Need help with leathers

[fish_who?]

Mine do this from time to time. I had my large toadstool close up for almost 2 weeks. I thought it was a gonner, but it finally came out. When my leathers are closed up for longer than a week, I usually run a bag of carbon throught the system and take it out when I think it is fine. Where do you drip your kalk? When I didn't have a sump, and I dripped near them, they closed up more often.

http://wsphotofews.excite.com/037/ya/wx/sr/vN78543.jpg

 

[reefhope]

It is normal behavior for leathers to close up. They do this as protection from algae or undesirable conditions in the water at times. After a period of time (couple days to weeks) they will shed the waxy film and open back up.

If your leathers are closing up often or for long periods you may want to look at your conditions (nitrates, phosphates or other nutrient build up).HTH

 

[Rich-n-poor]

about once a month mine will close up for a day or two when it reopens its usually larger

it was a very small frag when I got it and is now about 7 inches across

a current will help them shed the waxy slime when it forms HTH

_________________
Bankruptcy Forums

 

[fishfarmer]

Leathers are weird. FWIW I have a couple of finger leathers(Sinularia) that closed up for a month or so when my alk dipped below 2.6 meq. Once my alk came back up they opened up immediately. Nothing else in my tank, including my toadstool leather gave any indication of low alk.

 

[esmithiii]

I think you have the wrong board. I think you want the fetish board.

Mine do the same thing for up to a week and then return to normal. What "condition" of the tank did you check? What were your Alk, Ca, Nitrate, Ammonia levels?

Ernie

 

[AuroraDave]

I have several leathers in my tank and they go through cycles where the polyps do not fully extend, but they always come back after 5-7 days.

Is your temp. stable? Before I added MH, my tank used to drop below 78 degrees sometimes (no heater) and the leathers always closed up.

 

[kangol99]

All parameters are good, everything else in the tank is doing well, except for my 2 leathers. About a week ago they stopped pushing out their tenacles, I changed about 20% of the water but checked the condition of the tank before doing the water change which was normal, I also drip Kal at night. What could be the cause of them not extending their tenacles?

 

[McReef1]

My periodic problem with the leathers is they tend to "lay down" or not stand up as straight as I think a healthy leather would.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

McReef

 

[reefhope]

McReef

Try a little more water flow around those.

 

[esmithiii]

McReef,

Mine do the same.

E