My 1st toadstool

[debbeach13]

Today after the lights had been on for 5 or 6 hours I was just checking out the tank and noticed it looked terrible. It is just a baby about 1 1/2 inches across. The center looks like it usually does polyps showing and wavy. But all around the edge was smooth. I have never noticed it look like that before. Any one else seen this? I thought it was on it's way out. A few hours later when I checked it was back to normal all around. Not sure if maybe a snail or the only hermit crab pissed it off. No other coral close enough to sting it. Corals so fascinating.

[Clown79]

Leathers are finicky. Anything that touches them irritates them. It is common for a leather to close up when disturbed.

 

Every once and a while, leathers will shrink up, wax over for days until they shed the wax.

 

Also any detritus that lands on them will irritate them.

[Oldsalt01]

Sounds like it's shedding. Toady's need to shed their outter dermis in order to grow, and when they're engaged in that they don't extend. You'll see a transparent film sloughing off and that's normal. My porcelain crab actually seems to like eating it, but the toady definitely gets cranky when that happens. Keep up with your water changes and make sure your parameters are where they should be. If it's getting enough light it'll start growing soon. My toady's stalk has doubled in length since July and the cup is starting to increase to. Funny creature's, those toady's.

[debbeach13]

Thanks for the reply's. I have noticed it look that way again but have not seen any sloughing or wax. Right now it looks normal again.

ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 10, PO4 0, PH always low 7.8 - 8.0. tank has a glass top because I have firefish SG 1.025 temp 78. I have dropped water changes to 3 gallons weekly was doing 4 or 5 but only started seeing growth in my frogspawn, clove's and zoa's after I reduced the water change volume.

[Clown79]

Leathers are notorious for getting irritated easily. Any flow change, lighting change and they react. Same with things crawling on them or touching them.

 

They normally have sloughing off phase while removing detritus or growing. I've seen this occur more often with finger and cabbage leathers than my toadstool.

 

The only time to really be concerned is if it shrinks up wuth no polyp extension for more than a week-2.

 

Don't chase ph. It fluctuates throughout the day and is effected by photosynthesis.

[MrsPeet15]

I hear ya. Sometimes I look at my tank and my leather looks great. Other times it looks like a raisin. I'm new to the hobby but can sure testify these things are grumpy and get irritated easily.

[Clown79]

They do and sometimes you don't know why