ORA Green Toadstools Closed

[John Minnix]

All,

I've got one big and one little Green Toadstool in my 133 gallon reef tank. They've both been in the tank 6+ months and have experienced good growth. They are on opposite ends of the tank. I've had them close up for a few days before where they shed their skin. They usually pop right back looking better than ever. A few days ago, however, they both retracted their polyps and have yet to open back up. They don't appear to be shedding either. What concerns me is that they both closed the same day.

Can they sink their shedding? Is it possible that there is something effecting them, but not other corals? All other corals are look great other than a patch of zoas that are being bothered by some predatory snails.

The only recent change to my tank is that I added a Carbon / GFO reactor from BRS. I added the Carbon about 2 weeks ago and then some Phosguard to the GFO side about a week after that. It seemed to be a few days after the Phosguard that they closed. Could it be they like a dirtier tank or more phospates? I underdosed the Phosgaurd, as not to cause any big swings.

Pics below. Are they dead / dying or just doing their natural cycle? Thanks for your input.

 

[ShaunRobinson]

All,

I've got one big and one little Green Toadstool in my 133 gallon reef tank. They've both been in the tank 6+ months and have experienced good growth. They are on opposite ends of the tank. I've had them close up for a few days before where they shed their skin. They usually pop right back looking better than ever. A few days ago, however, they both retracted their polyps and have yet to open back up. They don't appear to be shedding either. What concerns me is that they both closed the same day.

Can they sink their shedding? Is it possible that there is something effecting them, but not other corals? All other corals are look great other than a patch of zoas that are being bothered by some predatory snails.

The only recent change to my tank is that I added a Carbon / GFO reactor from BRS. I added the Carbon about 2 weeks ago and then some Phosguard to the GFO side about a week after that. It seemed to be a few days after the Phosguard that they closed. Could it be they like a dirtier tank or more phospates? I underdosed the Phosgaurd, as not to cause any big swings.

Pics below. Are they dead / dying or just doing their natural cycle? Thanks for your input.

The good news is they are not dead. Leathers will go mushy and start to disintegrate pretty quickly when they die. Give them a feel and if they are still pretty firm then they are fine. Probably having a sulk most likely due to the gfo that you have added to the tank. Give them a few days and they should come round although I had a toadstool that closed up for 3 weeks before it decided to display again. They will probably shed before coming round.

Shaun.

 

[wutang]

Agreed w the above comment. Softies are extremely harder and will eventually open up and grow out.

 

[John Minnix]

The good news is they are not dead. Leathers will go mushy and start to disintegrate pretty quickly when they die. Give them a feel and if they are still pretty firm then they are fine. Probably having a sulk most likely due to the gfo that you have added to the tank. Give them a few days and they should come round although I had a toadstool that closed up for 3 weeks before it decided to display again. They will probably shed before coming round.

Shaun.

Is the shedding a normal part of their growth cycle or a sign they are unhappy? Or both?

 

[ShaunRobinson]

Is the shedding a normal part of their growth cycle or a sign they are unhappy? Or both?

Perfectly normal mate, they start sulking, shed their skins and come back looking better than ever. Give them time and try not to panic. They are stood upright which is a great sign.

 

[dansreef]

So I have a bunch of these in my 180 reef. The will get ticked every once in a while. Perfectly normal for them to almost go dormant for days and even at times much longer. They are also pretty tough to kill.... I have literally ripped large ones from rock, put them into my sump with rubble and they adhere fairly quickly. I have given some away the size of a coffee saucer. Interestingly, if when removing them as I did, if you leave any tissue.... the darn things will grow back. In this photo you can see two that have grown back where I ripped a fairly large one out about 2 months ago. You can just make out the frag plug that I had no idea was under the original. I got lazy and left it in the tank... and now I have two more growing fairly fast.

 

[sfin52]

Leathers pout when something changes, touched, thought they where touched, believe you are going to touch them, looked at them wrong or feel like they should pout. Thats a leather for you . completely normal for being a tough coral they have sensitive personalities.

 

[John Minnix]

Thanks, all. It looks like my big one has shed some of its skin and is extending the green polyps again. Thanks for all the advice!

 

[ShariC]

Thanks, all. It looks like my big one has shed some of its skin and is extending the green polyps again. Thanks for all the advice!

I know this thread is a month old but thank you, thank you! I just got a toadstool leather as my first coral ever. It opened very quickly after acclimation but then closed up a couple days later. I freaked out until reading this thread! Apparently it just likes opening and closing randomly. Whew!