Candy Cane Coral Help

[osu87]

almost 2 weeks ago I noticed some darkened areas on my kryptonite green candy cane so I took it out and lightly scrubbed it with my baby toothbrush and then I did a Coral RX dip and later on lugol’s dip, several days later, a five minute one to five ratio, hydrogen peroxide dip I did which seemed to get some of the necrotic tissue off and also a very well hidden bristle worm immediately came off of nowhere. I was wondering if there’s anything else I can help do with the recovery of the candy cane. It’s at the lowest point of the tank. The temperature is 79 low flow. I have the lights low, i’m feeding the tank phytoplankton and pods. Any advice would be appreciated. All the other softy and LPS are flourishing my purple candy cane my Duncan and my clove polyps my zoanthid polyps, my pulsing Xenia, my mushrooms and my green star polyps along with a Coco worm who is beautifully out all the time and a ultraRFA

 

[Red_Beard]

Candy canes are sensitive to physical injury, once you see those skeletal ridge poke through things can get dicy. Brushing it and dipping it in peroxide has likely exacerbated any physical malady significantly. Were it mine, i would find an area in the tank with gentle flow and a little more subdued lighting (not shaded, but not getting blasted either) and let it be. Don't feed it. If you simply must do something, give it an iodine dip to help it fight any bacterial infection resulting from the physical trauma and heal. Then give it space and time to do so.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

First it was scrubbed then 3 dips…. That’s too much, once a coral goes into the tank it’s very rare I will touch it again. Every time you touch it you start the acclimation process all over again.

 

[osu87]

I only touched it again because of the brown stuff that was starting to cover it.

I thought I was helping because it was getting all covered with it.

That being said, the first response said to just leave it alone and if anything needed to be used to use iodine. Would that be Lugol’s, or drugstore iodine tincture??

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

if it gets covered again in brown stuff, please take a pic to identify it. There's a couple of things "brown stuff covering a coral" could be , people here can help identify that for you

 

[osu87]

Thank you I sure will

 

[Red_Beard]

Identification is important, as not all things should be addressed the same. For general wound treatment/iodine dips, i use povidone iodide, like from walgreens and add enough that the water starts to tint from yellow to brownish. Give it ~10 mins. Depending what that "brown stuff" is, treatment will vary. For example, if it is brown jelly disease/infection, you would first treat with iodine, followed by an antibiotic like ciprofloxacin or doxycycline. Research is also important there as not all antibiotics work equally and efficacy is dependent on which strains of bacteria you need to target. Whatever happens, it is often the case that more does not equal better. Intervention is necessary at times, but in some cases can make things worse. And sometimes, no matter how hard you try and course you choose, the coral will die. It stinks, but it does give lots of opportunities for learning and personal growth.