what do you do with loose attatched polyps?

[jcatblum]

Last week I bought a rock with some polyps on it (no zoas, but I believe they are palys). The rock was fresh off the truck- polyps not opened but I saw some potential in the piece and shelled out the $30 for the rock.

The polpys did have some damage from shipping, in fact my cleaning crew removed 4 or 5 that didn't look so good. There are 3 LARGE polyps that are hanging off the rock, I am just guessing they were attatched to another rock prior to being ripped from there home.

So far I placed some small rock pcs under the polyps, but with the flow in my tank honestly it isn't helpful. Plus my crabs keep moving the little rocks.

Should I go ahead and glue the polyps to the rock? I was waiting since they had been stressed, but even the "loose" polyps are opening up. It has been five days since they have been in my tank. All of the polyps are not opening up but over half of them are. I can't really see the skirts on most of them yet, but honestly the rock kinda looked as if it had been half smash when I bought it (but I still see the possibilities in the piece).

 

[eastcoastzigzag]

super glue.....look for fragging threads.

 

[loves saltwater]

keep some super glue GEL on hand for those lose polyps. Dry the rock with a towel put a drop of super glue GEL on the rock and stick the polyp to it. Let it set for about 10 minutes then place it in your tank...I do this all the time

 

[jcatblum]

I was thinking maybe there was another method that might be less stressful, so I wasn't totally ready for the glue.......

But I went ahead & I cut the loose polyps off and glued.... Also I dipped in Iodine after, just to aid in healing. I have fragged before----- I guess my biggest worry was the stress that these guys had already been through, but hanging on by only a few pieces of skin must be kind painful and REALLY stressful.

Tomorrow when the lights come on we will see how things are working out.

I ended up with 4 seperate frags - one with 5 polyps that were still kinda matted together and the other frags have 2 polyps each.

 

[camaroracer214]

what you could have done is taken a small plastic cup, putting sand and rocks in the bottom and putting the frag in there for a few days until it is attached...but it looks like you've already solved your problems.

 

[eastcoastzigzag]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10441394#post10441394 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jcatblum
I was thinking maybe there was another method that might be less stressful, so I wasn't totally ready for the glue.......

But I went ahead & I cut the loose polyps off and glued.... Also I dipped in Iodine after, just to aid in healing. I have fragged before----- I guess my biggest worry was the stress that these guys had already been through, but hanging on by only a few pieces of skin must be kind painful and REALLY stressful.

Tomorrow when the lights come on we will see how things are working out.

I ended up with 4 seperate frags - one with 5 polyps that were still kinda matted together and the other frags have 2 polyps each.

--- dont be surprised if it takes a few days to fully open.

 

[loves saltwater]

Between the trip and fragging I will bet it will be a few days before they open up.

 

[jcatblum]

All but 2 polyps opened up today, and I even could see the skirts on a few. The ones that didn't open are polyps that I didn't have a "good" surface to start with when I glued them, but I will wait and see how they do.

Oh-- I have done the small cup before, but the rock was a little bigger than a softball, so that made it a little tricky!!!

 

[glee]

post a pic of your new palys...thanks, g

 

[jcatblum]

I have never tried to post pics but I will give it a try......

The pics are not they don't really show any of the speckaling I bought them for but there are green specks around the mouths (or at least when they are happy)

The first pic shows flash and the second one is without (the larger rock is kinda in the shade). The large rock came with about 30 polyps on it I think it has about 15 left on it after the few that died and then minus the ones I cut off.

I am so excited that the pictures worked!!!

 

[glee]

nice job. the palys look attached and happy. best, g