Help coral looks really bad! Keep it or toss it?

[Reef Devils]

My LFS did not have any iodine dip so I ordered some and it is coming on Wednesday. But I took the coral out and blew the white stuff off. As I did that all of this brown stuff under it came off. I don’t want to add this back to my tank if it will cause more problems. What do you think should I make a thread about this?

 

[MoshJosh]

I would put it back in the tank and leave it alone. It looks rough but not dead. I tend to leave corals in the tank until they are door nail dead. . .

If this coral is new to you it may be worth setting it in a lower light area to reduce stress, but if you have had it and it was doing well where it was I would just put it back.

 

[Lavey29]

It's probably just algae growing in the dead skeleton. It still has life but if it smells rotten its dying.

 

[Reef Devils]

I would put it back in the tank and leave it alone. It looks rough but not dead. I tend to leave corals in the tank until they are door nail dead. . .

If this coral is new to you it may be worth setting it in a lower light area to reduce stress, but if you have had it and it was doing well where it was I would just put it back.

Well sadly it was a little too late for that. Nobody responded to this thread until now a that was a problem earlier in the day. I tossed it because it smelled really bad and was getting worse every day. It was a new coral. The part that was not infected look good but the rest not. Thanks for responding though. What disease do you think it had?

 

[Reef Devils]

It's probably just algae growing in the dead skeleton. It still has life but if it smells rotten it’s dying.

Yup it smelled rotten. I tossed it. Did a 10 gallon water change. Hope that helps. What u think

 

[MoshJosh]

Well sadly it was a little too late for that. Nobody responded to this thread until now a that was a problem earlier in the day. I tossed it because it smelled really bad and was getting worse every day. It was a new coral. The part that was not infected look good but the rest not. Thanks for responding though. What disease do you think it had?

It may not have had a specific, or at this point identifiable, disease. As @Lavey29 said it could have been algae growth, probably detritus too, that got blown off.

Another potential option could have been fragging the health part off and tossing the rest.

 

[Reef Devils]

It may not have had a specific, or at this point identifiable, disease. As @Lavey29 said it could have been algae growth, probably detritus too, that got blown off.

Another potential option could have been fragging the health part off and tossing the rest.

Yes that could have been an option but I don’t have the tools to drag it. How would you even drag a coral like that? It is not like a hammer where you can just cut the head off.

 

[DJF]

Gryphon bandsaw is the proper tool; next best is a diamond wheel blade on a dremel or similar. Cut the dead part off then dip. (I pref iodine) Looking at this I would cut that circle into a half moon.

 

[Reef Devils]

Gryphon bandsaw is the proper tool; next best is a diamond wheel blade on a dremel or similar. Cut the dead part off then dip (I pref iodine)

Ok good to know. If I ever have a problem like this again I will cut the dead part and do an iodine dip. I order some Lugols iodine for the future

 

[MoshJosh]

Gryphon bandsaw is the proper tool; next best is a diamond wheel blade on a dremel or similar. Cut the dead part off then dip (I pref iodine)

Counter point. . . bread knife from GoodWill. . . at least that's what I use haha

 

[Reef Devils]

Counter point. . . bread knife from GoodWill. . . at least that's what I use haha

Whatever gets the job done

Thanks for the help everyone