Problem with Leather Coral (infection?)--pics

[clownmama]

Hi, I've had a Leather Coral (think Sinularia notanda) for about a month now. All my water paremeters are ok--haven't tested fro calcium and alkalinity yet--just got those kits. Ammonia and nitrites 0 and nitrates <5ppm. Ph steady at 8.2 and salinity 1.024.

It's a 29GBiocube, live rock and sand. 2 Clarkii Clownfish and a Royal Gramma. 2 Turbo snails and 4 hermit crabs.

I've noticed an area of brown discoloration toward the base which seems to be moving steadily upward and did catch a Hermit chewing at the base or the algae; couldn't quite tell. Part of it would also get kind of limp during the day. I tried moving it into an area with more flow and more up on rock. It just completely laid flat. It closes up at night and opens up when the lights are on. Polyps allopen. I feed Rod's Original a couple of times/ week and turn off the pump.

Is there anything I can do for it?

Thanks for any help!



In this pic, I know it is too close to the Green Hairy Mushroom, but it flopped that way. I thought it would lean on the rock, the same direction it had been leaning before when I had it up on the rock.

 

[clownmama]

So sorry--I moved the pics and didn't change the links.

 

[BigAl2007]

I've had a similar situation with a Neon Green softie. It did exactly as you described. I left it well it fell (it actually sort of blew to the middle of the tank up against some rock). I didn't tough it and it eventually attached to the rock (in several places) and started new growth across it's now horizontal what used to be vertical base.

It's almost like it intentionally "released" from the original rock so it could relocate to a new home. Sort of like re-locating a mobile home but leaving the ground anchors/ties behind.

I would imagine the crab was merely eating at the dead/decaying tissue as it was detaching itself.

 

[clownmama]

Thank you--I was thinking that about the crab--didn't know if it was also some kind of algae or the decaying tissue from an infection. It's still living, and I just can't tell if it's ok or not.

Thanks again!

 

[RyanSweatt2004]

Looks like it may already be attacking to some substrate. Also, that's a type of capnella tree. Liveaquaria sells them as pineapple tree corals. Locally here in Maine they are referred to as green capnella or blue Solomon tree oral. They are very hardy and like others said, it will probably reattach on its own.

 

[clownmama]

Interesting about what it! Thank you so much. It's attached to a narrow piece of rock. I moved it a little away from the Green Hairy Mushroom and is starting to become closer to vertical.

Off to go learn more about it. Thanks again! Really appreciate it.