Toadstool Leather badly damaged by anemone - Are there ways to help it recover?

[Enad]

Hi all,

I recently returned from a 5 day work trip and my beautiful White Polyp Toadstool had gotten completely enveloped by my Chicago Sunburst Anemone. It has been at risk as the Anemone has grown, but typically when I saw it 'leaning' towards the anemone, I would just bend the stalk the other way and that seemed to work out. Sadly, my fiancé did not notice this while I was gone so when I returned, the toadstool was completely covered in tentacles and was covered in brown marks, and obviously completely retracted.

I've since moved it, and it was looking like it was trying to put out a few polyps but was still clearly in rough shape. Unfortunately, this morning I noticed what looks to be some holes developing and perhaps rotting flesh, as there was a thin brown substance covering one part of the 'head'.

Now my question is, are there any good ways to help this coral? It was amongst my first ever corals when entering the hobby, and it has grown so much and is just truly beautiful. I have CoralRX dip, would that be beneficial? I also have Birghtwell Restor. I'm open to trying anything at this point.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Reeflix]

Can we see a pic? If there is a place that is untouched by the nem, you could frag it off

 

[Enad]

This is what it looks like right now.

 

[LPS Bum]

Yeah it looks pretty bad.

You might consider gently siphoning off any necrotic tissue and giving the toadstool an iodine bath (in a separate container). I use Seachem ReefDip and have had good experience with it, but there are other iodine products too.

 

[Enad]

Yeah it looks pretty bad.

You might consider gently siphoning off any necrotic tissue and giving the toadstool an iodine bath (in a separate container). I use Seachem ReefDip and have had good experience with it, but there are other iodine products too.

I don't have ReefDip right now. Would take a few days to arrive from Amazon. What about a dip using Lugols and Restor?

 

[Reeflix]

Oof. That is rough, as said, iodine dip, it might be able to hang on till the dip gets there, not sure about Lugols or restor

 

[Enad]

So is the consensus that SeaChem Reefdip is the way to go? CoralRX or Red Sea DipX are not good options?

 

[LPS Bum]

I don't have ReefDip right now. Would take a few days to arrive from Amazon. What about a dip using Lugols and Restor?

Yeah Lugols will work too. I’m not sure about the exact dosage but you should be able to find that online. It’s a gentle antiseptic so that will help with any necrotic tissue. I like to gently blow the water and iodine around the coral with a pipette or turkey baster.

I’m not familiar with Restor but I’d probably just stick to iodine for now.

 

[Enad]

Got it, I'll do Lugol dip for now and order some SeaChem Reefdip.

 

[MDAquatics]

I might even frag it and than Iodine dip to try and save it.

 

[Enad]

I'm trying to avoid fragging it, is there a chance the dying tissue can come back even if it recovers or should I just get rid of it?

Edit: I'm doing the dip now. Even with gently blowing on it, I can see the brown flesh starting to fall off in small bits. I suppose it would be better to try to frag this? I just feel like I'm going to stress it out so much by doing so that it will definitely die if I frag it..

 

[Dbichler]

I would cut off the top and it will grow back fast if that necrosis get into the stalk it’s not going to come back.

 

[Enad]

I would cut off the top and it will grow back fast if that necrosis get into the stalk it’s not going to come back.

Woof...just dice the whole top off?

 

[Dbichler]

That’s what I would do if you want to save it you can tell good tissue from bad by the color of the stalk has a light color it’s good dark spots bad keep cutting down until no change in color. Takes about 2 weeks to see new polyps start to form.

 

[GlassMunky]

Woof...just dice the whole top off?

You’d be real surprised how much you can hack up a soft coral like these and have them regrow.
I’ve chopped a giant toadstool into about 20 dime to quarter sized frags, some were the cap, others were just chunks of stalk with no polyps.
Pretty much every one of them regrew polyps or a stalk within a month

 

[Dbichler]

You’d be real surprised how much you can hack up a soft coral like these and have them regrow.
I’ve chopped a giant toadstool into about 20 dime to quarter sized frags, some were the cap, others were just chunks of stalk with no polyps.
Pretty much every one of them regrew polyps or a stalk within a month

Yes and stalks take longer to grow than just the top polyps. Why I suggested just cutting off the top instead of multiple frags even though op could try and save a couple little pieces but may or may not make it.