Leathers not extending their polyps

[sdergar]

I've got a fairly new tank and conditions are good as listed below (except Calcium has dropped). After talking with a few people on they said that keeping leathers and zoos shouldn't be too bad as they are pretty hardy. A friend gave me a couple of frags, one with a zoo and another with two leathers. In fact we ended up splitting the rock that they were on and made the leathers singles. I brought them home and did an acclimation. I was told that they might not open for a few days. Well, within an hour of being in the display tank all three opened up and stayed open, with the lights on, for a couple of days. Currently the zoo opens and closes during the day cycles however the leathers, for the past couple of days have not extended their polyps. Is this normal? Do they just not open up sometimes? I bought a calcium test kit and when I first put them in the calcium was at 420. It dropped to 370 and on some advice I bought the Kent Tech CP Parts A & B. After dosing to the instructions for two days it is up to 390. Is this the reason?

Thanks...Steve


Temp 80.3F
PH 8.2
Alk 3.2
Cal 390
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrites 0.05
Nitrates 10

 

[scottkraft]

My experience says that happens from time to time, they just take a few days off so to speak and not open. Mine took 3 days to open when i got him and now is growing and expanding fully., also mine seems to like it in a mildly high flow area of the tank with lots of light
Scott

 

[austinsdad]

You've got nitrites. Not good. Didja cycle and how? And try to rely on water changes for calcium updates rather than dosing. you have nothing theat needs dosing yet.

BTW, what's "fairly new". Might be moving too fast with your livestock additions.

 

[cmor1701d]

Nitrites are not good a sign, but leathers to that occasionally.

 

[sdergar]

Thanks for the help. My test kit shows nitrites at 0.05 but when I had the LFS check it it came up as 0. I cycled with 3 raw Shrimp. What are optimum calcium levels?

 

[mr_X]

in the 400s, but like austinsdad said, you don't have to worry about that right now. the low calcium level is not effecting the leather.

 

[sdergar]

I was happy to see this morning that both the leathers started extending their polyps, more the larger of the two, and I've noticed a shimmery skin still attached to the larger one and the small one still has it across its head. Is this what is meant by a leather sliming? Can I help peel it away or should mother nature take its course?

 

[mr_X]

it will come off on it's own just fine if it's got decent flow there.