Toadstool leather parasite?

MunchieTown · Dec 5, 2020

I've had this toadstool for about 9 months. It was doing awesome and had tripled in size. I noticed it's polyp tips weren't the normal green color but brown for a couple weeks. I just figured it was shedding. One day I noticed a nickle sized hole right in the center of the cap. We used a turkey baster and blew out a ton of debris. The hole went almost all the way down the stem. Over the next day the stem shriveled and bent over. I fragged the cap into 7 pieces. All off them are looking great and have attached to the rocks I rubberbanded them to. Today I cut off the rubber bands and found at least one small bristle worm on each of the rocks. As far as I know I don't have an infestation of them in my tank I've only found 2 in the last year. Could bristle worms have done the damage to the toadstool? Sorry for the long post and thanks for any help.

Ron Reefman · Dec 7, 2020

I don't remember many of the finer points, but leather corals are susceptible to a problem which causes the inside of the main 'trunk' to rot and end up creating a hole.

If I remember correctly the only solution is to frag it.

Lets see if we can get better info for you... #reefsquad

lapin · Dec 7, 2020

I have a similar issue with one of mine. I dont believe it is the worms that cause the problem. I have worms and they have not effected any other toadstool. In my case I found an aiptasia right in the center of the hole. I killed it off with hot vinegar which im sure the toadstool did not like. l dont think the aiptaisa caused the hole, just took an oppertunity of a good feeding spot. The toadstool has dropped off about 6 or7 babies and all seem to be doing fine. The parent is slumped over but still extending tentacles. Will see if it recovers