Whats wrong with my toadstool leather??

[Clownfish25]

My toadstool has spots missing where the polyps don't extend anymore. Could it be getting to much light? Could it be flow ? Do Copepods and ampipods eat on corals ?
Specs, ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 5 ph 8.3 calcium 500 alk 11

 

[CorallineAlgae]

What livestock do you have? It could just be normal shedding which is my guess. Good flow will help. How long has the coral been like this?

No, copepods and ampipods can't harm anything.

Do you have a phosphate test?

 

[Animal-Chin]

Based on the amount of algae in those pictures i'd say something is off. How long are your lights on for? What kind of filtration? How often dk you do water changes?

 

[Clownfish25]

Yes I have a phosphate test kit and it is at 0 as well. The corals has been like this for a couple weeks. Everything else in the tank has been growing.

 

[Clownfish25]

The Actinics come on a 7am to 9pm and the Whites come on at 9:20am to 7:20pm
I have a bioball trickle filter, algae scrubber, fuge, and a protein skimmer underneath

 

[CorallineAlgae]

The Actinics come on a 7am to 9pm and the Whites come on at 9:20am to 7:20pm
I have a bioball trickle filter, algae scrubber, fuge, and a protein skimmer underneath

That's a 14 hour light period which is 2 hours longer than I would ever go. It could be part of the algae issue. The bio-balls should be pulled. You have an algae scrubber in a refugium which is so much better than the trickle filter. The only thing the bio-balls will add to your system is nitrates. If you remove them, get some snails and maybe a couple of hermits to wipe out the algae, find good RO for water changes and rinse out your filter pads in tap water each week your tank should improve very quickly. You have an excellent system. The source water, light cycle and trickle filter are the only things I would adjust.

It is a little odd that your toadstool hasn't opened up all of his polyps in more than two weeks. Do his polyps sway in the current? How old are the light bulbs? And again, what livestock are in the tank right now?

 

[Clownfish25]

its a 75g tank I change 10gallons every week,

 

[Clownfish25]

the polyps do move he seems to have good flow. There are seven chromis and one maroon clown. I also have a peppermint shrimp a cleaner (skunk) shrimp, some hermit crabs, snails

 

[Clownfish25]

he has been opened for a couple months and has just recently started doing this

 

[Sniperhank]

Well, increased stress could cause it. I'm in agreement with waht was said above, the algae is out of control. I'd put money that your phosphate reading, and possibly even nitrate, is 0 because the algae is consuming all of it.

Are you using RO/DI water? Tap water could be leading to his issue as well.
Either way, the issue needs to be solved. Continue with your weekly 10% water changes, making sure you are using ro/di water. Prior to these changes, remove as much of the algae is possible. Just grab it and pull it out.
It was suggested that you get some snails and hermits to help you with this issue, and I am in full agreement of this...though I would suggest the possible addition of an algae blenny as well. I had a hair algae issue when my reef first started up, through sparce feedings and ro/di...which I didn't notice my resin needed changed! Through manual removal and water changes I just couldn't make headway. The addition of an algae blenny was a great help and the issue was solved. He is still in my tank, many months later fat as can be. Valued member of my CUC, but I do feed blood worms biweekly to make sure he is fed.

 

[melosu58]

A good thing for leathers are an iodine dip. Usually a cap of Kents Iodine in a bowl of water from your tank will do good. Soak the leather about 15 - 20 minutes and then return to the tank. Do twice a week.

 

[54seaweed]

mine did that last month it sheded its skin

now it's even a little bigger

blow it off with a power head to help it shed faster

 

[Clownfish25]

mine did that last month it sheded its skin

now it's even a little bigger

blow it off with a power head to help it shed faster

Thanks for the advice , we moved it more in front of the power head, should I keep it there or move it back. Will it like intense flow ?

 

[54seaweed]

mine loves the flow
sits right under the power head

 

[Readingexcalibur]

You really need to get that hair algae under control. Phosphates are the driving force behind it. I have a small neon green toadstool, I haven't seen it have any polyp loss yet.

 

[Clownfish25]

You really need to get that hair algae under control. Phosphates are the driving force behind it. I have a small neon green toadstool, I haven't seen it have any polyp loss yet.

Yeah I'm working on the hair algae. We transferred a 6 month old tank to this tank and its been up for 3 months so total about 9 months. We had some cyano and got that under control and now I'm working on the green hair. Semi new tank syndrome. I adjusted the times of my lights and i am starting to feed less , I think over feeding contributes to nuisance algae as well. Ill post the progress as it gets Better.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

You really need to get that hair algae under control. Phosphates are the driving force behind it. I have a small neon green toadstool, I haven't seen it have any polyp loss yet.

Holy cow! That's the best toadstool I've ever seen!

 

[Readingexcalibur]

Holy cow! That's the best toadstool I've ever seen!

Thanks, it's only about 3 inchs across. Picked it up locally here in Vegas.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Yes I have a phosphate test kit and it is at 0 as well. The corals has been like this for a couple weeks. Everything else in the tank has been growing.

I hate to say this, but I don't think phosphate is zero, it is just below the resolution of your test kit. My bet is it is above.1 and that will certainly affect leather corals and cause algae growth.

 

[h8z2luze]

What phosphate test are you using?