sick candy cane

[milomlo]

I got a candy cane frag from someone and it looks really bad. Looks like it is mostly skeleton. Is there a way I can revive it? Any help would be appreciated

Here are some pictures

[milomlo]

anyone???

[Thunderkat]

The only thing I could recommend is good water quality, good light, and lots of prayer.

[Reef69]

Its a goner..

[milomlo]

seriously? I can't nurse it back. Man I got screwed huh. :cry

[Reef69]

Ok, i have to say this because its "reefing ettiquette":

"As long as there is tissue there's hope!!" (which is a load of @#$%!)..IMO, once it starts dying, its going to die...Your water quality would have to be immaculate for the coral to regenerate and thrive..

But honestly..yeah, its gone.

[LoneStar]

Yeah it looks like a goner. You could leave it in there and see what happens but more than likely it will die off completely. I have some green star ployps that died down to one measly polyp and have come back thriving. But it just depends....

[ratboy]

If there is still visible tissue it aint dead yet! How did it look when you bought it? 1 good polyp or a few? How do other things look in your tank? Other LPS corals OK? If other corals and more importantly other LPS corals look ok then its probably not a water quality issue. I have several different calustrea in my tank and the neon green ones are the most sensitive. Too much/too little light or flow and they receed until I change their positioning. Ive had other LPS corals (fungia, torch, etc) look worse than that and have them come back (sometimes even after being removed to the sump!) I'll have to take a picture of the green carpet anenome I got from Viet tin a few months back. When I got it it was completely white and couldnt catch and hold food - it looked like a goner. A few months of feedings and care from my clowns and its almost as green and big as my original carpet. --Erik

[milomlo]

If there is still visible tissue it aint dead yet! How did it look when you bought it? 1 good polyp or a few? How do other things look in your tank? Other LPS corals OK? If other corals and more importantly other LPS corals look ok then its probably not a water quality issue. I have several different calustrea in my tank and the neon green ones are the most sensitive. Too much/too little light or flow and they receed until I change their positioning. Ive had other LPS corals (fungia, torch, etc) look worse than that and have them come back (sometimes even after being removed to the sump!) I'll have to take a picture of the green carpet anenome I got from Viet tin a few months back. When I got it it was completely white and couldnt catch and hold food - it looked like a goner. A few months of feedings and care from my clowns and its almost as green and big as my original carpet. --Erik

Well I just got this and it looked like that. I've only had it about a week. i didn't realize it looked so bad until I started looking up pictures of them. Everything in my tank looks great except this and of course my sun coral that I got from the same person. Here is a picture

[hammondegge]

dont give up milo. i had a head of "Brain" that looked like that come back. and a cane that wasnt quiet that bad did the same. both of these went into a lower flow tank (you could move them to an area of low flow) and lower light (175mh 15k hung 18" above the tank). you could move it into partial shade. it only took about a month for full recovery. but as was said, you will need very good water quality.
i cant believe someone sold that to you. did they represent it as healthy?

[hammondegge]

maybe even some gentle spot feeding. squirt some mysis juice at it to wet its appetite, and then try to feed it about 15mins later.

[ratboy]

If you got it that way that is more of a charity case than a frag...

[milomlo]

it was a trade for a leather frag. I honestly think she didn't know that it wasn't healthy either. I am glad I didn't buy it, I would be sick. I have 130w of PC lighting in my 29 gallon. Do you think I should still move it lower? I do have it in good flow, should I move it to a cave (down by my favia)?

[milomlo]

If you got it that way that is more of a charity case than a frag... I hear ya. I try to feed it I am just not sure it is eating :blink

I also got this sun coral. Do you think it will make it? I was told he looks pretty sick too. Aparently I know nothing about taking frags from folks huh? I did buy this one for $30 :wacko

[ratboy]

I dont think you are giving it too much light because I keep mine under moderate light but low flow (on sandbed 16" deep under a 20K 250W MH and 30" under a 14K 400W MH). That favites looks pretty happy so I think it would do better over there. My calustrea like even less flow than my hammer/torch corals. If its too strong I start to see space between the polyps. When its just right the polyps all look continuous -- nice....

[hammondegge]

i think i would leave it in the light, but as far away as possible. i cannot make it out in the photo, but if it is one the rocks then move it down to the sand, and in low to moderate flow without putting it in a dead spot.
g'luck - let us know if it makes it.
robert

[ratboy]

The sun coral looks about like they do when shipped in and the last pic you can see its putting out its polyps so 30$ is a OK price. Sun corals need frequent feedings to survive and typically feed at night but can be trained to feed in the daylight. That coral would do better under a cave so it doesnt grow algae on the skelton showing and crowd the coral tissue.

[gcantu]

I was given a piece of candy cane that looked like yours and now it has grown back. Just place it higher in the light and do weekly water changes. That's what I did and it looks better than when I first got it. Others may have different experiences, that was mine. As far as the sun coral, I don't think it likes direct light. I thought the polyps on those usually came out at night and they liked shaded areas. I'm not too sure though. Like they say, read, read, read, and when you think you know all about it, guess what, read some more.

[Instar]

Sun corals, Tubastrea sp. corals, are not at all photosynthetic. You can put it in a darker area but be sure its in a flow area that tends to bring fish food in the water to it. They like the water flowing toward their ledge or cave and then target feedings.

I agree on the candy cane, even if you can't see any tissue left on it, if there is one cell, there is still hope. I've seen all kinds of corals regrow. Do frequent small water changes so it has a fresh load of trace elements that a good salt mix has and try the small particle food feedings as suggested earlier.

[milomlo]

ok thanks all!! Will take all the advice I can get. I have moved the Candy Cane to the sand. Hopefully it will take a turn for the better.

Sun Coral is in good flow so no algae should grow on it. I am trying to train it to eat in the daylight. How often should I feed it? I was thinking 2-3 times a week or does it need daily feedings?

[TheOtherGuy]

I have a Trumpet that was in my 20 gallon tank. At somepoint it must have fallen or got buried by my watchman goby. Months went by and then I found it buried. I looked at it and looked similar to what you are seeing on yours. I just set it back up and it recovered after a couple of weeks. As long as your tank is good overall water quality I think you will see it recover. Let us know how it does.

[Iknownothing]

Its a goner

[lachrimae]

I'd turn off the flow & spot feed those sun polyps. Try mysis or maybe even soaked Formula 2 pellets. As long as you can still see the mouth, they might take food. Feed them individually.
Don't just sprinkle Cyclopeeze around the area because they won't catch it, especially without the polyps fully extended.

If that doesn't work, some suggest pulling the frag up into a bowl of tank water once a day & giving it a food bath for 15 min or so. Try all sorts of food & see if anything works. (I wouldn't suggest disturbing the colony with this method unless spot feeding doesn't work)