Leathers Drooping - Just Shedding or something worse?

Jmunk · 10/24/2018, 09:35 PM

Hey guys,

Long story short, my leathers, including one huge toadstool that has been growing a ton (even when I was kinda neglecting the tank), and it's offspring, have started drooping, stalks deflated, PE decreased and looking real bad ever since two things happened:

1) I added three more pieces of rock into the tank (was live rock from fish store, was out of water for maybe 2 hours or so)

2) I did a water change (30 gallons), and the water was kinda cloudy. I assume it was just calcium precipitate, as the alk and salinity levels were right on. I used it and didn't notice any immediate adverse affects.

From those two events, does anything look suspicious? Are they unhappy because I did a water change and they were kinda used to "dirty" water? I know leathers shed and look bad from time to time, but this was weird because all of them did it at the same time, and it was right after two events took place.

mcgyvr · 10/25/2018, 04:54 AM

Only time will tell..
They look ok and leathers can certainly do that on occasion..
If after a week or 2 they don't look better then something might be up...
What that "something" is is anyones guess though..

Uncle99 · 10/25/2018, 12:11 PM

Make sure your Alk is in the range.
They certainly do this if Alk is over 12

Jmunk · 10/25/2018, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle99

Make sure your Alk is in the range.
They certainly do this if Alk is over 12

Alk is 9.2

Uncle99 · 10/25/2018, 08:16 PM

Rules that cause out. I assume your 9.2 stays consistent, Alk flux of more than .5 PO's corals esoecially the E types like torches, frogs and hammers.....
For my leathers, shrimps and gorgonians, I maintain iodide at .03-.06.

Jmunk · 10/26/2018, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle99

Rules that cause out. I assume your 9.2 stays consistent, Alk flux of more than .5 PO's corals esoecially the E types like torches, frogs and hammers.....
For my leathers, shrimps and gorgonians, I maintain iodide at .03-.06.

Yep, it's constant. Only things that recently changed were what I mentioned above.

Uncle99 · 10/26/2018, 11:46 AM

These events should not have caused any consequence to leathers.
They can be quite strange (well in a human perspective) lie down, shrink, rip themselves in two, just keep I eye on them.

garygonzales · 10/27/2018, 11:16 AM

Maybe try and run some carbon

Jmunk · 10/27/2018, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garygonzales

Maybe try and run some carbon

I've got carbon running in a reactor.

garygonzales · 10/27/2018, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmunk

I've got carbon running in a reactor.

cool..i think you should be ok...leathers do do this all the time ..might also be when you did your water change too.... they do tend to get ****ed off especially when you change the chemistry too fast..

Jmunk · 10/27/2018, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garygonzales

cool..i think you should be ok...leathers do do this all the time ..might also be when you did your water change too.... they do tend to get ****ed off especially when you change the chemistry too fast..

Idk man. Just noticed my xenia's (which were really just pests at this point) melted away almost overnight. The ONLY coral that looks ok is my mushrooms. I tested for copper and everything came back fine. I got a polyfilter in the sump now as well.

Really think something is in the water. I've seen my leathers shed before, this looks different.

garygonzales · 10/28/2018, 09:07 AM

maybe list your levels....what are they....

Jmunk · 10/28/2018, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garygonzales

maybe list your levels....what are they....

Salinity: 1.026
Temp: 79
Alk: 9.2
Calcium: 390
Mag: 1380
Nitrate: No test kit
Phosphate: 1 (Tanks been neglected maintenance wise for probably over a year, I'm trying to get back on the right track. For what it's worth, this value has been steady for a while, so there wasn't a spike in phosphates)

Everything has been stable for over a year now, that's why I'm confident it's not any levels. It definitely has to do with one of the two events that happened, but I can't figure out what.

garygonzales · 10/28/2018, 03:13 PM

If you're nitrates are really high... that would make them mad. .I have an all softie tank and know that would do it. .maybe get it checked and see where its at... could be possibility

Uncle99 · 10/28/2018, 07:33 PM

Phosphate 1 (.50 is really bad)
Nitrate unknown
I think you have found your problem.

Nitrate 2-5 ppm
Phosphate 0.02-0.05

That's the range where you need to be......

