We purchased a toadstool coral about 3 weeks ago. It did fine for about 3 days and then it covered itself over with a white mucus (which I understood as part of the shedding process) probably because it was moved into a new environment. Since then (now going on 12 days), it looks like the attached pix. We moved it a few days ago to give it more light and current. All water parameters are good. Everything else is doing fine. Could it take 2+ weeks for it to shed? Does this look like it's a gonner to you? This is our first leather coral so we don't have much experience. The top is rather tough (like leather) so I can't imagine this will be able to poke through. It hasn't changed at all in two weeks. Hasn't shrunken or shrivelled although the top is getting more concave. Should we wait it out or remove it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Help with hairy toadstool leather coral, please
- Thread starter valf
- Start date
yote
In Memoriam
Well,its not wilted over,so thats a good sign.
You might try giving it a dip in Lugols iodine.
Other than that,about all you can do is wait and watch.
You might try giving it a dip in Lugols iodine.
Other than that,about all you can do is wait and watch.
daugherty
part time reefer
what about giving it more waterflow to help it shed
ndepratt
Equipment Junkie
oh man.... that doesn't look good at all.
lugols could work... but it's hard on the coral. sucks man, best of luck to you.
out of curiousity, what other corals do you have, and how are they? is this your first coral purchase from that particular store?
lugols could work... but it's hard on the coral. sucks man, best of luck to you.
out of curiousity, what other corals do you have, and how are they? is this your first coral purchase from that particular store?
XxKnuckleheadxX
Reef enthusiast
looks like a sauteed mushroom
dcantucson
Reef pro
It looks like it has Leather Leprosy. Not good at all.
Wish you luck.
Wish you luck.
ltljoker
The Great Tang Herder
it looks alot like the golf tee's i use,:shock: that sucks good luck to you
dcantucson
Reef pro
On the other hand it is still erect, so it's got some life left. It's when they slump over and get soft and mushy that they are completely dying. How's your water parameters? There is definitely something going on.
The other corals we have (bubble coral, 2 brain corals, frogspawn, 2 featherdusters, 2 mushroom ricordeas) all are doing well. Yes, this one we did get from a new place but I saw that it was there for at least a few weeks and was doing well. We gave it an iodine dip and hope this helps but we got no reaction at all. I guess we'll give it another day or so and then take it out unfortunately. It isn't limp or saggy and doesn't smell but I agree it looks pretty sad. Do you think I should try to remove the covering myself?
Melosu58
Reef enthusiast
I agree with the iodine dip. Get a bowl of SW add a cap or two of kent or any other aquarium iodine and set coral in it about half an hour. Is there any corals within 5 or 6 inches of it.
yote
In Memoriam
Its still got life in it,so theres a chance it'll bounce back.
Heres what I found in my book Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman
Leather coral condition 1 may happen separately from or in conjunction with regular surface sloughing sessions seen in the genera Sinularia,Sarcophyton,Lobophytum,ect.Although many new hobbiest become needlessly worried when a leather coral begins a normal shedding peroid that makes it appear that the coral is dying,this condition is potentially a serious problem.The polyps and tissue of the coral stop expanding and turn a darker color.At some point,after a prolonged unexpanded state that may l;ast several weeks,the tissue becomes cheesy and degenerates,rather than renewing.The coral exhibits local areas where holes and rotting tissue begin to appear on the capitulum or stalks,and these progress outward.This condition occasionally occurs in healthy,fully expanded corals,usually of the Sarcophyton genus.
Although the explanation in otherwise healthy specimens is harder to validate,it may be that a prolonged sloughing peroid is a result of poor tank conditions or stangnant water flow.With a protracted peroid of time in which the coral does not feed or photosynthesize in a normal manner because of its shrunken state,the nutritive/enegry status of the coral becomes compromised and allows degenerative areas to develop.There may also be specific chemical or mechanical stimuli such as detritus,debris,or additives that create a locally noxios or anaerobic area.In such an area,tissue stress would be followed by necrosis caused by bacteria or other agents.Fortunately,this condition is treatable in many cases.Lugols and freshwater dips may be of value in some cases,as the superficial necrosis is susceptible to the antiseptic properties of the dips.Simple excision of the affected areas and reliance on the remarkable healing powers of these particular leather-type soft corals is also quite successful in stopping the progression of the malady.Although these procedures may work well,they have the disavantage of treating the outward signs and not the cause.
Hope that helps some.
Heres what I found in my book Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman
Leather coral condition 1 may happen separately from or in conjunction with regular surface sloughing sessions seen in the genera Sinularia,Sarcophyton,Lobophytum,ect.Although many new hobbiest become needlessly worried when a leather coral begins a normal shedding peroid that makes it appear that the coral is dying,this condition is potentially a serious problem.The polyps and tissue of the coral stop expanding and turn a darker color.At some point,after a prolonged unexpanded state that may l;ast several weeks,the tissue becomes cheesy and degenerates,rather than renewing.The coral exhibits local areas where holes and rotting tissue begin to appear on the capitulum or stalks,and these progress outward.This condition occasionally occurs in healthy,fully expanded corals,usually of the Sarcophyton genus.
Although the explanation in otherwise healthy specimens is harder to validate,it may be that a prolonged sloughing peroid is a result of poor tank conditions or stangnant water flow.With a protracted peroid of time in which the coral does not feed or photosynthesize in a normal manner because of its shrunken state,the nutritive/enegry status of the coral becomes compromised and allows degenerative areas to develop.There may also be specific chemical or mechanical stimuli such as detritus,debris,or additives that create a locally noxios or anaerobic area.In such an area,tissue stress would be followed by necrosis caused by bacteria or other agents.Fortunately,this condition is treatable in many cases.Lugols and freshwater dips may be of value in some cases,as the superficial necrosis is susceptible to the antiseptic properties of the dips.Simple excision of the affected areas and reliance on the remarkable healing powers of these particular leather-type soft corals is also quite successful in stopping the progression of the malady.Although these procedures may work well,they have the disavantage of treating the outward signs and not the cause.
Hope that helps some.
Thanks for the info. We gave it another iodine bath which didn't make any change. We decided to remove it from the tank before it started to degrade and negatively affect anything else in the tank. We disected it and found the covering was so thick that it would have been impossible for it to poke through. I'm certain it would have died a slow death. Thanks again for your insight.
dcantucson
Reef pro
Sorry to hear it didn't make it. :(
