Leather Coral Not Extending

[CAPT_Dave]

Good evening, Reef Central Community. I have a leather finger coral that has not extended its polyps for about 2 months, now. It expels water and shrivels every night and pumps up again during the day, so I'm pretty sure it's alive but it looks terrible. I know they shed but this seems to be a long time...or is this normal?

Water parameters today:
Ca 410
Alk 10.2
Mg 1290
PO4 0.25
NO3 5 ppm
pH 8.24
Salinity 1.025

Ca has been a problem for me for the last several months. It ramped up to 490 in June. I did water changes and cut dosing and it has slowly come back to 410, and I'm now increasing Ca dosing to get it back to 425. During this time Alk stayed in range 7 - 10 with no rapid swings. Mg also bounced around from 1230 to a high of 1380 and has since decreased to 1290 today.

During this time I lost all my SPS and half my acans. They went pretty fast, but all the LPS, Zoas, and of course mushrooms and damned Xenia (I SO regret Xenia but that's another post) have been great.

I dose Randy's 2 part and kalk for Ca and Alk, and Epsom salts when needed for Mg. I also dose vodka for Nitrate and Phosphate control, though those just spiked so I have to look into that. Feed reef roids weekly, though not as much since I lost the SPS.

The leather is near the bottom of the tank under black box LEDs from SBReefs. All the LPS and softies are doing great under these lights. Flow is moderate to low in this area of the tank.

Thoughts?

 

[CAPT_Dave]

Good evening, Reef Central Community. I have a leather finger coral that has not extended its polyps for about 2 months, now. It expels water and shrivels every night and pumps up again during the day, so I'm pretty sure it's alive but it looks terrible. I know they shed but this seems to be a long time...or is this normal?

Water parameters today:
Ca 410
Alk 10.2
Mg 1290
PO4 0.25
NO3 5 ppm
pH 8.24
Salinity 1.025

Ca has been a problem for me for the last several months. It ramped up to 490 in June. I did water changes and cut dosing and it has slowly come back to 410, and I'm now increasing Ca dosing to get it back to 425. During this time Alk stayed in range 7 - 10 with no rapid swings. Mg also bounced around from 1230 to a high of 1380 and has since decreased to 1290 today.

During this time I lost all my SPS and half my acans. They went pretty fast, but all the LPS, Zoas, and of course mushrooms and damned Xenia (I SO regret Xenia but that's another post) have been great.

I dose Randy's 2 part and kalk for Ca and Alk, and Epsom salts when needed for Mg. I also dose vodka for Nitrate and Phosphate control, though those just spiked so I have to look into that. Feed reef roids weekly, though not as much since I lost the SPS.

The leather is near the bottom of the tank under black box LEDs from SBReefs. All the LPS and softies are doing great under these lights. Flow is moderate to low in this area of the tank.

Thoughts?

Picture from September 27. I've seen no polyps at all for about 3 weeks.

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[Optionman]

Leather Coral Not Extending

How long have you had the finger leather? Did it look good in the past? When did u start vodka dosing? My finger leather is out of control but it's higher up in my reef under hydra hd 26 LEDs at near full strength & my reef runs higher nutrients. It might not like low flow or super low nutrients. You mentioned your PO4 and NO3 just spiked (.25 and 5ppm) so I'm assuming they were near 0 prior. The leather might not like water that clean.

Just my thoughts...good luck.


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[ReefMaster48]

I would look at a few things. First being that it isn't in very direct and powerful lighting. Not certain about SBReefs, but most if not all (and mine lol) black boxes have more of a flashlight style lighting to them. By this I mean that they often have very intense lighting directly under them, even all the way to the bottom. So perhaps your leather is getting to much light.

Similarly, because the black boxes have more of a beam of light, it is possible that your leather is just outside of the light that it needs. Depending on its current location, I would try giving it more or less light.

Lastly, does it have good flow? Obviously you don't want it bending over and put in hurricane type flow, but mine seems to like the highest amount of flow I can get it, without bending it.


My toadstool leathers are just on the outside of the "beam" of black box light, and in higher flow areas. They seem to like more light, but indirect light. JIME

 

[mcgyvr]

Its a devils hand leather BTW...

I'd try moving it to an area with some more flow if you want but sounds like you need to get better at keeping your parameters stable...

The coral looks fine though BTW.. yes its polyps aren't open all the way but that happens sometimes.. And from the sound of it you messing with parameters may just be its problem.. So get them stable/give it time..
I've had devils hands close up for a month or more then come out perfectly fine/happy..
Its ok..

 

[Uncle99]

Agreed with "mcgyvr" leathers do not like unstable water at all.
Need moderate to high but not direct water flow to shed and moderate to high lighting.
I have mine under LED's which are 27" from the light source running at 40 white and 70 blue.

 

[CAPT_Dave]

Agreed with "mcgyvr" leathers do not like unstable water at all.
Need moderate to high but not direct water flow to shed and moderate to high lighting.
I have mine under LED's which are 27" from the light source running at 40 white and 70 blue.

Thanks, guys. I will slowly move him up to higher light and flow areas under the lights. I have just the spot.

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[ReefMaster48]

Thanks, guys. I will slowly move him up to higher light and flow areas under the lights. I have just the spot.

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I think that's a good idea, but you should get (maybe you do now) your params fully under control. As others have said, corals don't like fluctuating water params, so keep them as stable as possible. Moving the coral will do nothing if you have x spiking and then z falling, etc etc. Nonetheless, if you have your params under control, then moving it slowly is the next step.

 

[Uncle99]

Correct water + correct light = happy corals

 

[CAPT_Dave]

Update: Parameters are in range and I moved him to the top of the tank under SBReef black box LEDs.

Five months, no polyps at all. How do you know when a leather is dead?

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[ReefkeeperZ]

How do you know when a leather is dead?

it disintegrates, it's still alive.

 

[ReefkeeperZ]

are the white specs sand? if not I think you may possibly have a rare case of predatory copepods, Ansiomolgus insolens which are hosted by several species of related and nearly related corals to the lobo.

 

[ReefkeeperZ]

or possibly a fungal infection with wildly swinging parameters either is possible.

 

[CAPT_Dave]

The spots in the picture are actually the last polyps I've seen. Here's a picture I just took. It seems to still inflate and deflate with the lights cycle but less so lately. No polyps at all for at least 3 months.

Current parameters (all Salifert)
Ca 440
Alk 10.2
Mg 1410
NO3 0.1
PO4 0.02

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[CAPT_Dave]

All other LPS and soft corals are doing well. I've had no success with SPS and have given up on them for now.

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[Formulator]

All other LPS and soft corals are doing well. I've had no success with SPS and have given up on them for now.

Your leather is probably suffering for the same reasons you have never had luck with SPS. Get your params stable. Also, are you running carbon? My toadstool pretty much tells me when its time to change mine.

 

[wij]

Try to lower alk a bit i run alk at 7.5 all my leathers are well hope that helps?

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[ReefkeeperZ]

not for nothing, but in both pictures you have it touching other corals zoanthids in one anthelia in the next, anthelia aren't super aggressive stingers but make sure it has some space. that may help?

 

[kingfish22]

I agree with reefkeeperz I had the same problem with a couple of my corals when I first placed them and after I rearranged them they were doing good.

 

[CAPT_Dave]

I agree with reefkeeperz I had the same problem with a couple of my corals when I first placed them and after I rearranged them they were doing good.

Thanks all, for the advice. I'm going to do a major water change and get rid of the Xenia growing in that rock. Maybe that will help.

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