Rescue Corals

[Whodini]

Help me save my duncan!

Help me save my duncan!

Came home a couple of days ago and noticed a rip in the flesh of my duncan. I think it was getting too much flow. I've since moved it, but the rip is getting worse day by day, even if the coral is behaving normal otherwise.

I was thinking about superglueing around the rip so it doesn't spread anymore. Is this a bad idea?

You can see the progression over 3 days here:http://imgur.com/a/ai0Re

It looks even worse today.

 

[Whodini]

Came home a couple of days ago and noticed a rip in the flesh of my duncan. I think it was getting too much flow. I've since moved it, but the rip is getting worse day by day, even if the coral is behaving normal otherwise.

I was thinking about superglueing around the rip so it doesn't spread anymore. Is this a bad idea?

You can see the progression over 3 days here:http://imgur.com/a/ai0Re

It looks even worse today.

Anyone have any advice for me? I'm starting to think it might be my emerald crab.

 

[MechEng99]

Whodini - It does look like something is picking at it or got hit by direct flow. Have you seen the emerald go after it? I had a rogue emerald crab once that started eating corals when he got really big. Try watching at night after the lights are off.

If the coral seems healthy otherwise, I wouldn't bother supergluing it. If the tissue is flapping around, and the coral is bothered by it, then I would. Corals in a healthy system usually recover well on their own with no intervention.

 

[UKMarineGuy]

Hi,

I love this thread, lots of good stories and amazing recoveries... Ive saved 2 scolly's so far and about to start a third, can i ask what foods, dosing etc do you all recommend? I've heard that adding amino's etc would be beneficial, if so which ones? At the moment i target feed cyclopese and mysis which has so far been good.

Cheers,

 

[UKMarineGuy]

Oh can i also ask about the super-gluing... How do you apply this? Just run some around the edge where the recession is? I'm worried about performing that so can you confirm before i carry this out MechEng99? Also what would your steps be for getting this scolly back to health?

Cheers,

 

[MechEng99]

Thanks UKMarineGuy!

First, I recommend pelleted food for bad rescues. The corals seem to digest it easier than unprocessed foods (like mysis). Once a rescue is taking the pellets well, then I switch to more natural foods. I make my own blends of raw seafood and seaweed (plus whatever freebies I've accumulated from frag swaps, samples, etc.) In bad cases, I dose amino acids (I have only used Zeovit's) right around when the lights go off. Then I feed an hour later. The combination of amino acids and darkness really help get corals to feed.

If there's torn or necrotic tissue, I remove as much of the dying tissue as possible. Then I use a combination of super glue and super glue gel along the skeleton and into the healthy tissue area. If you just glue necrotic tissue, the tissue won't reattach to the skeleton. Super glue was developed as basically wound stitches for the military, so use it like you would do for actual stitches. If you accidentally get too much on healthy tissue, just leave it. It'll peel off easily in a day or two, just like it does off your skin. If you try to remove it too early, you'll just cause more damage.

Your scoly doesn't look too bad. If it's taking mysis and cyclopeeze, then it's probably well on its way to health. Try to offer a varied diet until its color completely returns. Any idea what happened to it?

 

[Reeferz412]

Acanthophyllia rescue is doing great! Coloring up nicely.

New rescues!

This was a nice acanthophyllias but hair algae and lack of feeding got it good. Gonna be a challenge to bring this one back.

This was a beautiful lobo in its entirety but it all died so my co worker put it through the bandsaw and I wanted to take it home. It's been doing great and at night is always asking for food with its feeder tentacles out.

 

[mcavoy]

hey guys i may not be in the right place but looking for advice im day 20 in to my first ever tank its a small 10gal on set up day as i was adding my live rock i discovered a small just over a nickel sized brain coral who is damaged with skeleton showing after day 3 it never puffed up and no feeders appeared so i started moving rock around on day 5 and he detached i moved it to the lowest flow and low light area in hopes it might come around its been 15 days since then im feeding it 2 brine shrimp when its feeders appear about every 3 to 4 days about quarter sized now tips please

 

[Taipan]

Looks like you're well on your way. The only suggestion I would add is to "turkey baste" every now and then to blow away any dead matter/tissue. Good luck.

 

[mcavoy]

thanks taipan i can breath now

 

[Taipan]

You're welcome - but I wouldn't use me as any form of "expert" advice. I'm sure others will have nuggets of information to add. Cheers.

 

[Reeferz412]

Keep it low light and feed whenever you see it's feeders. I like to feed every other day. Keep an eye on the coloration and make sure it isn't bleaching. I'd try to target feed it smaller foods like dr g's liquid oyster food, mysis, or go with prepared foods like coral frenzy or coral smoothie. I tend to mix brine, mysis, and oyster feast together with some tank water and spot feed when I don't use the products I just listed. Make sure you have stability in your system. Stable parameters is the most key component in any system especially for damaged corals. Keep an eye on temp, salinity, alkalinity, and pH

 

[Taipan]

2 Week Update.....Good News.....

2 Week Update.....Good News.....

Scolymia is recovering well. Tissue has reformed over the exposed skeleton on the perimeter. It is eating and has full mouth extensions and puffs out. It is reacting well to lighting and food stimuli.

Please refer to my initial Post#1020 for the "before" pictures.

 

[UKMarineGuy]

Hey Mech,

Been away and busy so not on the forums as much. Yeah the scolly is getting there, no real healing that i can see but it is opening up and quite happily eating a mix of Fauna Marin LPS colour pellets, mysis and cyclopeze. I havent touched the flesh as yet, it does seem to puff up a bit during the day and ive moved it to a new home under a large shelf so its shaded more and in a lower flow area. Ill get some pics asap. From what i know it was hit by a Goni and just left in the shop to rot, shame but now it has a new caring home

Cheers,

 

[MechEng99]

Hey UKMarineGuy - been away a bit myself! Keep us posted...awesome work so far.

 

[Reeferz412]

Some more rescues. That acanthophyllia is on its last leg but I see some feeders out as I feed it. They all seem to be doing well. Just got these guys on Friday.

 

[Reeferz412]

If it comes back, it will be a nice one.

 

[mynorrodas]

Hello! today a friend gave me this coral, it is very bad and bleached i think because of very poor lightning and bad water... I placed it in a medium flow area and I´m planning to feed twice a day with DR Gs clam max... The coral has not a lot of feeding response and not extending tentacles, but it opened all mouths and i think he ate just a little bit...
There is the picture a few months ago... Any advices?

 

[mynorrodas]

:dance:heeeey!!! someone here? hahahaha

 

[Reeferz412]

A bleaching wellso is hard to care for.. Just keep it at low light and try reef chili or some mysis or oyster feast from dr g.