Almost dead frogspawn

[loganj]

I stopped by the LFS here in Dalton today...with no intention of buying anything of course...and, as I always do, checked out the WAY overpriced corals they have for sale. I noticed, written on the front of the tank, "Frogspawn $15.99". OK, so I couldn't pass this up. After searching the whole tank, I saw a large chunk of dead LPS skeleton with 2 small heads still hanging on. When I asked the owner about it, he said "Yeah, that one's about dead". He offered it to me for $5.00. "BAG IT!" Anyway, got it home, set up a drip acclimation, and let that run for about 3 hours. After that, I mixed up some Kent Tech D and gave it a 6 minute dip. I also cut off most of the dead skeleton. It's in the 20g right now with poylps extended and looking much happier than it did at the LFS. If anyone has any suggestions for improving its chances, I'd like to hear them. This one, if it lives, will find a permanent home in the 180g at the eyecare center. The two surviving heads are about 3/4" across.

 

[fishfreek]

Other than checking for brown jelly and giving it good overall flow and maybe target feeding some phyto.

 

[loganj]

Came home from work to find the frogspawn with poylps fully extended and waving around. Looks 100% better than 24 hours ago. Guess I'll try to feed it something and see how it goes.

 

[loganj]

FWIW, the frogspawn is healthy and appears to be showing some signs of growth although that may just be wishful thinking on my part. It has a buddy now as well. Same LFS...same tank even. Picked up another one yesterday with one live head left on it for $8.00. It's looking 100% better this morning. These corals were both languishing in the bottom of a 180g (guess) tank that was lit by 4x65w PC. It's running a Tidepool sump with a Mag 9.5 for a return pump. There are no powerheads or other pumps on the tank. There was a Seaclone 100 strapped to the side of the sump with a wire tie. I have a feeling I'll be buying lots of bargains from this tank in the future. I attempted to offer some suggestions about improving the conditions in the tank and was told that they were in this business and knew perfectly well what they were doing . There is a bubble coral in there that I'm guessing will be mine in a couple of weeks for less than $10.

 

[GrndHog]

Some LFS have no business being in business!

 

[loganj]

I agree although I have to say these folks are pretty good with most things. Their small animal cages are always clean and their birds (they breed them) are very healthy and well cared for. The FW side looks great and I noticed they had replaced all the filters with new ones. Their coral tank is the only thing I can really hold against them. I guess it's easy to get the attitude, when you own that type business, that you always know more than your customers. I'll be watching that tank though and providing a home for all the sick ones. Maybe, after they lose enough money on them, they'll either quit keeping them or let me help them set up a system they can actually keep them in.

 

[Hara]

the way I see it, you have offered your help....they refused it. Now you can just take advantage of their ignorance

In six months, invite the owner over to see your nice, inexpensively stocked tank.

 

[SaltwaterTeen]

Is the frogspawn a branching coral? Ive never seen a frogspawns skeleton, is it the branches that are the skeleton, right?

 

[SaltwaterTeen]

I meant is your frogspawn a branching one

 

[loganj]

Yes, the skeleton looks like a branch with "heads" of coral on the ends.

 

[Jason]

when you get those corals out of that tank, all you have to look at is how the membrane is attached to the skeleton. A lot of times something will bump 1 or 2 of the polyps on a colony and tear the membrane a little bit causing whatever polyps are torn to die. The thing is, only those polyps are going to die not the rest of the coral. so look where it's attached to the skeleton because that is the most important thing, no matter how good the polyp looks if that part is torn there is a good change it's going to check out on you.

 

[senorcat]

you wouldn't happen to know sponges as well as corals, and when to add corals, would you? I just started a marine tank with a brackish mollie from 8 months ago, got a sponge, and only hope its alive, the store owner told me to add corals last. I already dont trust them on their word. they changed their prices last week on certain breeds of fw and sw fish, and i went solo when it came to converting mollies to sw. i gained overall by my risk then, but want a little help now. thanks