leather corals

[saltank]

Why is it that the polyps on my leather corals (3 of them now) are minute compared to what they were in the lfs tanks? My other soft corals expand quite well (green sinularia, capnella and 1 other perhaps nepthea)

The last one,a toadstool, I bought from lfs about 2 weeks ago. In their tank the polyps were 1/2-3/4 inches in length, in mine they are 1/8 inch - same thing with a leather I have had now for about 4 months.

Could it be that they get more direct light in my tank (46gal bow, 206 watts pc total. 2 55watt 50/50 bulbs and 1 96watt 10,000k) I have had the leathers on the bottom of the tank, they get fairly good waterflow

Parameters are nitrate < 10 alk 2.9 calcium 340 ph 8.4

Leathers are notoriously easy to keep, perhaps mine are quite healthy just with a different look than at LFS? Any thoughts?

Thanks

 

[fungia]

if you just got it you will need to wait some time. leather corals are finicky corals and they sometimes wont extend for weeks. i also find if you use phytoplankton and cyclopeeze they open up more.

 

[LFS42]

like kind of lights are they under at the LFS?

I've got the same coral in 2 tanks.
both run to the same sump, so the water is the same in both
the only difference is lighting

(1) VHO bulbs, minimal polyp extension
(2) MH, full extensions

 

[Bojangles]

I love leathers so I keep them alot. A few things I've learned is that they dont like direct current. I have a really big toadstool in the center of my tank and when I changed the flow over the middle instead of the back he shriveled up for 3 days straight. Also when he opened back up I noticed a tear in the flesh, not sure if that had anything to do with it compressing but I know the current did it.

I havent had a problem with keeping them in direct light, but they dont like MH IMO. Also mine really open up when I feed phytoplankton, they get that only once a week so far.

Good luck

 

[Anonymous]

Mine have expanded the same under VHO and MH. Mine also like some good current. They are all different.