HARD TIME KEEPING LEATHERS :(

[Jakelester97]

Hi I have Had the worst time keeping leather corals in my tank. I started With a Kenya tree.. which everyone told me you couldn’t kill. Well, I did.. it ended up laying down and melting away. Now I have the toadstool that look amazing in the lfs much like the Kenya tree did and it’s been 4 days and it has no gotten any better. All my water levels are exactly where they should be so I wont Bother to list them all. I also Have an indo torch, a hammer, Duncan, and an elegance coral that have been thriving in my tank... WHY CANT I KEEP LEATHERS. Also have a small Aussie that doesn’t look well either. I just Don’t understand how some are doing amazing and the others are not any input would help.

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

How close are you putting your leathers to your LPS. They send out stinger tentacles that are very, very long (beyond the normal tentacles) that will sting surrounding corals. Plus, a tank that does well with LPS doesn't mean it will do well with leathers. Different corals like different things. You say your parameters are where they should be, but for what? LPS? SPS? or leathers? In my experience, leathers need more nitrates than either LPS or SPS. And have you checked around for leather eating nudibranch?

 

[Jakelester97]

My nitrates are around 5... that’s where my torch and hammer and other like to be at. I dont Really want to be over 5 I figured That’s plenty high. And far enough that stingers wouldn’t come close to it. They just all see to almost deflate after a week of me putting them into my tank. Where my other corals open up in less than a few hours. And I have Not checked for nudibranch how would I do So?

 

[C. Eymann]

Direct some more flow over the top of the toadstool, sarcophytons love flow and it can help coax new specimens to open up.

Sarcophyton should be treated like SPS when it comes to flow IMO.

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

My nitrates are around 5... that’s where my torch and hammer and other like to be at. I dont Really want to be over 5 I figured That’s plenty high. And far enough that stingers wouldn’t come close to it. They just all see to almost deflate after a week of me putting them into my tank. Where my other corals open up in less than a few hours. And I have Not checked for nudibranch how would I do So?

You'll probably have to search with a flashlight. They will be small. Look up leather eating nudibranch to see what they look like.

As for 5 nitrates, that seems a little low to me. I know people put a lot of stock in nitrates etc, but honestly, I don't think it's as detrimental as we have been led to believe.

Take a look at Richard Ross's video at Macna. He's not just a hobbyist his job is the science of the ocean.


He also writs the Skeptical Aquarist , a blog that deals with trends, fads, etc and the lack of science behind "results."

This is my second biggest pet peeve in this hobby. The lack of actual science backing up claims and no requirement of proof or statement that nothing has been proven in a peer reviewed study by an independent lab.
And just the lack of science and legitimate information.

 

[Jakelester97]

You'll probably have to search with a flashlight. They will be small. Look up leather eating nudibranch to see what they look like.

As for 5 nitrates, that seems a little low to me. I know people put a lot of stock in nitrates etc, but honestly, I don't think it's as detrimental as we have been led to believe.

Take a look at Richard Ross's video at Macna. He's not just a hobbyist his job is the science of the ocean.


He also writs the Skeptical Aquarist , a blog that deals with trends, fads, etc and the lack of science behind "results."

This is my second biggest pet peeve in this hobby. The lack of actual science backing up claims and no requirement of proof or statement that nothing has been proven in a peer reviewed study by an independent lab.
And just the lack of science and legitimate information.

Right I’m very new to this, still learning as I go! It’s hard to decipher what’s correct and what’s not

 

[Sump Crab]

Tank looks a little new, perhaps try this variety of corals after maturation. I am surprised about the lack of success with Kenya tree as IME they act like a biblical plague but larger leathers like toadstool, devils hand, etc. can be finicky. I have had success after my tank was "old". Good luck.

 

[Jakelester97]

Tank looks a little new, perhaps try this variety of corals after maturation. I am surprised about the lack of success with Kenya tree as IME they act like a biblical plague but larger leathers like toadstool, devils hand, etc. can be finicky. I have had success after my tank was "old". Good luck.

