Fragging a wall hammer with BJD?

[reefpunk]

Hello everyone. I have wall hammer colony that I've had for 2 years develop BJD. I've tried everything I could think of to treat it other then cipro since its not available to purchase here without a prescription. Every time I treat with an intense iodine bath the BJD comes back after 24 hours so I am thinking of fragging the hammer to try and save it. Does anyone have any experience with fragging wall hammers? At this point its either I let the BJD kill it or I attempt to frag it and possibly save some. Any advice welcome.

thanks everyone

 

[Lavey29]

Not sure that is even possible but if you cut off the dying part then cut off the very end piece of the dying part you might be able to glue that end cap back on to the good exiting part.

 

[helmsreef]

You will need a water cooled vertical bandsaw and you should cut it rather quickly and then straight into a medicated bath

 

[reefpunk]

Not sure that is even possible but if you cut off the dying part then cut off the very end piece of the dying part you might be able to glue that end cap back on to the good exiting part.

Thank you, I might just have to try this as I don't have any other option.

You will need a water cooled vertical bandsaw and you should cut it rather quickly and then straight into a medicated bath

I don't have a water cooled vertical bandsaw unfortunately :/

 

[Lavey29]

Thank you, I might just have to try this as I don't have any other option.

I don't have a water cooled vertical bandsaw unfortunately :/

People tend to stay away from Wall type corals because it's hard to save them once a problem develops due to lack of fragging options.

 

[reefpunk]

People tend to stay away from Wall type corals because it's hard to save them once a problem develops due to lack of fragging options.

Yup this hammer is the first and last time I purchase a wall coral. They are beautiful corals but not worth this headache!

 

[bluerider098]

I've successfully fragged wall hammers with a Dremel and the diamond wheel. You have to cut from both sides. I cut the flesh last then a dip in iodine and into my frag tank with low flow for a month or so.

Cut a long ways into the healthy flesh for any chance of it working. Throw the side with bjd in the trash.

I have not had any luck with Cipro saving a coral already infected. The only thing I've even heard of working is that KFC dip.

 

[reefpunk]

I've successfully fragged wall hammers with a Dremel and the diamond wheel. You have to cut from both sides. I cut the flesh last then a dip in iodine and into my frag tank with low flow for a month or so.

Cut a long ways into the healthy flesh for any chance of it working. Throw the side with bjd in the trash.

I have not had any luck with Cipro saving a coral already infected. The only thing I've even heard of working is that KFC dip.

I doesn’t hurt to give this a go. I’ll try it and hope for the best! Thanks

 

[Lavey29]

Maybe your are already aware but BJD hits a coral because the coral is stressed for some reason and it's immune system fails. Typically this is a water parameter quality issue as the cause but could also be lights or flow to. If this is the case your other euphyllia might become susceptible also to BJD.

 

[Lavey29]

Yup this hammer is the first and last time I purchase a wall coral. They are beautiful corals but not worth this headache!

I had a large super cool bright yellow wall hammer that I got for cheap. But it developed a bacteria infection after about a year and I lost it. Brightest yellow euphyllia I've seen.

 

[bluerider098]

Maybe your are already aware but BJD hits a coral because the coral is stressed for some reason and it's immune system fails. Typically this is a water parameter quality issue as the cause but could also be lights or flow to. If this is the case your other euphyllia might become susceptible also to BJD.

Stress can be a factor, but there are many coral vendors with great water parameters and they fight bjd too. I've had corals get bjd when everything else was perfectly healthy and doing great.

I will say that in my personal experience wall hammers seem to be more susceptible to BJD. I suspect it has to do with the fact that the polyp has to be cut to frag them. I think this makes it easier for bacteria to get under the exposed skeleton. This is opposed to a branching variety where you don't cut the poylp. Every wall hammer that I've had issues with always started where it was fragged.

I love wall hammers and have been on a pretty good run for awhile, but I had a stretch where I was ready to give up on them.

Good luck.