New Toadstool not looking so hot.
- Thread starter jwhiteuwc
- Start date
diablo
Member
Is it always had a standing stalk. or has it started to stand up now. from my experiance with leathers like these is they need lots of light and good water flow they can keep retracted for long periods of time. if it has just started standing this is a good sign (he is reaching for the light) soon slime crap will shed from him and polyp's will start comming out. and also leave him alone they are tempermental touching and moving cause stress. this will take longer to come out. phos-gaurd good start, but where are the phosphates comming from. what water you using?
T
thomas712
Guest
I'm I blind or was alkalinity not mentioned at all.
Check alkalinity
Check calcium
check magnesium
What salt brand?
Check alkalinity
Check calcium
check magnesium
What salt brand?
jwhiteuwc
Member
Only blind on the Calc part which was posted at the top 
Calc 390 (low, actually having a hard time raising it)
dkh = 6.67
Mag - Don't have a test kit for it.
I'm thinking PO4 came from over feeding. I was gone on vacation and I'm guessing my brother overfeed them their frozen foods.
Salt Brand is Instant Ocean.
When I saw this guy in the store, he was definilty a standing stalk. When I brought him home, I acclimated per directions, and after the first day, he just flopped over and would close up and open up periodically during the day.
Calc 390 (low, actually having a hard time raising it)
dkh = 6.67
Mag - Don't have a test kit for it.
I'm thinking PO4 came from over feeding. I was gone on vacation and I'm guessing my brother overfeed them their frozen foods.
Salt Brand is Instant Ocean.
When I saw this guy in the store, he was definilty a standing stalk. When I brought him home, I acclimated per directions, and after the first day, he just flopped over and would close up and open up periodically during the day.
T
thomas712
Guest
slowest is fastest
Member
First just a few general things when acclimating leathers.
1. like all coral provide it with a stable mature environment.
2. place it in a secure location so that the coral may move in the current but not the piece it is attached to.
3. medium to medium strong indirect current seems to work best for me. If detritus is allowed to settle on the cap of the leather it will retract its polyps and shed in an attempt to clean itself.
4.while maintaining the correct "levels" in your tank and making appropriate adjustments is ok...a regular husbandry routine that includes water changes will provide a more than adequate environment for raising most leathers.
5. Once you have placed the coral LEAVE IT ALONE h* leathers can take from 1 hour to 1 week before opening. Every time you move it from one "suitable" position to another you are simply prolonging the acclimation IME/O.
6. Add supplements with caution as the leather coral (and many others) can act as a signal that something is wrong in the tank only after it has looked healthy. Making adjustments to water chemistry based on only the leather not opening can lead to creating problem that may not have existed otherwise. No offense meant
As for your leather...given the series of pics I would say it is in decline. If it were mine I would try the following.
If you haven't done a recent water change I would...25%
If you are not running a high quality carbon I would...remember some carbons can leech phosphates.
I would remove the leather and GENTLY with a very soft toothbrush or terrycloth clean all signs of algae from the cap. In several of the pics I notice what appears to be red algae on the edge and top of the cap. This need to be removed or the area under the algae will begin to rot. After rinsing the leather replace it in a medium flow section of your tank so that the base is secure then LEAVE IT ALONE
You can then concentrate on the water chemistry and see where it leads but at this point you have done everything physically to the leather that you can (short of fragging...I wouldn't yet)
Good Luck
SiF
PS Thomas712 I have started a new thread with questions for you. If you have a minute please stop by
1. like all coral provide it with a stable mature environment.
2. place it in a secure location so that the coral may move in the current but not the piece it is attached to.
3. medium to medium strong indirect current seems to work best for me. If detritus is allowed to settle on the cap of the leather it will retract its polyps and shed in an attempt to clean itself.
4.while maintaining the correct "levels" in your tank and making appropriate adjustments is ok...a regular husbandry routine that includes water changes will provide a more than adequate environment for raising most leathers.
5. Once you have placed the coral LEAVE IT ALONE h* leathers can take from 1 hour to 1 week before opening. Every time you move it from one "suitable" position to another you are simply prolonging the acclimation IME/O.
6. Add supplements with caution as the leather coral (and many others) can act as a signal that something is wrong in the tank only after it has looked healthy. Making adjustments to water chemistry based on only the leather not opening can lead to creating problem that may not have existed otherwise. No offense meant
As for your leather...given the series of pics I would say it is in decline. If it were mine I would try the following.
If you haven't done a recent water change I would...25%
If you are not running a high quality carbon I would...remember some carbons can leech phosphates.
I would remove the leather and GENTLY with a very soft toothbrush or terrycloth clean all signs of algae from the cap. In several of the pics I notice what appears to be red algae on the edge and top of the cap. This need to be removed or the area under the algae will begin to rot. After rinsing the leather replace it in a medium flow section of your tank so that the base is secure then LEAVE IT ALONE
Good Luck
SiF
PS Thomas712 I have started a new thread with questions for you. If you have a minute please stop by
T
thomas712
Guest
Originally Posted by jwhiteuwc
Thomas712,
Are you suggesting using REEF Crystal's instead?
I'm definatly suggesting you change brands, one that has good calcium and much better magnesium. I find that Oceanic has done my system wonders, its a bit low on alk but I can does just one thing. With Instant ocean I would constantly dose many things, I went through it all, overdosing, underdosing and watched levels bounce up and down, I added magnesium only to watch things form strangly and still loose levels. When I quit using IO salt things really took off in my tank.
Thomas
Thomas712,
Are you suggesting using REEF Crystal's instead?
I'm definatly suggesting you change brands, one that has good calcium and much better magnesium. I find that Oceanic has done my system wonders, its a bit low on alk but I can does just one thing. With Instant ocean I would constantly dose many things, I went through it all, overdosing, underdosing and watched levels bounce up and down, I added magnesium only to watch things form strangly and still loose levels. When I quit using IO salt things really took off in my tank.
Thomas
jwhiteuwc
Member
Well, it's another week gone by and he's still not opened. He does look a little shiny on one side of him, do you think he's still shedding?
I've placed a new power head in the tank and he's really getting some movement now (for the last 4 days) and he's not bringing out his polyps, but he does open and close every so often, so he's still alive.
Boy 'O boy...what does a person do....
I've placed a new power head in the tank and he's really getting some movement now (for the last 4 days) and he's not bringing out his polyps, but he does open and close every so often, so he's still alive.
Boy 'O boy...what does a person do....
jwhiteuwc
Member
HOLY CRAP... it must be my day. I took someones advise on another thread to pointed one of my higher end power heads directly at him and BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM, overnight he's has out his polyps (not fully yet), but this is a great advance in progressss
woooohoooooooooooooooooo
thank you all....
woooohoooooooooooooooooo
thank you all....