Leather Shed or Leather Disease?

[baillleeeyyy]

This guy is one of my oldest corals in the tank. We moved from a 40 gallon nano to this 106 gallon viewing tank basically for him because he outgrew the little tank. However, we’ve this tank has been established for about 2 years. Recently, he decided to move his foot over to a different rock and detached from the rock he was on since we had him. This morning, it looked like he was dissolving on this side. I panic-searched trying to figure out what was going on and thought it could have been something bacterial and was thinking I needed to cut off this part. Upon further viewing, I’m wondering if he’s just shedding. I have since adjusted flow to better aim at him to clean it off and used a baster to clear stuff off him as well. Trying to determine if I need a further plan of action (carbon for toxicity, cut off the gross stuff, etc.) or just let him be. It’s my clowns’ home base coral and they are viscous little fish so trying to avoid too much commotion around him. Any advice appreciated!

 

[Rocks reef]

It looks like it's sulking. You can take a clean toothbrush and gently brush the slough off it. I would run some carbon as well just to be on the safe side.

 

[baillleeeyyy]

It looks like it's sulking. You can take a clean toothbrush and gently brush the slough off it. I would run some carbon as well just to be on the safe side.

Thanks! Didn’t add water quality parameters.
Salinity- 1.025
Alk- 9.6 dkh
Calc- 420
Mag- 1370
Nitrates- 12
Phos- 0.04

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

does it have those white parts when the lights are on? Its hard for me to judge now cause corals are brown and pale in the morning before lights come on.

But if its white that would be dead flesh. Its hard to say what would have caused it without more info..... is another coral close by stinging it, do you have fish that nibble corals? Know what I mean, we don't have enough info. I don't see anything in your paramaters though so I don't think its a water quality issue.

 

[baillleeeyyy]

does it have those white parts when the lights are on? Its hard for me to judge now cause corals are brown and pale in the morning before lights come on.

But if its white that would be dead flesh. Its hard to say what would have caused it without more info..... is another coral close by stinging it, do you have fish that nibble corals? Know what I mean, we don't have enough info. I don't see anything in your paramaters though so I don't think its a water quality issue.

Appreciate that info and certainly understand lack of info.I woke up to it like this and it was looking fine last night so it’s just been a sudden shift. It sulks different times of the day, but polyps also still come out at various times as well.

It’s on its own island with no other coral nearby (broader picture attached). Lights haven’t turned on yet. Briefly turned them on to get a picture (attached) and tricky to say if it is completely white. I think I see some polyps on that section starting to pop through though. I’ll keep y’all posted as the lights start to turn on through their schedule. We did recently add a few more fish, but I haven’t noticed any of them munching on him or other corals.

 

[exnisstech]

Interesting you said it was moving. I've never had a leather move. I've had them grow onto other rocks but never move from their original rock.
I have a toadstool that self frags occasionally and it will turn white in that area.
How is the flow? Mine tends to prefer higher flow. My water is also dirtier NO4 30+ amd PO4 0.5 and leathers seem to love it. I recently started blowing mine off with a baster every morning. The large one in the center gets a brown coating every night that I blow off and it has been responding well to be cleaned off.

 

[bluemon]

Interesting you said it was moving. I've never had a leather move. I've had them grow onto other rocks but never move from their original rock.
I have a toadstool that self frags occasionally and it will turn white in that area.
How is the flow? Mine tends to prefer higher flow. My water is also dirtier NO4 30+ amd PO4 0.5 and leathers seem to love it. I recently started blowing mine off with a baster every morning. The large one in the center gets a brown coating every night that I blow off and it has been responding well to be cleaned off.

Came here to say this.

Leather corals do not move. If it detached, it’s most likely dying for one reason or another. The whites show that.

 

[baillleeeyyy]

Interesting you said it was moving. I've never had a leather move. I've had them grow onto other rocks but never move from their original rock.
I have a toadstool that self frags occasionally and it will turn white in that area.
How is the flow? Mine tends to prefer higher flow. My water is also dirtier NO4 30+ amd PO4 0.5 and leathers seem to love it. I recently started blowing mine off with a baster every morning. The large one in the center gets a brown coating every night that I blow off and it has been responding well to be cleaned off.

Came here to say this.

Leather corals do not move. If it detached, it’s most likely dying for one reason or another. The whites show that.

Moving might not be the most accurate statement. It was attached to 2 different rocks and then detached from one of them. It is still attached to one of the rocks though.

Appreciate the info on dirtier water and flow as well. It’s a coral closest to the power heads and appears to get decent flow, but I can angle him so maybe it’s better. In the past, he had thrived in the area (picture attached from beginning of year).

Went through a struggle period where I had a lot of loss. Got back to stable parameters a couple months ago and I’ve just gotten back to adding. Bummed to see this guy struggling so much now and would love to see him get back to happy.

 

[exnisstech]

That's a huge difference. It doesn't sound good. The detaching part is concerning.

 

[baillleeeyyy]

Not the outcome I was hoping for, but it was quickly deteriorating and was just done for. It has since been removed and I am running carbon for a short while. Thanks for all your advice!