

[Mhayes462]

Nice, you might think about trimming that skeleton back. Just gives the flesh a smoother surface to grow on.


Mike Hayes

 

[JRR1285]

Nowhere near as impressive as the posts here but this is my first and only rescue thus far since I am fairly new to keeping corals.


Right after I first got it: 1/2/13 (Got it mid-late December)

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/94607094@N02/8615104890/" title="IMG_2839 by JRR1285, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8545/8615104890_78d1602e1e_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="IMG_2839"></a>

8 Days later: 1/10/13

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/94607094@N02/8615101016/" title="IMG_2843 by JRR1285, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8544/8615101016_5e7d265e5a_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="IMG_2843"></a>

Today: 4/2/13

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/94607094@N02/8613967879/" title="IMG_2857 by JRR1285, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8104/8613967879_d1c2681cb1_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="IMG_2857"></a>

Shortly after the first pic I started to notice it receding. Not wanting to panic and being inexperienced I adopted a wait and see stance. I finally decided that wasn't going to cut it and after much research came to the conclusion of BJD which apparently is nearly impossible to stop on a wall hammer.

I started with revive dips but it just slowed what seemed like the inevitable. I came across threads about H2O2 dips and decided to give it a shot. Using a turkey baster i just kept sucking dead tissue and jelly out and shooting the peroxide through the skeleton till it was clean. It smelled quite terrible.

I'm proud to say it appears to be growing now though it looks like it's growing new skeleton in another direction and not filling in that bare portion in the front.

 

[JRR1285]

I forgot to add I cut off a large portion using a new hack saw before my last ditch revive and peroxide dips. I wanted to edit the original post but it would not let me.

 

[JRR1285]

I forgot to add I cut off a large portion using a new hack saw before my last ditch revive and peroxide dips. I wanted to edit the original post but it would not let me.

I have no idea why but I posted a reply with images before the quoted post above but it's not showing up. It shows up when I am logged in but not if I'm viewing as a guest. I have two posts with pictures on the forum and they don't show up in my list of posts either.

Hoping a mod catches this, I contacted the site administrator trying to explain what happened but I'm unsure if that form is working either.

 

[MechEng99]

Sorry I disappeared!! The last few months have been quite insane. After this week, I hope things will calm down.

JRR1285 - wow...you don't see many wall hammers survive that sort of ordeal. Nice job. What is BJD? Sorry, not familiar with that acronym.

johnike - so jealous!! Those are my favorite corals, but all the ones I've found to rescue are missing all of their mesenterial filaments. What was wrong with it when you got it?

jstn - any updates?