Yellow Fiji Leather coral-please help!

[cosmopolitician]

Hello. My name is Anita & I live in southern California. I have a 50 g acrylic tank (system 2), that will eventually be a seahorse tank (from ocean rider). Anyways, it's 6 m/o & I'm just adding corals to it. so far all my corals are from Live Aquaria...it's been fine except w/one coral... the Yellow Fiji Leather.

This is my second time trying the Yellow Fiji Leather coral. The first time I got it, when it arrived, there was a brown growth that spread. I called Live Aquaria & they said 1) that it's a poor shipper and 2) to cut off the infected area & do an iodine dip, but it grew quickly and & consumed probably 80% the coral by the next day. So, I just disposed of it because I didn't think cutting off almost the entire coral would have helped much. So, Live Aquaria has a 14 day warantee on all corals, they sent me a replacement a few weeks later when it came back in stock.

This time it had no brown stuff on it, I drip acclimated it for 3 hours (it arrived March 10th). The next day it stood straight up & it had ruffles, just like it's supposed to be (see picture on the Live Aquaria website), but the polyps weren't out. I called Live Aquaria & they said that the polyps not being out is normal & it'll take a few weeks to fully adjust. Then on Sunday (3/12) the brown stuff appeared. I told them that last time they suggested that I cut off the infected area & do an iodine dip, but this time they said not to do that because it's a soft coral & it is too sensitive. This time they told me to scrub it off with my fingers everyday. So, I did that & the next day the brown stuff came back & it came back the following days despite me trying to scrub it off with my hands. During this whole process I was actually calling them 2-3 times a day, & I sent pictures-so they are probably sick of me now. A few days later parts of the coral started breaking off when I rubbed it, so I would stop. Live Aquaria said that I should cut the infected areas off, but no iodine dip still.

It lost all pigment. Now it's getting some bright yellow pigment back, but it looks like a tree stump-there's not much of it left. Yeah, of course I would like to do whatever I can to help, but I'm doubting if any of it is really working. Right now all I have in my tank are snails (margarita, nerite & red foot moon snails), 2 gorgonians, mushrooms, shaving brush, yellow polyps, green-polyp toadstool leather(from the same order), I'm concerned if this is affecting them. However, my 14-day warantee ends this Thursday (3/23), and Live Aquaria will automatically re-ship the coral if it's in stock (which it probably will be). I need to tell them by then if I want them to change it to credit on file, but I don't know what to say because I'm not sure what the future of this coral is. Since the brown stuff appeared, I've run tests everyday, & it's always been 0 for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and 1.025 specific gravity, and 8.2 pH. So, I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Here's the link for the coral on Live Aquaria: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=651 (medium)

Here is a picture on my website. Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to put it in this email. It is a few days after I got it when the brown stuff had spread a lot. http://photos.yahoo.com/cosmo_chica, it's in the album "new tank" & the picture is called "coral with more brown stuff"

-All suggestions are appreciated!!!

Thanks, Anita

 

[reefwick]

These are kind of tricky corals. They need alot of flow and light. I see you have it close to the bottom, what kind of lighting do you have? The brown stuff seems like it is due to shipping but these corals hate to be touched. Totally cutting off any of the affected area sounds like the way to go. They will recover fairly quickly and you need to nip it in the bud. Just make sure you have strong enough lights and that it is close to the lights and make sure you put it in adequate flow after cutting.

 

[Mr James]

I consider myself experienced. The yellow Fiji leather is just one of a few available corals that I avoid. Set your sights on something else.

 

[Swanwillow]

WELCOME TO RC, btw./...

come on down to the seahorse forum!!! or seahorse.org or syngnathid.org (or both)

your stocking list is looking great, BTW, and I'm really proud that it looks like you did homework... great job!!!

