Toadstool Leather

[Bergvid]

My toadstool leather has been looking terrible for days now, it hasn't opened at all.

I dipped it in some revive which cleared up about half of it but now it's getting worse.

Anyone know what the problem is and/or how to fix it? He is still a tad damaged from my bicoloured angel that attacked him months ago he was removed as a result.



Also to save opening another topic my torch coral has lost alot of it's polyps it looks pretty ugly and is taking up alot of space in my tank. Soon i want to buy new corals and just really fill in gaps make it more appealing it just look so dreadful at the moment.



Here is more information on the tank
- It's been up since December 2012
- 105 gallons
Salinity: 1.025
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0.5 (Been reducing it with RO/DI water changes/Siliphos)
Lighting: 4 t5's with an extra green element LED.

It's a mixed reef tank just for the note.

 

[nynick]

Could be many reasons, chemical warfare, your high phosphate, dissolved organics....and so on.

Are you running carbon?

If I find that something looks a little off the first thing I do is check alkalinity and it is often the problem. What are your alk/ca values?

Is your phosphate sponge a GFO? If so are you running it in a reactor? If not they tend to turn into a solid mass and become useless pretty fast.

 

[saltyair]

toadstools are funny that way. It could be in an extended molt that can take up to a month. That being said i would suggest adding carbon/gfo and placing it in either a higher flow area or lower (depending were it is now)

The torch coral issue will be completly different - everything to phosphates to to cal.

how long have u had the torch?

 

[Squidmotron]

Mine periodically just does that. Always comes back strong, though.

 

[Michigan Mike]

What kinda flow do you have?

 

[Bergvid]

Nope I am not running carbon or dosing calcium (perhaps I should?) I have a decent flow with 2 power heads and the pump so there is good surface exchange. The leather is current placed at the top of the tank in a high flow area.

I have had the hammer for at least 4 months it was a victim of my bi coloured angel attacks it came to me with some areas stung from the fish store but it was filled out a lot more than it is now. It's just the hideous attraction of my tank I want to get more corals to really lift it but this hammer takes up a lot of space and I doubt there is much I can do to fix it.

 

[MARINECRITTERS]

Test your water, it is the only way to figure out the problem. From the excessive algae/bacteria growth on the toadstool, I would sense that you have a lot nutrients in your water.
Your leather should slough/shed a skin coat off to remove the algae though, it is natural.
Your torch coral look more like a hammer coral, although they do have the same care requirements, low nutrients, calcium430ppm, alkalinity8DKH, and magnesium1350ppm.
How intense is your lighting and when is the last time you changed out the bulbs.
Do you have a RODI unit?
How frequent are your water changes?

 

[nynick]

Carbon is a great addition, especially if you have any amount of softies. It clears up all the junk that the skimmer can not, including chemical warfare from many corals. That slightly yellow color you get in a tank without carbon isn't just dye, a lot of it can be pretty bad.

Don't go nuts with it btw. Small amounts changed often in a bag placed in high flow is best and easiest. It goes near useless in just a few days from bacteria etc. A media reactor might be technically better but by a small amount and it will will take 20 times the time to change the carbon. I use 2 tablespoons per week in a pretty well stocked 90g for crystal clear water.

 

[Bergvid]

Weekly 10% water changes with RODI water. Lights are not even 6 months old 4 t5's extra green element LED. I will run some water tests tonight.