Tips On Mostly Dead Bubble/How To Bring Back To Life?

[bdhough]

Well bought a $5 dollar mostly dead bubble today. Has a yellow/green tint to it. I need some tips on bringing it back to health. I know bubbles don't need super amounts of light and low water flow. Anything else would be helpful. LFS where i bought him questioned my logic but i know better than they do I think one of the kids tried to pass of a piece of aptasia as a new polyp. I don't know if that was because he didn't know or he was trying something. Speculations aside.
Tank is a 20 gallon thats been up since March. 130watts of PC. It's a very healthy tank where im growing quite a few different corals, SPS and LPS. Corralline everywhere especially, now, to the back of the tank.
THANKS

 

[bdhough]

I kinda figured. It's mouth is responding to food in the water. I'm attempting to feed it before i place it in the tank. So that is a good sign. There are a few bubbles left on its skeleton. How do i feed it though if it can't grab anything? My brain i nursed back had tentacles at least that came out......

 

[nm reef]

Keep it in a moderate light with a low to moderate current...try to gently direct feed some meaty type foods every few days(just after lights out is a good time)...if it is healthy enough to become stable and start feeding you'll be on your way to a full recovery. As a rule bubble corals can be very hardy and many recover from near death with a little TLC. Best of luck.

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[bdhough]

That i figured too. He looked like he had a few bubbles still left at the store. Since he's been in my tank he's inflated a few of them. They are a nice yellowish green. Which is a good sign he's still making himself his own food. How to get him to take the food i guess ill have to see when the lights go out tonight. I sprayed a little brine over him gently today. THe hermits came and stole it but maybe he absorbed some of the fine particles. He's at the bottom of my 20 under 130 watts of PC's. The spot he's in is fairly calm for my tank so we shall see....

 

[ty_05_f]

yellowish green?? My bubble is always white. Ya the best time to feed it is like right after the lights go off and it sticks out its tentacles

 

[bdhough]

Bubbles can be green/pink/yellow and maybe other colors. If yours is white then it could be he is bleached. How long have you had him?

 

[overanalyzer]

Is there any algea growing on the skeleton? Is there bare skeleton?
I bought a bubble for $10 and I took a soft to medium bristle toothbrush to the skeleton area and got rid of the algea. I also made sure I brushed the tissue very gently in the affected areas. I then made sure that everynight I stirred the sand bed a bit near the coral to simulate a turbid water environment.
Good luck!!

 

[bdhough]

Interesting. No i didn't clean off the skeleton. There is a good amount of tissue left and it was inflated some this morning. Im always stirring up the "junk" in my tanks so i can do that daily now i spose. His mouth is open and exposed. I guess since the mouth is still left there is some hope yet.... It just going to be hard to get food in there since there aren't any tentacles or anything to stick the food to. Not to mention theiving hermits....

 

[bdhough]

Thoughts on feeding him sinking pellets? About the only thing i can feed him that will stay on him...

 

[overanalyzer]

if you set some food near its mouth it should take it readily - should not take more than a second or two for it to start closing around it. I'd try a piece of krill on a toothpick or somthing first