Leather Dying Why?

[xxnonamexx]

I don't understand this has been healthy for the past 3 months now all of a sudden during the shedding stage it looks more like a dying stage. What is causing this? Levels are all good. I have a 55gal. 260Watt CoralLife Power Compact, 3 1W Lunar Lights, Live sand 4in DSB, 75lbs. Live Rock, 2 Cinnamon Clownfish, Firefish, Magenta Dottyback, snails, crabs, Feather Duster, Sabae Purple Tipped Anenome, 1 White Leather Coral, Red Sun polyp, assorted polyps, 2 Assorted Color Plate Corals, Pipe Organ, Frogspawn, Fox Coral, Flat Brain, Finger Leather, Mushrooms, Green Star Polyps, 2 8" Maxima Clams, Wet/Dry filter, Protein Skimmer, Heater, I have the Liquid Plankton and also frozen plankton and brine shrimp for food. What can be causing this? It has just shedded but now looks weird. I never touched it. I thought leathers are supposed to be easy to keep?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59422509@N00/

 

[steve-s]

Please post the exact numbers for all your chemistry and water parameters.

Did the coral come attached the way show in the pic or was it placed between the two rock pieces?

Was the discolored area on the edge of the crown always there or new?

Any sign of "lumps" or lesions that seem to move from place to place?

What additives do you use besides foods?

Do you use carbon? How often do you do water changes and how much?

Cheers
Steve

 

[xxnonamexx]

Nitrates 0 Nitrites 0 salt 1.024(LPS stated keep it at this) I have carbon in the Protein skimmer and also in the wet/dry filter everything gets cleaned once a month water change 10% week. Additives only trace elements from Kent. This I placed between the two rocks it opened up nicely the past 2 months in this spot. The discolored edge is new, No Lumps Seen. Is this dying? If so I will throw it out

 

[steve-s]

It's not dieing but you do need to move it out in the open. The elevation is fine but be sure it is placed in a med-low flow area. Skip the trace element additions as well. Your saltmix will do everything you need if doing 10% weekly water changes. The extra could easily adversely affect the invertebrate population.

The SG is fine but do you know the alk, Ca and pH levels? How often do you change the carbon/what brand?

Cheers
Steve

 

[xxnonamexx]

I moved it so that it isn't touching anything http://www.flickr.com/photos/59422509@N00/ Do you think it will come back?? Thanks

 

[steve-s]

The elevation was fine before, moving it up was not necessary and most likely placed it in a higher flow area as well.

Can you post a new full tank shot? I can then suggest a few placement options.

do you know the alk, Ca and pH levels? How often do you change the carbon/what brand?

Cheers
Steve

 

[xxnonamexx]

It is not in a higher flow area and it was the only free spot for it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59422509@N00/

 

[steve-s]

Please e-mail me the "right side" pic

Cheer
Steve

 

[xxnonamexx]

I tried to email please go to the site that I posted and click on the right side of tank pic thanks

 

[steve-s]

It's okay, after some hunting I was able to find the image URL from the page source. Your web host disables right click options.

Anyway, here are my suggestions. They will allow each coral better placement.

Cheers
Steve

 

[xxnonamexx]

Thanks for the advice I tried to do what you said. The plate coral is too big for the spot you suggested but I found a good spot. I moved the fox coral. What do you think of the new arrangements any suggestions please let me know. Thaks

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59422509@N00/

 

[steve-s]

Looks alot better. The only thing that may still be a concern is the placement of the Sinularia. In almost all cases I've seen in your pics, the two leathers where quite close to each other. Sinularia's in general are quite noxious to most other species and placement should not be near less agressive species. You may still end up needing to move the Sinularia to the opposite side of the toadstool but wait and see how it does.

BTW, if you look at the last pic posted, the pink plate was beginning to bleach along the edges. Good thing it's on the sandbed now

Cheers
Steve

 

[xxnonamexx]

I don't see it bleaching? You are saying 2 plates shouldn't be next to each other? The leather has a part cut out of it now. I dunno if it's getting worse. I have no more room to put the plates.

 

[steve-s]

I don't see it bleaching? You are saying 2 plates shouldn't be next to each other?

The ST pink plate and the green one seem to be a few inches apart so they should be fine. They will wander so be sure you watch them. They will be fine near each other as long as they don't touch.

The pink plate looks like it is fading around the rim on the left side. Could be a trick of the photo but also a sign of stress from your previous placement. All I was commentling on is it shouldn't be a problem now that it's moved.

The leather has a part cut out of it now. I dunno if it's getting worse.

Fan the area gentley with your hand and see if there is any debris floats away or just simple film.

I have no more room to put the plates.

The plates are fine now, leave them be.

Cheers
Steve

 

[xxnonamexx]

Ok here is today's new pix of the tank setup check out leather status? plate status? fox coral status not open up all the way since I moved it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59422509@N00/

 

[steve-s]

The leather is still sloughing but it seems to look a little better. Give it some more time and keep an eye on that missing area. I have a suspicsion the issue was more so it's previous placement.

The two "plates" are a little too close. They really should have at leat 2-3" space. The little green one BTW is not a plate coral. Don't have my book with me right now for the exact species name but I will post it later.

The fox coral is a lower light coral. With PC lights, the bulbs meet in the middle making it a little more intense than the original position. You can wait a few more days and see if it acclimates better or swap it with the coral on the far left. Personally I'd wait a few days.

Cheers
Steve

 

[steve-s]

Still a fungiid but not your typical plate. It's either a Mycedium sp or Sandalolitha sp.. the pics not clear enough to be sure but I'd lean towards Sandalolitha...

Cheers
Steve

 

[xxnonamexx]

I went back to my LPS and they recommended cutting the brown spot on the leather and place it back in the tank they stated it will regrow. They also said that if it was on the mushroom part then it would be a fungus. I cut it with a razor and it looks better now. There was a clear sack of a clear liquid on the mushroom part that came right off with the razor I did not cut any part of the mushroom (stalk part) but the clear hard liquid sack came off easily I dunno what it was.

 

[steve-s]

There was a clear sack of a clear liquid on the mushroom part that came right off with the razor I did not cut any part of the mushroom (stalk part) but the clear hard liquid sack came off easily I dunno what it was.

That's why I asked you earlier to fan the toadstool with your hand. To see if any loose flesh came free. It is a sure sign of necrosis. What you describe could easily be necrosis.

Did it reek?

Cheers
Steve

 

[xxnonamexx]

no loose flesh what is necrosis? It had a smell not deathly. Is this a bad thing what to do?