 

[RandyP]

Agree with all of the post above, I love my yellow leather....its the only soft coral I have in my tank....but it does require strong lighting and a medium to high water flow....True it does not seem to ship as well as other leathers and can take longer to settle in once placed in your tank.....I also agree with the recommendation of doing an iodine dip..
I am not sure what type of lighting system you are running but the other corals you listed that you have in your tank can survive with much less light than the yellow needs...so maybe you are just not providing it with enough light and/or water flow.....I recommend T5's or MH's if you want to keep a yellow leather.
If you plan on keeping seahorses then I would not try keeping a yellow leather, as you will never be able to give the yellow leather the proper water flow that it needs and keep your seahorses happy at the same time IMO.


HTH Randy

 

[chip721]

I ordered the Fiji yellow from Live Aquaria twice. Neither one survived. I asked for a refund (not a credit) and got my money back both times with no haggling. I've ordered lots of beautiful corals and fish from Live Aquaria and most are alive and thriving. That Sarcophyton elegans still catches my eye. But if I were to attempt it again, I'd probably buy it locally. Stay encouraged. It was probably more the coral than anything you did. Good luck.

 

[cosmopolitician]

Hey Thanks everyone! I do have T5 lights, but I don't know what it is per gallon. It was on the middle to top, but Live Aquaria said part of it's stress could be from the high lights right after acclimiation so they told me put it on the bottom. It's still getting light & current there. So, is this one going to survive? Or should I just try it again? I really like this coral, and Live Aquaria classifies it only needing a moderate care level. The 2 gorgonians I have were classified as "difficult" & they're doing great.

Any suggestions as far as this coral?

Thanks, Anita

 

[reefwick]

Well I'm going to have to disagree about NEEDING T5's or MH because I have mine under 48 watts PC. I've had it for almost a year now and it has grown in size and stayed healthy. I mean it is only 2-3 inches away from the light but it is still only PC's were talking about. Maybe I'm an exception but I dunno JME. They are a poor shipper though and mine was purchased locally, so I agree with the suggestion of buying it locally if you wanted to try it again.

As far as the future of this coral goes I say totally cut away the affected area and I'm not familiar with an iodine dip but sounds like it is the way to go. Good luck

(pictures of my yellow leather are in my gallery if you'd like to take a look)

 

[cosmopolitician]

reefwick-your yellow fiji is gorgeous! it looks so big! I wish I could have one like that. See, I've looked at almost every LFS in my area, but there are no yellow fiji leather corals. And when I ask about ordering one, I get put on wait list & I haven't received any calls-that was about 4 months ago. So, I bought it on Live Aquaria.

Well, I moved it up closer to the light where it was originally...but, it looks like it's not going to do much. I think I'll just have to try it again. I wish there were some aquacultured ones. I guess what I'm thinking is that I'll have to wait for the re-ship on Live Aquaria, then I will just have to scrub it off at first sight of it. The last 2 times, I had no idea what this brownstuff was, & Live Aquaria has told me different things each tim, -so, I hesitated to do anything. Should I drip acclimate it longer than 3 hours? Or should place it directly on the bottom when I first put it in the tank as opposed to the desired location it would eventually end up in?

-Thanks, Anita

 

[MiddletonMark]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6999568#post6999568 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cosmopolitician
I wish there were some aquacultured ones.

There are, mine was aquacultured [got at IMAC a few years back].

Not simple to find, but `out there'. Do realize, they'll be fairly small most likely - but what else are you doing in the next few years

 

[jumpincactus]

I really hope that if this one doesnt make it that you will reconsider buying another wild caught coral of this species.

From your post this will be number two and if this one dies and you order another this will make # 3. Remember that part of being an aquarist is taking a position of doing our part to help conserve the worlds reefs. If you are not having luck with this species try something else with a better survival rate. As suggested wait until your LFS has one in and then put a deposit on it and observe it for a few weeks before you make the purchase to assure it is going to survive the shipping. I have a friend that uses this approach and has not had one newly introduced coral die using this method.

Your pocketbook may be unlimited by the wild caught species will eventually run out. Not trying to flame here just hope you re think your position if this one dies also.