Unknown soft coral got shredded by lower head and unhappy! Help!

[Justin Teufel]

Fellow reefers, I recently purchased an unknown soft coral species and yesterday woke up to my whole tank stressed. My new soft coral was sucked into the power head and was all closed up. I assume it released toxins because it was stressed from being shredded. All of the fish and corals were irritated, but I did a quick water change and it was all taken care of. I took care of the problem in my tank and no corals or fish perished.

What I need help on is identifying this soft coral and finding out if it will live or not. I took the soft coral out and put it in a quarantine tank with some flow and a heater. It is still really closed up and not happy. It has also been releasing a layer of some white mucus. Wondering if it will make it. The water is also new as I set up the qt tank today and waited about an hour before putting in the coral. The water is a little foggy, and not sure if it’s from the white mucus.

here are some pictures:

 

[dvgyfresh]

Shot in dark / Kenya tree

 

[dvgyfresh]

I cannot comment on next steps due to not truly knowing the coral, however, I’d argue it should be back in DT. Is the QT cycled? If not it has a better chance of recovery in DT

 

[lkc]

Yeah, they can be noxious. And invasive.

 

[Justin Teufel]

Shot in dark / Kenya tree

I thank you for trying to identify but it is most definitely not a Kenya tree. It’s some other soft coral with way more polyps. It’s natural color is brown is coloration.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Kenyii tree is a member of leather family and can release toxins when stressed. Add a pouch of chemipure Blue or Elite which will absorb toxins and polish your water

 

[Cnidoblast]

float a bag of activated carbon in the QT tank

 

[Justin Teufel]

Kenyii tree is a member of leather family and can release toxins when stressed. Add a pouch of chemipure Blue or Elite which will absorb toxins and polish your water

Does anyone know if the white mucus is normal? I don’t want it to die on me

 

[dvgyfresh]

Does anyone know if the white mucus is normal? I don’t want it to die on me

Leather corals “shed” when stressed its fine, I have a cabbage leather than randomly closes for a week then sheds and comes out brighter

 

[vetteguy53081]

Does anyone know if the white mucus is normal? I don’t want it to die on me

The mucus may be shed or toxins. Although the word toxins is used, does not make it deadly but rater a stressor to other corals.

 

[Revnobody]

Run carbon in the tank to remove toxins. Good chance it will survive. they are practically indestructible.

 

[DeniseAndy]

That is a version of what we will happen to call a tree coral. Many types, but yours is probably the Kenyan tree (Litophyton spp). They are pretty hardy, so should do fine. It will shed and shrink up and play dead a while. Then it should respond and come more alive.
That is a large one, so if begins to blacken anywhere, cut with a razor and save the frag in a bunch of rocks/rubble (to get it to attach and grow).
Carbon is a necessity in a soft coral system. They do not always play nice to neighbors.

Just make sure it has good stable water conditions and lots of flow. A bit of plankton helps too.

 

[Justin Teufel]

That is a version of what we will happen to call a tree coral. Many types, but yours is probably the Kenyan tree (Litophyton spp). They are pretty hardy, so should do fine. It will shed and shrink up and play dead a while. Then it should respond and come more alive.
That is a large one, so if begins to blacken anywhere, cut with a razor and save the frag in a bunch of rocks/rubble (to get it to attach and grow).
Carbon is a necessity in a soft coral system. They do not always play nice to neighbors.

Just make sure it has good stable water conditions and lots of flow. A bit of plankton helps too.

Are you saying if it turns black to save them? Aren’t the black parts dead parts? Or are you saying if I see any black parts to cut them off and throw them away?

 

[Justin Teufel]

That is a version of what we will happen to call a tree coral. Many types, but yours is probably the Kenyan tree (Litophyton spp). They are pretty hardy, so should do fine. It will shed and shrink up and play dead a while. Then it should respond and come more alive.
That is a large one, so if begins to blacken anywhere, cut with a razor and save the frag in a bunch of rocks/rubble (to get it to attach and grow).
Carbon is a necessity in a soft coral system. They do not always play nice to neighbors.

Just make sure it has good stable water conditions and lots of flow. A bit of plankton helps too.

Also I heard that I can treat the coral wounds and heal the specimen using vitamin c. Would All-for-Reef by tropic Marin be a good start?

 

[Justin Teufel]

That is a version of what we will happen to call a tree coral. Many types, but yours is probably the Kenyan tree (Litophyton spp). They are pretty hardy, so should do fine. It will shed and shrink up and play dead a while. Then it should respond and come more alive.
That is a large one, so if begins to blacken anywhere, cut with a razor and save the frag in a bunch of rocks/rubble (to get it to attach and grow).
Carbon is a necessity in a soft coral system. They do not always play nice to neighbors.

Just make sure it has good stable water conditions and lots of flow. A bit of plankton helps too.

It’s starting to turn yellow in the wounded areas. So from what you said I’m guessing I should cut those before it spreads further and put them on rocks to become frags?

 

[DeniseAndy]

Yellow is not necessarily bad. That happens also when they decide to split off. Black is dying tissue. Keep a close eye on it. If it worries you too much or gets gooey/fleshy, cut off a frag or around the area.

 

[Justin Teufel]

Yellow is not necessarily bad. That happens also when they decide to split off. Black is dying tissue. Keep a close eye on it. If it worries you too much or gets gooey/fleshy, cut off a frag or around the area.

Perfect thanks for all of your help!