dying coral

[jhampton_wsu]

I have a large pagoda cup coral. I've had it for 3 months and last week my rose anemone started moving and stung it. I quickly moved it the stinging couldn't have lasted more than a couple of hours but after I moved it the anemone found it again this time for a longer period of time (I think since I wasn't around). Any way, I put the pagoda toward the top of the tank in a high flow spot so the anemone wouldn't go near it. It had also started to shed a bit of flesh on it's edge and I thought the flow would help. In the last 2 days it has started rapidly losing it's flesh and I think it is hopeless. Is there anything that would help me save it or should I pull it out. I hope my pics show up since this is my first time trying to post pics on Reef Frontiers.

Jason

My water
Ph 7.85-8.11
dkh 9.5
mag 1300
ca 480
sg 1.025

 

[returnofsid]

If it's rapidly losing flesh, you might have to frag the portions that are still living, in order to save the coral. Frag the good portions, put them in a high flow area and hope for the best.

 

[ajnweb]

Yep, frag the good stuff and hope for the best.

And as always....GO COUGS!

 

[jhampton_wsu]

ok i'm kind of new to this and I don't have a dremel. I do howerver have every other tool you can imaging most I think would be too big for a coral. What is a good way to cut it? Is a jigsaw too brutal? Should I try and score it and break it. Hmm too bad I loaned my tile saw to my brother.

 

[returnofsid]

A jigsaw would be too brutal, yes. That tile saw would be perfect. You might try scoring it several times, with an exacto or razor knife and then snapping it at the score lines. No matter how you frag it, frag a little above the dead tissue...in other words, you'll leave a small amount of the living tissue with the dead, to be lost. This will help the chances of recovery. Might even consider dipping the new frag in iodine to help the cut edge heal faster. Keep in lots of flow afterwards.