I think my leather nuked all my euphyllias? Any help/advice?

[mariaharris225]

Saturday I woke up to every single one of my Euphyllia closed up, looking melted, and oozing(?) white or brown mucus. Initially, I had no idea what was going on, but I'm leaning towards my finger leather being the cause. The evening before, I saw that it fallen off the rock and had tangled itself into some zoas but didn't think anything of it, and the next day boom. I went to my lfs and got my water tested ( all good + parameters below) and an employee said that wouldn't be the cause and told me to check my magnesium, but my gut is telling me since it was so sudden it was the leather. Today I went ahead and did a 20% water change and added two bags of chemipure blue but don't know what else to do. All my other coral and livestock look ok. Anything any potential causes or things I should do? How long should it take for me to see improvement in the coral?

Parameters:
Salinity- 1.028
Ammonia- 0
Nitrites-0
Nitrates- <20
Alk- 10
Calcium-400
magnesium- N/A

I don't run a skimmer at the moment, but have one I could add. I'm just worried about changing too much too quickly or upsetting other livestock (most BTAs)

 

[fishski13]

If it is because of chemical warfare, thats the number 1 reason you should run carbon at all times.

When you say brown mucus, have you looked into brown jelly disease? This infection can whip out entire euphilliya collections in the matter of days if left untreated to contain it.

I would say if not because of the chemical warfare, your salinity is a bit high which may have caused some stress. Euphilliya is also pretty sensitive to large swings in parameters compared to all the softies. So those parameters you listed are only as good as your consistency with them.

Do you know your phosphate. I know complete polyp bailout is a effect of a huge swing in phosphate.

 

[exnisstech]

Do leathers even give off any toxins or chemicals?

 

[fishski13]

Do leathers even give off any toxins or chemicals?

Yes toxins that affect other corals not toxins that affect humans like zoas and palys

 

[OrchidMiss]

Do leathers even give off any toxins or chemicals?

They do. They can certainly harm or kill other coral or even fish.
Usually only released when stressed, however.

 

[mariaharris225]

If it is because of chemical warfare, thats the number 1 reason you should run carbon at all times.

When you say brown mucus, have you looked into brown jelly disease? This infection can whip out entire euphilliya collections in the matter of days if left untreated to contain it.

I would say if not because of the chemical warfare, your salinity is a bit high which may have caused some stress. Euphilliya is also pretty sensitive to large swings in parameters compared to all the softies. So those parameters you listed are only as good as your consistency with them.

Do you know your phosphate. I know complete polyp bailout is a effect of a huge swing in phosphate.

I do always run a bag of chemipure but this bag was 2-3+ months old. I definitely should have been mindful of my carbon. This is my first leather and I didn't think about the toxins beyond the coral touching :/

I don't believe it's brown jelly as its being excreted from the mouth (zooxanthellae I'm hoping) and nothing has bailed out yet. but completely retracted and creating this white foam/coating. And my parameters are fairly stable as I use a doser, ato, etc. Alks been consistently at 10 and calcium between 380-400. I haven't tested my phosphates yet, but can! I didn't think to because everything else seemed unbothered, with little to no algae, and low nitrates

also forgot to mention this is a 30-gallon

 

[Pistondog]

I got rid of my leather years ago for this reason.

 

[Lavey29]

Leathers give off turpenes when stressed but it typically would irritate nearby corals not cause immediate death. However, small system might be affected harder. As stated above, bag of carbon does the job. I have multiple leathers in my tank with no issues with LPS or SPS. My finger leather rubs all over one SPS.

 

[mariaharris225]

If it is because of chemical warfare, thats the number 1 reason you should run carbon at all times.

When you say brown mucus, have you looked into brown jelly disease? This infection can whip out entire euphilliya collections in the matter of days if left untreated to contain it.

I would say if not because of the chemical warfare, your salinity is a bit high which may have caused some stress. Euphilliya is also pretty sensitive to large swings in parameters compared to all the softies. So those parameters you listed are only as good as your consistency with them.

Do you know your phosphate. I know complete polyp bailout is a effect of a huge swing in phosphate.

Just checked phosphates and they're at. 05

 

[exnisstech]

I guess I have just been lucky with leathers. Have had them front the start with no harm. But then again I haven't had one fall on a bed of zoas because I can't keep zoas alive.

 

[mariaharris225]

Is there anything else I should do to encourage recovery? Less light/ flow, add a skimmer, or just keep everything constant? I also dose RS AB+ daily.

 

[mariaharris225]

I guess I have just been lucky with leathers. Have had them front the start with no harm. But then again I haven't had one fall on a bed of zoas because I can't keep zoas alive.

It always amazes me when people say that. I popped a plug on a rock, forgot about it and they just took over their little island haha

 

[Tamberav]

Lots of carbon and a water change and hope they recover. Chemipure does not last as long as they say, just IMO. I just bag rox myself and change it more frequently (well that is what I used to do until yolo).

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Is there anything else I should do to encourage recovery? Less light/ flow, add a skimmer, or just keep everything constant? I also dose RS AB+ daily.

You know the answer, carbon. Maybe another water change may help, otherwise hope. Usually leathers take a beating before they get pizzy. Kinda shocked. Thinking small display?

 

[kingoftheHiLLpeople]

Your salinity is kinda high

 

[mariaharris225]

Your salinity is kinda high

It definitely is, but it's been consistently so for a couple of months with seemingly no ill effects :/ Those first parameters are from testing before the 20 percent water change and I added some extra RO water to pull things down further

 

[kingoftheHiLLpeople]

It definitely is, but it's been consistently so for a couple of months with seemingly no ill effects :/ Those first parameters are from testing before the 20 percent water change and I added some extra RO water to pull things down further

Added RO how?

 

[aSaltyKlown]

I had high salinity like that for about 6-8 weeks once and it took out a hammer and most of an octospawn. Everything looked good until it didn't. Tested everything and like you it was good. Then I realized the "cap" I had to make for my refractometer calibration was letting the solution evaporate. For about 6-8 weeks I was running 1.028/.029. Everything else, at the time, looked fine. Mainly zoas a blasto and some mushrooms.

 

[mariaharris225]

Added RO how?

*RODI water
and I just moved up my ato sensor a little to have it top it off a bit + the fresh saltwater was lower in salinity as well (top off and water change were about 24 hours apart)

 

[kingoftheHiLLpeople]

*RODI water
and I just moved up my ato sensor a little to have it top it off a bit + the fresh saltwater was lower in salinity as well (top off and water change were about 24 hours apart)

Ok whew i thought maybe you water changed with RO