When do you give up on a coral?

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Somewhat inspired by yesterdays QotD, I thought I'd ask the question, when is a coral too far gone? And then, what is the worst state you've brought a coral back from?

I have a monti cap frag that took a severe beating during my December dino battle (still battling). It grows some nice algae these days. This is definitely one of its good days and what keeps me trying. For the record, it's supposed to be bright pink under those polyps:

I have a candy cane that arrived in a cold leaking bag. This was the only head that had more tissue than skeleton showing
:

An acro of some sort from the same shipment, so damaged I couldn't figure out which one it was supposed to be. Snipped off the couple spots that still had tissue (the snails need to take another pass on that algae):

At the very least I might learn a bit from these sad guys. Always and adventure.

 

[Vette67]

As long as there are still polyps, they are still alive. I wouldn’t give up on any of those. Once you get your parameters under control, they might bounce back. If you take them out and kill them, there’s zero percent chance they will survive. Do you have a friend or someone near you with a stable tank that could nurse them back until your parameters stabilize?

And that first frag looks more like a cyphastrea to me than a monti cap. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t look like it has seen better days, just doesn’t look like a monti to me.

 

[GillMeister]

I had two montis that looked like goners. One had just a sliver of green left and I really considered pulling it. It's now my second fastest growing coral. I have another that looked unhealthy from the get-go and gradually lost its color until the urchin chowed on it. It looked like no living tissue was left but I left the frag remnant in the tank and now it's starting to show a spot of red. It's alive!

Don't give up on them until they're covered with coralline.

 

[CMMorgan]

I give up when it's dead... like casper white, put a fork in it ... dead. Until that day... there will always be a chance.

 

[zuri]

IMO you have it backwards if the coral had given up it would have just died

 

[dvgyfresh]

I’ve never given up hope, if it dies it dies lol

 

[Garf]

It ain’t gone, till it’s gone

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

As long as there are still polyps, they are still alive. I wouldn’t give up on any of those. Once you get your parameters under control, they might bounce back. If you take them out and kill them, there’s zero percent chance they will survive. Do you have a friend or someone near you with a stable tank that could nurse them back until your parameters stabilize?

And that first frag looks more like a cyphastrea to me than a monti cap. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t look like it has seen better days, just doesn’t look like a monti to me.

Thanks for the advice! I actually have a nano that's stable that I can move them to so I think I'll get on that. Sick corals don't need extra challenges. And I totally agree, while they are in the water they still have a chance.

The top frag is a Starburst Cap Monti. Been in the tank since mid September. After the dinos it lost all it's color and texture but the polyps keep coming out, particularly around the edges. If it still wants to keep trying I will too!

 

[fish farmer]

As long as there are living polyps. I bought a purple monti frag a couple of years ago, it did ok for a while then pretty much died back to 6 to 10 polyps. Busted it off the old piece and remounted it. It started to come back. I remounted it in a permanent spot and it has started to expand onto rock and get it's purple color back.

 

[mdb_talon]

I wait until 100% sure it is dead....then wait a few weeks. I bought an echinata acan recently that was about 60% old dead skeleton(was dark brown color from aging). A few weeks in my tank and 2 of those long dead heads that had zero tissue are sprouting out of the skeleton.

 

[Alexopora]

Thanks for the advice! I actually have a nano that's stable that I can move them to so I think I'll get on that. Sick corals don't need extra challenges. And I totally agree, while they are in the water they still have a chance.

The top frag is a Starburst Cap Monti. Been in the tank since mid September. After the dinos it lost all it's color and texture but the polyps keep coming out, particularly around the edges. If it still wants to keep trying I will too!

Well here’s mine which was sold as a sunburst monti although im not sure if its the same coral, but sure looks like it as it is also a plating monti.

Anyway, its not impossible for a goner to actually not go. I have had a Tropic Thunder monti which fell onto another monti and did not look good. Fast forward four months later it has definitely recovered and is growing well.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Well here’s mine which was sold as a sunburst monti although im not sure if its the same coral, but sure looks like it as it is also a plating monti.

Anyway, its not impossible for a goner to actually not go. I have had a Tropic Thunder monti which fell onto another monti and did not look good. Fast forward four months later it has definitely recovered and is growing well.

I'm still not giving up.

Of the three misfits I posted about, the acro is doing the best. Still struggling with algae but it doesn't seem to care, it still opens and has even grown a bit!

The candy cane is just not repairing faster than the algae can grab hold on it's skeleton. Still alive but losing ground a bit at a time.

The monti is definitely struggling the hardest and is in decline with just a scattered line of polyps showing around the outside edge. I'm planning surgery tomorrow when I do my water change. I'm going frag it down to what's healthy, even if that's just a scratch of coral on a frag plug. I probably should have intervened sooner.

I'm finding the hardest part of saving struggling corals is the battle against algae. My tank doesn't have very much algae but it sure has a knack for finding unhealthy spots on corals and once it takes hold it's a powerful force.

 

[Alexopora]

I'm still not giving up.

Of the three misfits I posted about, the acro is doing the best. Still struggling with algae but it doesn't seem to care, it still opens and has even grown a bit!

The candy cane is just not repairing faster than the algae can grab hold on it's skeleton. Still alive but losing ground a bit at a time.

The monti is definitely struggling the hardest and is in decline with just a scattered line of polyps showing around the outside edge. I'm planning surgery tomorrow when I do my water change. I'm going frag it down to what's healthy, even if that's just a scratch of coral on a frag plug. I probably should have intervened sooner.

I'm finding the hardest part of saving struggling corals is the battle against algae. My tank doesn't have very much algae but it sure has a knack for finding unhealthy spots on corals and once it takes hold it's a powerful force.

Ahh yes. Fighting algae is the hardest part. Maybe get a toothbrush and periodically brush off the algae.

 

[LgTas]

I have a question. How far is too far. I had two frags delivered in this box (honestly that's how it was handed to me

Was supposed to be a lepto and a monti. Both are pearl white but the lepto appears to have some colour at the base. Worth trying?

 

[N3mo]

Long as there is tissue and Polyps there is hope..

 

[Alexopora]

I have a question. How far is too far. I had two frags delivered in this box (honestly that's how it was handed to me

Was supposed to be a lepto and a monti. Both are pearl white but the lepto appears to have some colour at the base. Worth trying?

Oh my this looks bad. If I were you I would snap a shot of it immediately while it is still in the bag and see if you can get a refund or a replacement. Not to be pessimistic but that looks like a goner. You can just leave it in the tank and hope for the best.

 

[LgTas]

Oh my this looks bad. If I were you I would snap a shot of it immediately while it is still in the bag and see if you can get a refund or a replacement. Not to be pessimistic but that looks like a goner. You can just leave it in the tank and hope for the best.

Sorry should have mentioned I did get a refund. Just thought I'd try rescue them in any case.

I'll probably leave them there for a couple more weeks before giving up. Not sure if it's just false hope but I'm sure the colour on the lepto has spread a bit.

 

[Alexopora]

Sorry should have mentioned I did get a refund. Just thought I'd try rescue them in any case.

I'll probably leave them there for a couple more weeks before giving up. Not sure if it's just false hope but I'm sure the colour on the lepto has spread a bit.

Ahh, good to hear your got your refund. I think there’s no harm leaving them in the tank. Do update us if they really do bounce back.