Toadstool leather - will it recover, or should I cut?

[alaska clowns]

My toadstool leather has developed a couple of rotten-looking spots this past week. It seemed to be doing fine, but then it leathered over and I noticed these spots after it shed some of its skin. I think it had some debris that didn't get blown off, and now this....
Is there the possibility that it will recover on its own? and if not, is it possible to just cut some triangular shapes out of the crown to get those spots (which I assume are decay?) I read some of the fragging posts, and I'm not sure I'm quite ready to try it, but I'll do what's necessary to try to save my coral.
Here's some pics........ thanks so much for any help!

 

[jyxie]

just leave it as it is. leathers are known to shed skin time to time. i wouldnt bother it unless it gets really bad.

 

[RyanSweatt2004]

thats definitely necrotic tissue. Remove the coral and place it in a bowl of tank water and scrub the dieing area with a new soft tooth brush until you get to healthy flesh again. Rinse the coral off in the bowl of water and put in a higher flow area of your tank. This is always the best plan of action without cutting for serious tissue necrosis. Most leathers will shed the thin outer layer of skin but not like this.

 

[jwoyshnar]

thats definitely necrotic tissue. Remove the coral and place it in a bowl of tank water and scrub the dieing area with a new soft tooth brush until you get to healthy flesh again. Rinse the coral off in the bowl of water and put in a higher flow area of your tank. This is always the best plan of action without cutting for serious tissue necrosis. Most leathers will shed the thin outer layer of skin but not like this.

Great advice here. It will be fine. Main thing is to increase flow across the coral.

 

[thor32766]

yes as everyone stated you should be ok. But more flow would help a little bit.

 

[alaska clowns]

I wish I would have asked for your help a couple days ago!! Thanks for the good advice. I'm a little concerned that the necrotic tissue might be too deep in the really bad spots- a few tiny chunks of dead flesh have dropped out and the holes look deep. Should I still go for the toothbrush? I plan to have my husband help me work on it this afternoon, but I'm afraid of what I'm going to find when I take it out. Do you think the coral in too bad of shape for someone inexperienced to try cutting a donut shaped outer ring from the crown to include the dead holes? (I was reading that great post that detailed fragging a toadstool "My first fragging attempt")
I really appreciate your helpful replies!