Help dying hammer

[Mal3]

My large hammer coral is dying. It looks like an infection. It started at a tip, and is decaying its waY arround the coral.

Is there anything I can do to save it. I considered dipping it in Kent Marine Tech D for SPS to stop infection from spreading. Would you recommend this?

The infection is spreading very fast. It has moved 4 inches in about half a day.

I am leary of moving it to a different tank, but I can do that if you think this to be a good idea.

I also considered breaking off the bad part and hoping the good section survives. Although, I have no experience if this will work or just kill it.

Your thoughts please!

[sparkey65]

thanks GeorgeW Bush

[crpeck]

Is it brown and gooey? If so, do a search on "brown jelly" infections. LPS are especially susceptible and if that's what it is, it is contagious and can move to other corals.

If it is a branching type hammer and you can remove infected heads, then yes you should do so if you determine that it is brown jelly. Otherwise ... you need someone more experienced that me to help you with this one.

Can you upload a picture?

Good Luck!
Cathy

[crpeck]

p.s. Be sure and check the "rules for posting" at the beginning of this forum. You'll get more help from others if you provide more information about the corals and your tank.

[Mal3]

Thanks for the info. Yes it is brown jelly. It is not a branching hammer. My frogspawn also has it. I will check for the post you suggest. Thanks

[crpeck]

Here is a reference to Eric's website about Brown Jelly. Recommended treatment is at the bottom just above the pictures.

I just lost a Trachyphyllia in the last week to brown jelly. I moved the coral to a big fish bowl, siphoned off the jelly and did a Lugol's dip. It didn't work for me, but at least the infection didn't spread to a branching frogspawn that was very close. Some corals can't tolerate the Lugols, but I don't know which ones. Obviously it didn't help my Trachyphyllia ... I think it may have even finished him off. But I think they are more delicate than frogspawn.

I think I might do a search to see if you can find someone who has treated frogspawn successfully with Lugols. If you can't find Lugols on a Saturday night, Petco has iodine based Coral dips that might be a decent substitue. I don't know what the Kent-D is.

Here is the site:
Eric Borneman's webpage (http://www.bchs.uh.edu:16080/~coralreef/)

I really hope it helps! That stuff took my Trachyphyllia REALLY fast.

Cathy

[crpeck]

I just saw that link doesn't work right.

One the one I sent you, click "Graduate Student Research", then on Eric's section there is a link to his page, from there click research, and then you'll find the link to brown jelly.

Sorry about that.

Cathy

[Mal3]

Cathy,

Thanks so much for the info. I did look into the pages you recommended. I believe the Kent tech D will work. It is for this exact purpose. I checked on Kent's site.

I have already taken off the brown jelly. I did a water change and it has appeared to have stopped. If it is there in the morning I will dip it.

[clown2be]

Start branching the infected ones off. I had this on a torch and kept breaking off until i had one branch left. Its growing well. Saved it. Try to break it off,it will snap like a wishbone. good luck.

[crpeck]

Clown2be ... it sounds like his hammer and frogspawn are non- branching varieties. Can those be broken or fragged? I would sure be afraid to try it.

Let us know how it goes Mal. Good Luck!

Cathy

[Mal3]

They are non branching. i will let you know.

[airwaybill]

You can frag a non branching also. Just cut the skeleton just past the infection. The coral will freak out for a couple of days, but will recover. This the only way I've been able to stop these infections.