Toadstool

[FishFreak1961]

This coral has been in my tank over a month and has not
shown any signs of life and the snails and crabs walk all
over him, should I just get rid of it? Maybe someone else
will have better luck. He looks like his edges are dry
My parameters are good and I do weekly water changes,
the only thing off is calcium and that is low (340).

 

[melosu58]

Have you ever thought of dosing calcium to supplement your PWC water. Also Oceanic has a higher calcium content. What brand are you using now?

 

[mr_X]

i don't think it's the calcium. have you tried moving it around to different flow/lighting areas of the tank?

 

[thincat]

I agree with Mr X, It looks unhappy but not dead. Try his suggestion.

 

[Ziggy953]

I agree with Mr. X and TC. Leathers go through slothing periods where they close up and look ugly but will come back.

 

[thincat]

excellent point Ziggy!!

 

[melosu58]

BTW that angel is not picking on it is he. I had an angel pick mine to death yrs ago.

 

[thincat]

Man, mike that's another great point! What ever it looks unhappy.

 

[FishFreak1961]

The angel isn't bothering him, just the crabs and snails
I use IO salt mix. Where do you get oceanic? Online probably
I have moved him up higher closer to the light and powerhead
and see what that does. I just can't believe he hasn't opened
up in a month. He looks like he's drying up instead of slothing.
He has done that twice. My chili coral is still alive I'm proud
to say and the Ricordea seems ok, but not much growth there.
I'm ready to see some action!

 

[melosu58]

I get mine from my LFS. I have to agree with the guys thay They dont consume alot of calcium. I doubt that`s the reason.

 

[FishFreak1961]

Nobody around here carries Oceanic. I'll look online and give
that a shot. It is nerve racking to have a perfectly healthy
tank with everyone happy and he just sits there looking
like he is sunburned or something. My chili coral opens
every nite to twice the size so he is ok in there.

 

[pokmijn]

just try moving it around one of my corals would not open up too no matter what i did but everyday i moved it to a different spot and today finally right after i placed it on a new spot it started to open up(but this was with a sps)

 

[FishFreak1961]

What is an sps?

 

[Ziggy953]

sps = Small Polyp Stony - hard corals

 

[FishFreak1961]

Ok i dont know if i am ready for hard coral yet. my tank is a yr old this month. I have nitrates down to almost none after they went off The charts. I have decreased feedings and that has helped i think.just purchased a group of ten ric of different colors and a red sea fan and a long tentacle anemone
Anybody know if they are easy care for? This hobby is so addicting isn't it?

 

[mr_X]

no. long tentacle anemones are not easy to care for. you will need powerful lighting and good water conditions.

 

[FishFreak1961]

I have two powerhead a blowing over him and good water conditions, just did wc and all is well, noticed the sea fan shedding now, normal?

 

[mr_X]

nope. not normal as far as i've seen. what exactly are your water parameters? what kind of lighting are you using? what kind of gorgonian do you have? does it have white polyps?

 

[FishFreak1961]

Red Gulf Sea Fan. Parameters are 1.024, calcium 360, 0 nitrates and ammonia,
barely a trace of phosphates, temp 77.8, Ph 8.45. I see white polyps I think,
here it is and my new long tent anemone, how is he looking? He is new also.
Not a good pic, sorry.

 

[FishFreak1961]

HO T5 lighting btw, bulbs are prob. 6 mos old.