Dying Cynarina Coral Rehabilitation
Author: reefdup
Dying Cladocora Coral Rehabilitation
Dying Caulastrea Coral Rehabilitation
Dying Blastomussa Coral Rehabilitation
Dying Australophyllia Rehabilitation
Dying Acropora Coral Rehabilitation
Under construction! (2012-ACRO001)
Dying Acanthastrea Coral Rehabilitation
Under construction! (2012-ACAN003)
DIY Frag Kit
Do you have a special reefkeeper in your life that deserves a handmade-with-love gift? Or… more realistically… it may just be a present to yourself. This simple project only takes a few minutes to put together and organizes your basic frag supplies in a neat kit.
I’d like to thank my very dear friend, Kevin, for the idea. He gave it to me as a present many years ago (which I still have), and what a wonderful present it was! I previously had a “frag box”… a small tote that held everything haphazardly… and left me subject to getting a scalpel stab while searching for super glue. This new, handy tote is rather inexpensive, and it keeps everything well-organized.
Supply List:
What supplies you use is totally up to you! But, this is a handy list just to get you started. Other ideas are in the links below.
- Organizer Box (~$15 USD)
- Bone Cutters or Toenail Clippers (~$7 – $20+ USD)
- Frag Plugs (~$10 – $20 USD)
- Super Glue Gel (~$8 USD)
- Bridal Veil Fabric (~$4 USD)
- Rubber bands (~$3 USD)
- Scalpel Knife (~$8 USD)
- UV and Regular Flashlight (~$15 USD)
- Pan Scraper (~$3 USD)
Organizer Box:
First up is the container. Mine was from Harbor Freight (a U.S.-based hardware store), but you could always use fishing tackle boxes, craft organizers, etc. This option is similar: Organizer Box (~$15 USD)
Frag Cutters:
A frag kit wouldn’t be complete without some way to frag, so I highly recommend some “Bone Cutters” or heavy duty Toenail Clippers (ok, I’ll wait while you make a silly face over that one.) But seriously, I love the Toenail Clippers, as they’re just the right size for my hands, and they’re less than $7 USD (They also lasted me 14 years, previously)! Specialty aquarium stores typically sell larger ones that are great for cutting really thick frags. They also come in powder-coated versions for longer life. I have a pair of the powder-coated ones, and while they’re beautiful, I still like my $7 set better.
Frag Plugs
Since this is a frag kit, Frag Plugs are always a good idea (unless you have several hundred frag plugs already on hand as I do.) I keep my frag plugs in separate containers, organized by size; however, I do keep a few plugs in the kit just in case I need a few quickly.
Super Glue
Of course, to go along with the cutters and plugs, super glue is a must-have. Super Glue Gel is typically the go-to choice, but coral epoxies and specialty glues are great as well. Before the “dollar stores” became the “$1.25 and up” stores with even less product, I used to buy all of my glue there (in bulk, dozens at a time, which earned me some strange looks). Nowadays, some of the bulk buys on Amazon aren’t too bad.
Bridal Veil Fabric
If you’re fragging soft corals, like mushrooms, you may want to consider having some bridal veil fabric on hand. This is really useful to put over the coral so that it doesn’t float away in the current.
Rubber Bands
Rubber bands are helpful to tie down Xenia or other leather corals to the frag plugs. It is also an easy way to secure the bridal veil, mentioned above, to the frag plug.
Dipping Supplies:
I also use my “frag kit” as a “coral dip kit,” so I have other items in it. I, personally, keep my scalpel separate since I don’t have a cover for it (they’re meant to be disposable, but I keep mine), and I really prefer to not cut myself. If you decide to keep a scalpel knife in the box, please either cover it, or use disposable blades.
I also like a dental pick kit, like these on Amazon (although I got mine from Harbor Freight). They’re great for getting muck out of tiny crevices, knocking of eggs, etc.
Pipettes are always handy to have around, including for various household purposes. I end up buying them in bulk every few years. Typically I use them for dipping and feeding corals, but also for cleaning the rock work.
