Leather coral problem

[tylergarrett70]

I have a large toadstool leather coral that has not polyp ed out in about five weeks. All my water parameters are within ranges and are stable. I have lps,sps, and other leathers in the tank that are doing great. The tank is 240 gallons and has an assortment of fish.This toadstool just will not come back. The top is covered in algae now. I have tried to dip in revive and have tried changing the flow. I allowed a week in between each change. I wonder if anyone else has had this problem. I know they shed but it should only take a week and no one else has said their coral got algae on the top. I wonder what could be causing this? I attached a picture of what it looks like right now.

 

[RA]

It doesn't seem normal to be growing algae on the toadstool. Can you check for phosphates? Are you having algae issues in the tank?

 

[tylergarrett70]

As far as my test will go I do not have any phosphates in the tank and there isn't an algae problem on anything but the leather and it only developed after the polyps stopped extending.

 

[ddmiller38]

My 2 small and 2 large leathers does that from time to time. nothing to worry about, it will shed the skin and be back to normal. Somethings a week or longer.

"Some Leather or Family Alcyoniidae corals periodically slough-off a thin top layer of tissue. This shedding process is apparently not a regenerative action, but one that serves to rid the coral's surface of accumulated waste, debris and algae. Once a coral has shed what could be described as a layer of "old skin", it's not unusual for it to appear larger and more magnificent than before"

 

[tylergarrett70]

I know that they shed but, its been almost six weeks now and the coral is covered in algae. I have never seen or heard of that happening. The shedding process normally only lasts a week from my understanding.

 

[ddmiller38]

Longest mine went is 4 weeks,, as long as it is not melting it should be find. what I done one time is get a soft toothbrush and bush the top off and get all the algae off and make sure its getting flow and that should help. this is mine that went 4 weeks before openning back up

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[tylergarrett70]

What does it look like when it melts?

 

[ddmiller38]

just starts to melts like a candle at least the one I had 6 years ago did

 

[tylergarrett70]

what caused yours to melt?

 

[ddmiller38]

I don't know to this day.. I have never had another melt, I did manage to frag a small part of it before it died and its been doing well

 

[Biernluce]

I don't know why algae is growing, but I've had a leather do pretty much the same thing as yours. It's been in the tank for 5 years, and it's had it's "moods" it did come back, and I never knew what happened. If an urchin is near it, you won't see the tentacles for awhile.

 

[tylergarrett70]

Thank you. Hopefully it will come back.

 

[tylergarrett70]

the leather finally shed but now its been a couple of days and there is only ten or so polyps out. Has anyone elses done this?