Toadstool Leather Coral Problem

[mgmitch]

I’m looking for some answers on what is wrong with my toadstool leather coral… these white spots/splotches/dots have been spreading for roughly 3 weeks now and the coral has not extended the polyps once during this time. If you think it’s a shed… it’s not. This began to occur a few days after the coral actually shed. Water parameters are nothing out of the ordinary and no other coral is showing signs of infection etc. I’ve taken this to a trusted LFS as well and they’ve never seen something like this… help?

 

[DeniseAndy]

That does not look like a shed. Nor have I seen anything quite like that on mine. Can you blow it off or easily remove with finger?
Tank is young. What other corals do you have? What tank mates?
Specifically what are your nitrates?

Leathers can go a looooong time without opening. I do not see any deterioration or dead tissue. So that is good.

 

[muzikalmatt]

Right out of the gate the tank looks extremely new with dry rock and very little algae growth. Can you provide your parameters to help people better diagnose what might be the issue? Salinity, alkalinity, calcium, and particularly nitrates and phosphates would be helpful to know as leathers like having nutrient rich waters. I don't think it's lighting as leathers can tolerate quite a bit of light.

The spots almost look like something is picking at the coral. Have you tried checking at night to see if something might be picking at it?

 

[mgmitch]

My LFS asked to see if I could blow it off as well, I used a syringe and nothing… tank has been up for over 2 months now, I’ve got quite a few corals too, torch, hammer, zoas, hairy mushroom, ricordea, alveopora… nothing wrong with them. Tank is a 20g innovative marine w a livestock of two clowns, blue line goby, cleaner shrimp, a snail and 3 hermits. Nitrates are usually less than 5ppm. Think it’s worth trying to move the coral? It’s closest to a torch… and I know what you’re thinking… but no it is not possible for the torch to reach that far to sting it…

 

[mgmitch]

Right out of the gate the tank looks extremely new with dry rock and very little algae growth. Can you provide your parameters to help people better diagnose what might be the issue? Salinity, alkalinity, calcium, and particularly nitrates and phosphates would be helpful to know as leathers like having nutrient rich waters. I don't think it's lighting as leathers can tolerate quite a bit of light.

The spots almost look like something is picking at the coral. Have you tried checking at night to see if something might be picking at it?

Alk- 9.5 dkh
Cal - 410ppm
Mag - 1250-1300
Phosphate - 0.03mg/l

I know mag is a little low, I don’t believe that is what is affecting the coral though. Trying to raise it, it fluctuates a little bit. I try to have it closer to 50-100ppm higher.

 

[muzikalmatt]

Those levels all look reasonable and I don't think low magnesium would really affect a leather coral. I would recommend checking it a few hours after lights out to see if anything is picking at it. Only other thing I can think of is maybe something bacterial but I don't know if leathers are really prone to something like that.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Leathers do like more nutrients in the water. If you have phyto or cyclops or something similar, feeding will be good a couple times a week. My guess is it is either picked on or the torch has long sweepers. Some do.

As easy as leathers are, they still have special needs. Plus they close up first if water is an issue or you mess around the tank.

 

[TheDuude]

+1 on the nutrients they like a bit dirtier water around 10 - 15 ppm nitrates in my exp. I don't see that you mentioned phosphates anywhere.. make sure Po4 is not bottomed out.

 

[Cjeippert]

Looks like a new tank low nutrient problem. Could be still cycling with some nitrite and ammonia present. If you are not growing algae you probably will not grow coral and the zoozanthelle. Might need a big pooping fish.

can you tell is about the lights you use? If leds borrow the blue apogee par meter to dial in 50 to 160 PAR under bluer. Just my opinion going through new tank challenges.

 

[mgmitch]

Has nothing to do with low nutrient levels. Tank is dosed daily and monitored to make sure nutrient levels are reasonable. I have many other corals including hammer and torches with no problem. Although, the last few days I have caught a hermit on it twice… I think that’s possibly the reasoning. Although I don’t know if there’s coming back from this for the coral…