Leather Toadstool acting funny

[mangelo]

I got this very nice leather from my LFS. It was very hardy at the store. When I got it there was no real base rock that it was attached to. It just had pieces of rock that the stalk was attached to.

Lately, I've tried moving it to a higher spot in the tank. When I picked it up pices of that rock just fall right off.

Is this a bad sign of what's yet to come?

 

[WhiteLightsaber]

How long have you had it? It can take a week or two before they acclimate and open back up. I wouldn't handle them too much, though, it really stresses them out. Unless the coral is turning brown and disintegrating, I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[Michael]

if it has tiny black spots/marks its in trouble, otherwise let it be, it probably needs to settle

 

[mangelo]

I've had him about a month now. Oh, he opened up right away. My LFS said he would do best high in the tank with good flow. When I tried to move him higher is when pieces of rock started falling out of his stalk.

You're right. I probably should have left him alone.

He is open everyday, but I'm thinking the tentacles or whatever they are should be longer. There are some spots where the tentacles don't come out or should I say stay out very long.

Thanks.

 

[cfw1199]

get a small deep dish like a condiment cup or something. I say that because I used a small thing that I stole from O'Charlies that they put honey mustard in and it works great. Place a couple base rocks or rubble in the cup and sit the toadstool in it at the bottom of the tank it will attach to the rocks in the cup and then you can place it where you want in the tank. Got that advice from someone on here and it worked very well.

 

[cfw1199]

also leathers can be really finicky. I have a yellow fiji leather that closes up for no reason and then comes back bigger and stronger and it will stay closed for like 3 days or so. Like Michael said as long as you don't see any black spots or area of disease on it should be o.k. High up in the tank maybe but I wouldn't blast a toadstool with alot of flow. IMO it will irritate the heck out of it....

 

[mangelo]

Sounds like great advice!! Thanks.

 

[WhiteLightsaber]

last question. Does the coral have a shiny look on the stool, crown, what-have-you? It could be shedding a layer off. Mine do that every once in a while.

 

[mangelo]

No shiny look. I do see like a shedding on the very top of it every now and then. Just looks like dust if you will. I think I read that they take in food through the top (mouth) and then after they process it the waste comes back up through the same path. I thought maybe that's what this is.