Montipora Digitata Rescue?

[Slayer33]

Hi all,

I just got my first SPS today. A pink montipora digitata from my LFS, it was in not so great shape but it was only $10 due to its condition... I wanted to try out an SPS and I read these were good for beginners and this was inexpensive to try

 

The only problem is that it is bleaching near the bottom and parts of the bottom look like it's dead (skeleton only).. the other 2/3 of the 2 branches are doing well. I'm not sure what to do, should I leave it alone and hope it recovers or should I re-frag it and remove and dead/bleached parts?

 

I'll take a pic later, just at the in laws right now.. hoping I was at home right now lol

[flatlandreefer]

26 minutes ago, Slayer33 said:

Hi all,

I just got my first SPS today. A pink montipora digitata from my LFS, it was in not so great shape but it was only $10 due to its condition... I wanted to try out an SPS and I read these were good for beginners and this was inexpensive to try

 

The only problem is that it is bleaching near the bottom and parts of the bottom look like it's dead (skeleton only).. the other 2/3 of the 2 branches are doing well. I'm not sure what to do, should I leave it alone and hope it recovers or should I re-frag it and remove and dead/bleached parts?

 

I'll take a pic later, just at the in laws right now.. hoping I was at home right now lol

 

I would say frag off the healthy part and put it on a frag plug or piece of rubble and start it out on the sand bed.

[dandelion]

Dead skeleton remains dead. It may even become breeding ground for algae which further threaten the healthy parts. I'd say frag it as well. 

[Slayer33]

Hmm.. alright sounds like I'll have to frag it.. my first ever frag attempt... is it best to use a dremmel or just cutting pliers?

[dandelion]

27 minutes ago, Slayer33 said:

Hmm.. alright sounds like I'll have to frag it.. my first ever frag attempt... is it best to use a dremmel or just cutting pliers?

Just buy a pair of bone cutters off eBay. They're pretty cheap. 

[flatlandreefer]

33 minutes ago, Slayer33 said:

Hmm.. alright sounds like I'll have to frag it.. my first ever frag attempt... is it best to use a dremmel or just cutting pliers?

 

Regular snips/cutting pliers work well, they are pretty easy to cut. 

[Marc.The.Shark]

I used garden pruning shears for years before I got some bone cutters. The pruning shears work great & u can usually pick some up cheap at the dollar store along with some superglue gel!! Lol

[Slayer33]

So from what I can tell I'll have to frag this into 3 small frags.. it's not a big piece to begin with but the only good parts are the branches.. 

 

If I frag this into 3 small ones what's the process? Put them on separate plugs or glue them to my live rock? 

 

What's the purpose of placing them at the bottom when they require more light and flow?

 

Should I only keep the good parts? Blcut away the bleached area and the brown (dead) area? I'll just have 3 small branches after (1") 

 

I tried to attach a photo but my phone camera won't let me do anything smaller than 4mb..

[flatlandreefer]

Placing them on rubble or a plug and starting them on the sand bed will help acclimate them to your lighting, if you start them under high light the whole thing can bleach very fast. What lighting do you have, where is it placed now? 

 

Only keep  the good parts that still have flesh and are not white and place on seperate plugs, you can place seperate frags in different areas of the tank to see which does the best. 

[Slayer33]

Ok well I think I successfully flagged it. 3 pieces, right now I have one at each level of my tank... I only got it yesterday and it was placed near the top. It seemed to be doing well

 

I am using the stock light that came with my fluval sea evo 13.5... 

[Stedobbers]

Stock lighting could be a factor as to why your coral isn't doing well.