I need some advice/help...

rappa

Member
Ok I have had my tank setup for 3-4 months now. I have been adding corals for a few weeks. I have:
2 Frogs
1 Hammer
1 Toadstool
1 Alveopora
1 blue leather (name???)
some mushrooms
and various pollyps
I have:
2 Clowns
4 Damsels
2 Fireshrimp
I am having a problem with my toadstool. He was beautiful when I picked him out at the LFS. I brought him home and placed him halfway up in the tank in good flow, under the 150 watt halide. He seemed pretty happy on day 1. He extended fully. After I went to bed that night, I haven't seen tentacles come out at all. I hope I didn't kill him. All my other stuff is doing excellent and most has doubled in size it seems in only a few weeks. The Toadstool looks like it is turning white. I have since lowered him to the bottom of the tank thinking that I burned him. It's been a couple of days and it seems he is getting worse. My water parameters are right on as far as I know. 50 gallon tank.
SG - 1.026
Nitrate - 30
Nitrite - 0
Alk - 180
PH - 8.0
Calcium - 480
Phosphate - 0.2
I think I burned him... Are 150 watts of halide enough to burn him??? If there is anything I can do to save it, please tell me. Here are some pics of how he looked on day 1, and now now after about a week of looking like crap. Thanks for any help I can get.


 

the reef

Member
Originally Posted by Rappa
Here is a pic of where I had him on the tank...
is your alkalinity is that in 180 ppm or is that in 18 dkh
 

db

Member
I would guess that it may have burned him. Was it under MH at your LFS? I'm guessing it probably wasn't. They can adjust to your lighitng, but it will take them some time. Try to keep it in as shady spot as you can near the bottom. One other thing you can do is cut back your the hours your MH is on until the leather adjusts.
 

fishieness

Active Member
was there any problem with acclimation? How did you do it? I am assuming you did it right seeing how you have obviously done it to nunerous corals before. The ones my LFS gets start out beutiful, but then by the next time i come in, they are almost flat. The stems just wither away and they fall over.
Yours kinda reminds me of them, only your entire thing looks white and deflated...
 

db

Member
It might take a couple days to adjust to your lighting. Leathers are pretty hard to kill and if everything else in your tank looks good I wouldn't get too worried. Give it a little time and see if it looks better.
 

tthemadd1

Active Member
It is probrably just acclimation but they do kind of shut down once or twice a month for a few days. Mine does this and then sheds it flesh... Keeps getting bigger. I would check water and watch it for a few days...
 

rappa

Member
Thanks for the replies. Yeah it does look like it is shedding something. Acclimation was a little rushed. I floated it for 20 mins, then into a bucket and poured a cup of tank water every 5 mins for 20 mins. Had to go to work so I put him in. I put the other leather in at the same time and that is fine. Nothing could sting him because he was up on top of everything else before it started looking bad. Now it's on the bottom under a shelf to shade it. It doesn't smell so I think it is still alive... Still firm when I touch it. Every thing else in the tank is doing well. You guys saw the pics, he was looking good on day 1!!! I hope it comes back.
 
Top