Whats on this leather?

[sandie.rose.923]

Started with 1 brown spot i blew off last week. This week it's spreading. I've taken the leather out and dipped and no flatworms or any bugs are present in the water. Any ideas?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

@VintageReefer

 

[That Crusso Kid]

Started with 1 brown spot i blew off last week. This week it's spreading. I've taken the leather out and dipped and no flatworms or any bugs are present in the water. Any ideas?

Hey Sandie Rose... few questions for you.
1. How long have you had it and has it been healthy and happy?
2. What other corals are around it?
3. What kind of crabs/snails/shrimp do you have in your tank?
4. Depending on your answer to question 1.; How is your flow and lighting?

 

[Rocks reef]

It appears as if something is munching on it. Also, leathers do this from time to time, they slough off tissue. It can be for a multitude of reasons. But, as mentioned first, do you have anything in your tank that could be having a snack?

 

[sandie.rose.923]

Hey Sandie Rose... few questions for you.
1. How long have you had it and has it been healthy and happy?
2. What other corals are around it?
3. What kind of crabs/snails/shrimp do you have in your tank?
4. Depending on your answer to question 1.; How is your flow and lighting?

1. I've owned the corals about 4yrs. Moved it into this tank around April 2025. Its been healthy and growing moderately till about 2 months ago when growth exploded.
2. I have a huge Duncan and they were touching so I moved the leather and it was about 1-2 inches higher on the tank. But nothing else within about 3 inches of it
3. Got several red and blue legged hermit crabs. 1 emerald crab. Nerite and turbo snails. No shrimp.
4. Flow and lighting remain the same for over 6months.

Great questions to get me thinking ... I could have moved this too high in the tank making the light more intense and putting it in more stronger, more direct flow from the wavemakers.

I'll move it down and out of the flow for starters.

 

[VSVP bet]

Hey, I have lots of leathers, if you blow lightly w a turkey baster or something similar on the area, does it expel tissue?

Hard to tell if its necrosis or just surface tissue irritation. If its necrosis usually an infection from sand resting on the coral (bacteria can settle). This can also cause irritation among other things (stinging from other corals, tank mates picking, etc).

If its necrosis, an external dip in a coral dip would help solve, use turkey baster to blow off loose tissue. I have saved several leathers this way, sometimes infections happen.

 

[That Crusso Kid]

1. I've owned the corals about 4yrs. Moved it into this tank around April 2025. Its been healthy and growing moderately till about 2 months ago when growth exploded.
2. I have a huge Duncan and they were touching so I moved the leather and it was about 1-2 inches higher on the tank. But nothing else within about 3 inches of it
3. Got several red and blue legged hermit crabs. 1 emerald crab. Nerite and turbo snails. No shrimp.
4. Flow and lighting remain the same for over 6months.

Great questions to get me thinking ... I could have moved this too high in the tank making the light more intense and putting it in more stronger, more direct flow from the wavemakers.

I'll move it down and out of the flow for starters.

Good info and thanks for replying. It might surprise you at how many people post questions, get responses and then vaporize into the ether.

Everything that @VSVP bet said above is very good.

Please keep up posted as to, what will hopefully be, the progress.

 

[sandie.rose.923]

Hey, I have lots of leathers, if you blow lightly w a turkey baster or something similar on the area, does it expel tissue?

Hard to tell if its necrosis or just surface tissue irritation. If its necrosis usually an infection from sand resting on the coral (bacteria can settle). This can also cause irritation among other things (stinging from other corals, tank mates picking, etc).

If its necrosis, an external dip in a coral dip would help solve, use turkey baster to blow off loose tissue. I have saved several leathers this way, sometimes infections happen.

Thanks for your suggestion VSVP, i've tried all that you mentioned and the brown continues to spread. When i blow off it looks like brown rotten pieces and now there is a hole in it.

 

[VSVP bet]

Thanks for your suggestion VSVP, i've tried all that you mentioned and the brown continues to spread. When i blow off it looks like brown rotten pieces and now there is a hole in it.

its an an infection then, you can use hydrogen peroxide saltwater solution to treat it in a Tupperware or something separate from your tank. (if you don't have coral dip.)

for a first dip you can do a 1:20 peroxide to saltwater ratio. (take the saltwater right from your tank) soak the coral in the peroxide saltwater mix for 1 min, and use a turkey baster to blow off the rotting tissue. repeat this 1/2 more times and if the infection doesnt stop you can increase the ratio up to 1:10.

HELP - 2 Year Old Elegance Coral Sliming Up

Hello, Im usually on the other side of these posts, but things happen... I've had an Aussie pink tip elegance for 2 years that has done well and grown a lot. Two days ago, I noticed it wasn't as open as usual, thought nothing of it. Then after the second day of it moderately closed, I measured...

www.reef2reef.com

here is a thread i made outlining how to do it with my elegace, this method works well.

 

[sandie.rose.923]

Hey everyone thanks for the help. The toadstool is recovering... looking healthier every day!

 

[That Crusso Kid]

Hey everyone thanks for the help. The toadstool is recovering... looking healthier every day!

That's great news! Thanks for updating us. I had been wondering how things were progressing.

 

[VSVP bet]

Awesome, did you have to treat it, or just went away in its own?

 

[sandie.rose.923]

Awesome, did you have to treat it, or just went away in its own?

Took it out and let it sit in Coral Rx coral dip about 15 mins. Rinsed and put it back in tank... in a low flow spot. After about 3 days the hole began to heal.

 

[VSVP bet]

Took it out and let it sit in Coral Rx coral dip about 15 mins. Rinsed and put it back in tank... in a low flow spot. After about 3 days the hole began to heal.

awesome, we love success stories here