Jmunk · 10/28/2018, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle99

Phosphate 1 (.50 is really bad)
Nitrate unknown
I think you have found your problem.

Nitrate 2-5 ppm
Phosphate 0.02-0.05

That's the range where you need to be......

As I've been saying, those levels have been that for over a YEAR. There's only leathers, zoas, and mushrooms in there. Toadstool tripled its size in that time. There was absolutely no change to those levels since I've seen them start to act weird.

It makes zero sense for nitrate or phosphate to be the issue, when they've been stabilized at those levels for over a year with these exact same corals growing.

d9bailey · 10/29/2018, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmunk

As I've been saying, those levels have been that for over a YEAR. There's only leathers, zoas, and mushrooms in there. Toadstool tripled its size in that time. There was absolutely no change to those levels since I've seen them start to act weird.

It makes zero sense for nitrate or phosphate to be the issue, when they've been stabilized at those levels for over a year with these exact same corals growing.

Look man you came on here for peoples opinions. And when they give them to you you continuously discount what’s being said. He’s right in saying that phosphates that high are not ideal but if you don’t want to listen to what anyone has to say, then don’t ask.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Uncle99 · 10/29/2018, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmunk

As I've been saying, those levels have been that for over a YEAR. There's only leathers, zoas, and mushrooms in there. Toadstool tripled its size in that time. There was absolutely no change to those levels since I've seen them start to act weird.

It makes zero sense for nitrate or phosphate to be the issue, when they've been stabilized at those levels for over a year with these exact same corals growing.

Your right, must be something else!

10/24/2018, 09:35 PM	#1
Jmunk Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 686	Leathers Drooping - Just Shedding or something worse? Hey guys, Long story short, my leathers, including one huge toadstool that has been growing a ton (even when I was kinda neglecting the tank), and it's offspring, have started drooping, stalks deflated, PE decreased and looking real bad ever since two things happened: 1) I added three more pieces of rock into the tank (was live rock from fish store, was out of water for maybe 2 hours or so) 2) I did a water change (30 gallons), and the water was kinda cloudy. I assume it was just calcium precipitate, as the alk and salinity levels were right on. I used it and didn't notice any immediate adverse affects. From those two events, does anything look suspicious? Are they unhappy because I did a water change and they were kinda used to "dirty" water? I know leathers shed and look bad from time to time, but this was weird because all of them did it at the same time, and it was right after two events took place. __________________ 90G \| Eshopps S-120 Skimmer \| RS200 Sump \| 5 fish \| Mixed Reef \| Up and running ~ 18 months \| MP40/MP10 \| 8 bulb T5 Fixture

10/25/2018, 04:54 AM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Only time will tell.. They look ok and leathers can certainly do that on occasion.. If after a week or 2 they don't look better then something might be up... What that "something" is is anyones guess though.. __________________ Who me?

10/25/2018, 12:11 PM	#3
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Make sure your Alk is in the range. They certainly do this if Alk is over 12

10/25/2018, 08:16 PM	#5
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Rules that cause out. I assume your 9.2 stays consistent, Alk flux of more than .5 PO's corals esoecially the E types like torches, frogs and hammers..... For my leathers, shrimps and gorgonians, I maintain iodide at .03-.06.

10/26/2018, 11:46 AM	#7
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	These events should not have caused any consequence to leathers. They can be quite strange (well in a human perspective) lie down, shrink, rip themselves in two, just keep I eye on them.

10/27/2018, 11:16 AM	#8
garygonzales Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: WEST ALLIS ,WI Posts: 922	Maybe try and run some carbon

10/28/2018, 09:07 AM	#12
garygonzales Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: WEST ALLIS ,WI Posts: 922	maybe list your levels....what are they....

10/28/2018, 03:13 PM	#14
garygonzales Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: WEST ALLIS ,WI Posts: 922	If you're nitrates are really high... that would make them mad. .I have an all softie tank and know that would do it. .maybe get it checked and see where its at... could be possibility

10/28/2018, 07:33 PM	#15
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Phosphate 1 (.50 is really bad) Nitrate unknown I think you have found your problem. Nitrate 2-5 ppm Phosphate 0.02-0.05 That's the range where you need to be......