Flashlight:
I keep an LED light handy in the kit to help inspect corals when I get them. Although it’s not pictured, I do use a UV light, like this one, to help look for pests and other problems.
Other Odds and Ends:
I also keep random items that don’t fit elsewhere in my kit, such as measuring spoons (e.g., tablespoon, teaspoon) and this plastic scraper made for cleaning kitchen pans. It actually does a great job cleaning algae off aquarium equipment (especially off acrylic surfaces).
Safety Equipment:
And, of course, no kit is ever complete without some sort of safety equipment. I keep a pair of gloves in my kit, and my safety glasses and fragging face shield aren’t far away. If you’re looking for gloves, I recommend powder-free nitrile gloves. Latex is ok (as long as you aren’t allergic), but they aren’t quite as puncture-resistant. I have to admit, I’m not sure of the material of the gloves shown.
Conclusion:
If it wasn’t obvious, just place all of the items neatly in the container, close it up, and voila, it’s an awesome gift! Ok, you might want to add a bow on top.
Depending on the items, this kit could range $30 – $50 USD. If this is a self-present, and your significant other balks at the price, just remind him/ her about how clean it will help you keep your workspace! Of course, you could always start small and just add the items as you go.
If you have other recommendations, post them up in the comments below!
Happy reefing!
Dying Acanthastrea Coral Rehabilitation
This coral is still with me, which is over 11 years since I rescued it. During that time, it has had quite the identity crisis. When I first rescued it, I wrote on an old blog, “Many large polyp stony corals are difficult, if not impossible, to identify without examination of a coral’s skeleton. Thankfully, the genus Trachyphyllia is not, as it only has one species: geoffroyi.” HAHAHA, oh how much we have learned since then! So, not only did this dying Acanthastrea coral go through an amazing rehabilitation, but it also fell into a few different genera along the way.
Assessing Dying Coral Health:
When I found this coral at a Local Fish Store (LFS) in November, 2010, I believed it was a Trachyphyllia geoffroyi, mostly due to its hourglass shape (and lack of good reference material on coral septa patterns at the time).
Although it is pure speculation, I believed the coral’s condition was due to rapidly deteriorating water conditions. The freshly exposed skeleton showing bright in white suggested something drastic changed, and the fairly uniform amount of exposed skeleton suggested the source of the problem surrounded the coral. The good coloration (albeit slightly bleached) indicated that lighting and some infections were not likely. But, the tight skin against the skeleton along with the gaping mouths suggested the coral was probably not eating and possibly acting defensively to reduce its exposure to poor water quality. (For more information, see Assessing Coral Health: An Introduction.)
Quarantined Acanthastrea Coral:
Poor water conditions could have meant allelopathy (chemical warfare between corals), high nitrates/ phosphates, unbalanced alkalinity/ calcium/ magnesium, et cetera. To treat this coral I purchased for $10, I decided the best course of action was just a good aquarium. After completing my coral examination and dip, I cut the coral’s septa (the teethy-ridges). I have found that if a large polyp coral was to suddenly inflate in excessive flow, the flesh will easily rip on the septa. With a sick coral, one small tissue tear can continue to rip or become infected and quickly lead to the demise of the coral. To prevent this, I carefully trimmed back the septa and removed all sharp points. The coral could then expand with little difficulty. Additionally, corals seem to have more ease in growing back over the existing skeleton this way.
Acanthastrea Coral in Grow-out:
Only a few weeks later (21 November 2011), the coral was inflating and starting to grow over the exposed skeleton.
I regularly fed it pellet food, as highly processed food seems to be easier to digest for injured corals. Notice the orange ring developing! (30 January 2011)
The progression in only a couple weeks was rapid. The coral nearly covered all previously exposed skeleton, by only 24 February 2011 (about four months after I purchased it). However, by this point, I was starting to question my initial assessment of Trachyphyllia geoffroyi. It was starting to look more like a Lobophyllia, but it was still more hourglass-shaped.
