Will this rock flower live?

[Nick Steele]

So I picked up a tiny rock flower from my lfs. I had all pumps off for 8ish hours to let him settle and attach to rock/glass bottom. Well two days go by and it’s doing good! Sexy shrimp are chillin in it and everything’s good. Cue going to bed.

Wake up and I see the rock nem has moved and I search and it’s in the back corner of the tank swirling in the current. I turn off all pumps again and place him. Looks like 1/4 of him got chopped up pretty bad. I go to store and get an pvc cap to put him in.

Will it survive? Any tips to get it to heal?

Blue and daylight pic incase that helps.

Sexy shrimp hanging out for what it looks like before.

 

[kodak]

So I picked up a tiny rock flower from my lfs. I had all pumps off for 8ish hours to let him settle and attach to rock/glass bottom. Well two days go by and it’s doing good! Sexy shrimp are chillin in it and everything’s good. Cue going to bed.

Wake up and I see the rock nem has moved and I search and it’s in the back corner of the tank swirling in the current. I turn off all pumps again and place him. Looks like 1/4 of him got chopped up pretty bad. I go to store and get an pvc cap to put him in.

Will it survive? Any tips to get it to heal?

Blue and daylight pic incase that helps.

Sexy shrimp hanging out for what it looks like before.

mine have recovered from worse, but they were slightly larger. Not sure if that will affect anything, but it should be fine. It really just depends. Hopefully it will pull through - its common for them to get injured even in the ocean

 

[Nick Steele]

mine have recovered from worse, but they were slightly larger. Not sure if that will affect anything, but it should be fine. It really just depends. Hopefully it will pull through - its common for them to get injured even in the ocean

I hope so nicest one I could find for the shrimp although it’s small.

Anything to do to it? Or just let it be?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Are you sure nothing in the tank is eating at it? That would explain why it released. If it digs itself into the sand thats almost sure sign something is picking at it.

 

[kodak]

I hope so nicest one I could find for the shrimp although it’s small.

Anything to do to it? Or just let it be?

it might help to put it in a breeding box/hatchery in the tank if you have one, they're like $8 on amazon. I've used this one before, it'll just prevent others from picking at it like someone mentioned. Other than that theres nothing really you can do, especially considering how small it is

 

[Nick Steele]

All that’s in the tank is a tailspot blenny and 2 sexy shrimp. My rock flowers always put their foot into the sand.

I doubt the tailspot is to blame he doesn’t move from the rock in the past two days unless it’s to eat (still settling in)

Sexy shrimp maybe but I doubt it as I have feed them twice since I put them in with the rock flower. I know I need to keep these guys fed or they will eat my zoas

 

[kodak]

All that’s in the tank is a tailspot blenny and 2 sexy shrimp. My rock flowers always put their foot into the sand.

I doubt the tailspot is to blame he doesn’t move from the rock in the past two days unless it’s to eat (still settling in)

Sexy shrimp maybe but I doubt it as I have feed them twice since I put them in with the rock flower. I know I need to keep these guys fed or they will eat my zoas

sexy shrimp shouldnt be harming it in any way. Neither should the blenny. What are your parameters? How old is your tank?

 

[Nick Steele]

sexy shrimp shouldnt be harming it in any way. Neither should the blenny. What are your parameters? How old is your tank?

Temp 79
Calc 440
Mag 1500
Alk 8.5
Nitrate 5ppm
Phos .03
Ph 7.8


Tanks only a month old but I added live rock from Tampa bay and have cycled tank. Zoas gsp and xenia are doing good. And caulerpa on live rock is growing.

I honestly think it got sucked in powerhead or a rfg nozzle and then fell to the sand when I found it.

 

[jkcoral]

RFAs are pretty tough and can bounce back from a lot. If it’s just damage to its disc, then it should be able to recover over time. If there’s damage to the foot or mouth things can be a little more difficult.

I’d put a little layer of sand in the pvc cap with it, and try feeding it once or twice a week. If it’s foot is attached to the bottom of the cap, that is a good sign.

Also, you mentioned adding live rock. Any live rock can come with potential for hitchhikers. Id keep an eye out after the tank lights go off for anything that might “come out to play” just to be sure.

 

[Nick Steele]

RFAs are pretty tough and can bounce back from a lot. If it’s just damage to its disc, then it should be able to recover over time. If there’s damage to the foot or mouth things can be a little more difficult.

I’d put a little layer of sand in the pvc cap with it, and try feeding it once or twice a week. If it’s foot is attached to the bottom of the cap, that is a good sign.

Also, you mentioned adding live rock. Any live rock can come with potential for hitchhikers. Id keep an eye out after the tank lights go off for anything that might “come out to play” just to be sure.

Thanks! I’ll add some sand into the cap later today.

As far as the rock I’m keeping my eyes out but the rock is in the back chambers of my AIO so they’d have to make it through the pump I know it can happened but hoping nothing big! I did find a porcelain crab welk and some bivalves when I combed over it initially so hoping that was all the bigger things.

 

[Nick Steele]

@jkcoral sadly the nem does not seem to be attached to the end cap and it’s been roughly 7ish hours. Would I be pushing my luck trying to feed it tonight or give it another day?

 

[jkcoral]

@jkcoral sadly the nem does not seem to be attached to the end cap and it’s been roughly 7ish hours. Would I be pushing my luck trying to feed it tonight or give it another day?

I’d hold off on trying to feed it until it is at least attached somewhere. And I’d probably move the pvc cap to somewhere with low flow and light to hopefully get it attached finally.

If it has a damaged foot or damage to the mouth, the prospects aren’t great. But I wouldn’t give up on it until it starts completely melting/turning to jelly.

Just as an example of what they can bounce back from, here’s one of my RFAs that stayed next to a hammer and got nuked to the point of losing half its disk. It is one of my big breeder flowers, and bounced back to what you see in the second photo. Most important thing is just trying to get yours to attach to it can try and heal.

 

[Nick Steele]

Great news!!! It decided to attach to the pvc cap yesterday afternoon!

It’s inside the cap in low flow low light but if it doesn’t start doing better there I’ll go ahead and move it into the shadows a bit. Will wait another day or so before I try feeding it.