Leather Coral

[noicelucas]

I purchased a leather coral yesterday and it was doing just fine until I got up this morning and turned on the lights and found it hunched over. Why is it doing this? What should i do???

[Salt4Us]

What kind of flow area is it in? I found that our leather is extremely moody, infact for the last 4 days it decided to tilt towards the back of the tank, only to find out that the powerhead that had been making a gentle current on it had fallen down slightly and so it had moved to where the current was, I also found that because I hadn't fed it like I normally have been it wasn't perking up. I'm not saying yours is like this, it could be shedding too, they do that also, they also act weird if something is rubbing it or touching it that it doesn't like. Personally I found that leathers tend to have a lot more personality than other corals. Could be lighting too, I'm sure there are others a little more experienced than me but just thought I'd share with you what I've learned from our leather. Hope it perks up for you

[noicelucas]

It is in a area of high water flow. Do you think it could be to close to the light or do you think it doesnt have enough light???

[Salt4Us]

You don't want it too high of flow, just enough for the polyps to sway, ya know what I mean? I read somewhere when I did research on Toadstool leathers that they like to be gently swayed like seeing a field of oats in the wind. Ours loves that, not too hard but not too soft. I'm not sure about the light, I'm not real good in those areas, ours is under 2 55w lights one white and one actnic, in the last year it has almost tripled it's size. We add phytoplankton to the water one to two times a week (probably why it's too big) but that's just our experience, might want to see if anything is bugging it too, fish, crabs anything would make it retract like that too. Also because you just got it, it might be going through a shedding period. They are extremely hardy so just hang in there.

[noicelucas]

Thank you very much for your advise. I add DT's Phytoplankton to the tank. I currently have a total of 240w of lighting. 2 65w 50/50 PC's and 2 55w 50/50 PC's.
Maybe it is getting too much water flow. If you look in the photo you can see the return from the sump above to the left and then i have a PH in the front to the left......HUmmmm...

[Salt4Us]

I'm not sure about the lighting, I'm sure someone will chime in on that part. I can't see the return. I'm hoping someone else can help you with the lighting part, what size is your tank?

[noicelucas]

It is a 55gal.

[noicelucas]

This is the tank

[Salt4Us]

Nice tank! Well if it were me I'd probably put the leather lower, and as far as the flow I'd have it so that it gets a bounce off effect, the way we have ours the powerhead hits the glass or rather goes over the leather and then it bounces back, it seems to work. When we had it in our 29 gallon it was right by the skimmer output and then we had an oscilating powerhead, it loved that too but the oscilating powerhead was at the other end. It could also be just trying to adjust to your tank also. JMO Good luck

[Salt4Us]

Here's how ours is set up it bouches off the corner of the tank, this one is under 2 55w pc's, the other end of the tank is 2 96w pcs, in a 60 gallon tank.

[noicelucas]

OK..I will try that. In the just the past couple of hours it now looks like it is shrivelling. It is very odd. And before it started that it looked like a shinny thin skin type material was comming off of it. I am so darn confused. It looked so healthy at the lfs.

[WarOrks15]

well if it is new to the tank just give it few days. i had mine closed for like 4 days when he did open he had a film on him and i removed it and the was doing great. did you drip it for a few hours? or did you just put a few cups of water in the bag? and dont forget to lower the light for the period for a few weeks. i gave mine a little burn in the fist weeks because i forgot to change the timer.

[noicelucas]

Looking at the leather now it is still hunched over and has a whole bunch of little things sticking out of it and looks kind of like it is growing another finger. Can take a pic if needed

[Salt4Us]

Just wondering hoow's it doing?

[yaksplat]

Salt-

how old is that leather, or how much has it grown in what period of time?

Jim

[noicelucas]

Well at this point it is still hunched over and has four fingers instead of five and the polyps are sticking out and the "base" of it is shriveld... I can take a pic if you would like...

[Salt4Us]

Not to take away from noicelucas post, but our leather is a little over a year old, and it has doubled maybe tripled it's size since we got it, yeah I'd say tripled.

Noicelucas, can ya post a pic?