Thank you, it’s about 8 months old right now. When do you think a good time would be? Also upgraded to a 180 after I buy My first home in the next month or two

 

[Sump Crab]

Thank you, it’s about 8 months old right now. When do you think a good time would be? Also upgraded to a 180 after I buy My first home in the next month or two

8 months is older than I thought based upon the cleanliness of your sand. Did you use dry/liferock vs REAL liverock?

 

[Jakelester97]

8 months is older than I thought based upon the cleanliness of your sand. Did you use dry/liferock vs REAL liverock?

Dry/life rock

 

[Sump Crab]

Dry/life rock

People will probably kill me for this but I believe that using dry/liferock will slow down the maturation of a tank. While these rocks will certainly develop the beneficial bacteria needed for the ammonia cycle they do not introduce all the critters our ecosystems (IMO) need such as varieties of pods, sponges, algaes, worms, cuc critters, tunicates, and bacteria strains from the ocean. I think all these critters help in creating a natural balance in the tank.

If the leathers are not taking give it another couple of months for the tank to mature and try again. Good luck!

 

[Jakelester97]

People will probably kill me for this but I believe that using dry/liferock will slow down the maturation of a tank. While these rocks will certainly develop the beneficial bacteria needed for the ammonia cycle they do not introduce all the critters our ecosystems (IMO) need such as varieties of pods, sponges, algaes, worms, cuc critters, tunicates, and bacteria strains from the ocean. I think all these critters help in creating a natural balance in the tank.

If the leathers are not taking give it another couple of months for the tank to mature and try again. Good luck!

I have Actually just started to notice very small worms on my glass, eating the algae that forms. Also super tiny white specs, which I believe To be pods. Hopefully it’s going well lol everything seems awesome except the leather. I do Get algae on my glass very fast though

 

[Sump Crab]

I have Actually just started to notice very small worms on my glass, eating the algae that forms. Also super tiny white specs, which I believe To be pods. Hopefully it’s going well lol everything seems awesome except the leather. I do Get algae on my glass very fast though

Nice! When you buy frags they will come in with the life I described. Then that life will slowly take root and help you tank. Sounds like your off to a great start!

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Hi I have Had the worst time keeping leather corals in my tank. I started With a Kenya tree.. which everyone told me you couldn’t kill. Well, I did.. it ended up laying down and melting away. Now I have the toadstool that look amazing in the lfs much like the Kenya tree did and it’s been 4 days and it has no gotten any better. All my water levels are exactly where they should be so I wont Bother to list them all. I also Have an indo torch, a hammer, Duncan, and an elegance coral that have been thriving in my tank... WHY CANT I KEEP LEATHERS. Also have a small Aussie that doesn’t look well either. I just Don’t understand how some are doing amazing and the others are not any input would help.

Also majority of softies, love dirty water, higher of everything, nitrates, P04, food fed to them.

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

Yup, I feed mine twice a day. Course I also do a daily water change too. More to make sure there aren't too many toxins floating around from the leathers than anything else. But it does help keep the minerals where they need to be without dosing.

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

I have Actually just started to notice very small worms on my glass, eating the algae that forms. Also super tiny white specs, which I believe To be pods. Hopefully it’s going well lol everything seems awesome except the leather. I do Get algae on my glass very fast though

Word of warning. Some of those worms like that, burrow into your leathers and eat them from the inside out. I've pulled a few out of leathers that were not doing well.

 

[Jakelester97]

Word of warning. Some of those worms like that, burrow into your leathers and eat them from the inside out. I've pulled a few out of leathers that were not doing well.

Oh man, never thought of that.. they’re so small I’d prob never notice unless i cut it apart. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

Oh man, never thought of that.. they’re so small I’d prob never notice unless i cut it apart. Thanks for the heads up!

Get a good predator eating fish. Such as a melanurus wrasse. Get a female. From the ones I've had the females were always far more predatorily.

 

[JohnThomas]

They can always be finicky I think....

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

I always try to think of leathers as emo teenagers. They are much easier to understand that way.