Signs a soft coral is toast?

[dreaminmel]

So I have this yellow leather coral that hasn't been happy for over a week now. Everything else including a second yellow leather of exactly the same kind is perfectly happy. This unhappy one has been all shrunken up with a shiny coating. I changed out my carbon yesterday in case it's putting off anything harmful but at this point should I give up on it? Other than the obvious melting, are there other signs that they are toast? I've heard of soft corals having a shedding process but this just seems out of the ordinary...

Thanks in advance for any ideas or opinions. Will be away from the 'puter for a little bit this evening but can answer any questions later.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

"shiny" Sarcophyton = upcoming shed. Patience, dear :fun4:

 

[Henry Colf]

I concour with Mr. M, softies do that before they are going to shed.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Mr. M? :lmao:

Mel: did you see this thread?:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1369695&highlight=sarco+pest

 

[mr86mister]

As simple answer to your question Mel is this. You know when a soft coral is toast is when the toaster oven buzzer goes off. Durrrrr! I hope it does well. I agree with Gary, some patience with it and all should be better. Soft corals are some hardcore buggers.

 

[S Helinski]

When a soft coral disintegrates into a pile of razor-sharp calcium "shards," it can be considered dead. Other than that, many softies have an uncanny ability to spring back to life!

Steve

 

[dreaminmel]

Excellent! Thank you for the feedback guys. I guess I just didn't realize the process could take over a week. Patience it is then. :thumbsup:


Omg Gary, yes. Definately remember that thread. I think that's part of why every soft coral I've purchased, I try to hold it up to the light and look for oddities. lol Don't want to be adding any of those puppies into the mix.

Mel: did you see this thread?:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1369695&highlight=sarco+pest

 

[dreaminmel]

As simple answer to your question Mel is this. You know when a soft coral is toast is when the toaster oven buzzer goes off. Durrrrr! I hope it does well. I agree with Gary, some patience with it and all should be better. Soft corals are some hardcore buggers.

When a soft coral disintegrates into a pile of razor-sharp calcium "shards," it can be considered dead. Other than that, many softies have an uncanny ability to spring back to life!

Note to self: If buzzers alert me to a pile of sharp-as-razors shards, I shall toss in the towel. Although I do not wish death upon any of my softies, I must admit I'm now curious what that would look like...

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

IME they need to REALLY look VERY VERY dead to actually BE dead, if that makes sense. More than once I've taken a soft coral out of a tank and been ready to toss it, when I decided "I'll just put it back and see what happens." Without fail, they end up fine.

So, now, my rule of thumb is: when in doubt, leave it in the tank - unless it's posing a clear health risk to the rest of the community.

 

[teamdulski]

When a soft coral disintegrates into a pile of razor-sharp calcium "shards," it can be considered dead. Other than that, many softies have an uncanny ability to spring back to life!

Steve

Or you touch them and they melt into a pile of goo in your hands. That was a good smell....

 

[dreaminmel]

Ewwww... worse than skimmate or dying acro?

 

[superkat]

oh please stop the visual...i've been watching that all week....i'm almost over it.

 

[dreaminmel]

Well them be forewarned woman, lol... I am curious of the answer so you may not want to view this thread again.

 

[mynock11]

I had a nuclear green nepthia that balled up and stayed that way for months and i tried everything even freshwater dip water quality was improved everything else doing great after 4 months of having this bright yellow green ball on a stick i had enough and tossed it..maybe not the right thing to do but oh well.

 

[superkat]

Well them be forewarned woman, lol... I am curious of the answer so you may not want to view this thread again.

we've talked about the human ability to stare while a train wrecks, Mel....i'm doomed.

 

[teamdulski]

It was worse than dieing LPS and SPS, but not worse than a melted anemone, I don't think anything is.

 

[dreaminmel]

And I thought I had smelled it all in this hobby... Luckily haven't witnessed the stink of a melted anemone either. Hopefully that day will never come although my Purple Doreensis sure is having a hard time staying put. Rose 'nem? Happy as can be. This purple freak is getting out of control though. I made a nice deep sand "pool" for it and it stayed there for oh... maybe three days. It just keeps detaching and rolling around on the sand bed. Grrr...

 

[superkat]

And I thought I had smelled it all in this hobby... Luckily haven't witnessed the stink of a melted anemone either. Hopefully that day will never come although my Purple Doreensis sure is having a hard time staying put. Rose 'nem? Happy as can be. This purple freak is getting out of control though. I made a nice deep sand "pool" for it and it stayed there for oh... maybe three days. It just keeps detaching and rolling around on the sand bed. Grrr...

leash?:idea:

 

[mynock11]

leash?:idea:

hahaha and tied up tp a piece of LR witha little food dish and water bowl..lol

 

[smogl00]

I've not had one melt yet, although I thought my sarcophyton elegans was sure to do so at one point. It was literally in a shell like that for months until I got things right for it. One GFO reactor and a bit more flow later........ and that thing came right around! Crazy what they can go through.