Previously Dying Acanthastrea Coral, Fully Rehabilitated:
By October 2011, I realized I was probably wrong about the genus. It was splitting more like a Lobophyllia. But at that point, I really didn’t care, as the coral was fully healed (less than a year later!)
Not just Surviving, but Thriving!
Although this coral’s recovery was impressive under daylight conditions, under actinics it became a showstopper!
Around 2016, several studies and articles starting making me rethink the classification on this coral. Rather than Lobophyllia pachysepta, it seemed to fit more within Acanthastrea (Huang, et al., 2016).
Here’s the previously dying Acanthastrea colony in 2021, which was still large despite a few fraggings over the years!
Conclusion:
From nearly dead to thriving in less than a year… to over 11 years later… this coral continues to awe and confuse me! This dying Acanthastrea coral’s rehabilitation also went from Trachyphyllia geoffroyi to Lobophyllia pachysepta to Acanthastrea pachysepta, or at least so I think!
References
- Huang, Danwei, Roberto Arrigoni, Francesca Benzoni, et al., “Taxonomic Classification of the Reef Coral Family Lobophylliidae (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2016, 178, 436-481.
- Arrigoni, Roberto, Francesca Benzoni, Danwei Huang, et al., “When Forms Meet Genes: Revision of the Scleractinian Genera Micromussa and Homophyllia (Lobophylliidae) with a Description of Two New Species and One New Genus”. Contributions to Zoology 85.4 (2016): 387-422.
DIY Face Shields for Fragging
It was the beginning of the pandemic, about March 2020, and, like everyone, I was stuck at home wishing there was some way I could help. My 3D printer was sitting idle, and personal protective equipment (PPE) was in short supply. The moment I came across the National Institute of Health’s Trusted Repository (reviewed for clinical use) of 3D printable PPE, I fired up my printer. Off came face shield after face shield, shipped out to fire fighters and medical professionals in multiple states. But, as PPE supplies came back in supply, my printer slowed down. One day, I had a failed print, and it was bad enough to not ship out. But that was when it hit me – these were the perfect DIY face shields for fragging corals!
Supplies List:
This is a list of what I used to build my DIY face shields for fragging. Note that prices are not included, as this project is not very cost-effective for one face shield. This is likely best done as a club effort or other group project. I’ve included links to the products and 3D print files (please note, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.)
- 3D printing filament, suitable for the printer available (e.g., 1.75mm PLA)
- 10mil Report Covers
- Button Elastic
3D Printing the Face Shield:
My 3D printer is a Creality Ender 3 Pro, and it has been quite the workhorse. A DIY filament dry box is below, holding all of my filament (or at least that’s all there was at the time!)
I selected the face shield, “DtM-v4.0 Face Shield PPE,” submitted by tprestero. This design was so robust that there was little durability difference noticed between using PLA filament versus PETG. In fact, even after PPE supplies returned to somewhat normal, I had first responders requesting more of these, as these were better than the commercially available face shields. And we just need these for fragging corals!
As for the print/slicing parameters, I used everything as recommended in the file with no issues.
Assembling the Face Shield:
Assembly is incredibly simple. Use a three-hole punch on the binder covers along the 11″ edge. Slip (ok, it’s more like “wrangle”) the binder cover holes over the face shield holes. I found it easiest to start in the center. For comfort, round out the corners of the bottom of the report cover.
Next, slip the button elastic on one end (button elastic not pictured here due to supply issues at fabrication time). Place the shield on your head, and wrap the elastic around the back of your head. Without pulling the elastic, mark where the elastic meets the shield, and then cut the elastic. Place the button elastic onto the face shield nub. Voila! Congrats on your DIY face shield for fragging corals!
Although this is an amazing face shield, I still recommend wearing safety glasses to further protect your eyes.
Then, combine this 3D printed face shield for fragging with the Magnetic Stirrer Coral Dip Station, and you’re all set for a fun (and safe) day of reefkeeping!