What are the chances...

[gflat65]

I ordered some zoas form somone on the boards (pookstreet) several weeks ago (shipped on the 31st of January). I never got those, so he shipped another frag the following Monday (2/6). I received the second pack on Wednesday (thanks to pookstreet for reshipping for me). Today, the first shipment finally found it's way into my hands... That is good ole US Government efficiency. Unless you force them to get someone to sign for it, they tend to disappear, IME. They still have some sort of form... I started floating them in my nano at work when I got the package, just to see. They all appear to have transparent tissue all around the stalk, but there is solid tissue through the middle of the stalk. Is there any chance these guys will pull through? I'm going to give it a shot without holding much hope, anyway, but thought I'd see what you guys and gals thought. I was thinking of a iodine dip or something along those lines. Is there anything else that might help salvage any part of these guys, aside from some intensive TLC?

 

[MarvinsReef]

wow.. two weeks on the road.. you might have a chance with them if they're all just closed up and no damage to the polyp itself.. they might be very bleached but might make it.. please keep us posted on how these guys do...

any other info on where they were shipped from, heat packs? etc... etc..

Marvin

 

[gflat65]

They were shipped from Ohio to Nashville. Given the weather over the last two weeks, I expected a bag of mush. The ones I paid for are pretty close to mush, but the others (freebies) aren't quite as bad. I'm gonna be amazed if one polyps survives, but I'm gonna try some TLC to see how far that goes. I've got them soaking in two drops of lugols (in saltwater) in ~8-10 oz of water.
I tried to get some pics while they are still in the tupperware, but that isn't working too well. My crabs and shrimp will probably decimate the dead tissue quickly, so I will try to get some before shots just in case there can be some after shots...

 

[spsboy]

I've seen weirder things survive. I remember when we had a shipment of clams spend the night on an icy runway in Atlanta and some of the bags even showed up with ice in them, but about half the clams were able to pull through and survive.
Drew

 

[gflat65]

Here are some pics form the delivery day. The really bad looking ones were the ones that I paid for initially. The others are the freebies. The pinkstardust (though you can't make that out at all) were decijmated by the shrimps and crab in the frag tank by the next day, but the freebies are kinda hanging in there.

The freebies have shown little change (which is kind of a catch 22-not worse, but not better).

 

[Chemguy85]

They might pull through. atleast they are plump looking. That is always a plus. You can only wait. Ben

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Back at the end of summer, I was involved in a frag swap. I had sent some to Scribe thru the good ol USPS and it took him a little over two weeks to get them. I of course sent him some replacements but he did tell me that out of all the frags, he did have one that survived. I don't know for sure how they are doing as I haven't heard from him in a while, but the did survive two weeks in the mail so don't give up hope.

 

[gflat65]

Oh, I'm an eternal optimist when it comes to faltering corals. I'm the guy at reef club meetings that forgoes the frag so I can get the damaged stump. Sometimes they make, sometimes not... I'll keep giving these guys some TLC (i.e., not touch them until they start looking better) and see what they do. I'll keep updating on progress. I was a bit surprised not to have a lump of slime in each bag. It had the nice smell of death before I even cut it...

 

[fishdoc11]

Good luck with em Gary