Help - Leathers look like Yoda

[TracyLynn]

Hey guys, posted this to NARC as I haven’t gotten a reply from the main coral discussion post.
Thanks

Yep they look squaty & wrinkled like Yoda. My Kenya tree also looks very deflated.

Water parameters:
Salinity 35
Gravity 1.026
Alkalinity 7.8 dkh
PH 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 5.0
Calcium 400
Magnesium 1350

lights 2 Kessil A360 tuna blue

8:15	0%	10%
10:30	15%	30%
14:30	40%	55%
17:30	25%	35%
19:30	0%	5%
21:45	0%	0%
Time	color	Intensity

The 2 leathers are on a rack about 15” from the lights, the Kenya is on the sand bed.

75 gal Tank about 3 yrs old, got all 3 corals about 2 weeks ago.

I don’t want to kill these guys, I have a tank of healthy mushrooms, fish & a few zoos. What should I do to bring these guys up???
Thanks in advance.

 

[DirtMcGurt]

Have you chocked your phosphates lately?

 

[DirtMcGurt]

Checked*

 

[DirtMcGurt]

When I had Kenya trees in my tank, I went thru a phase where my nitrates and phosphates were out of balance. A lot of my corals looked well and some not so well. The kenya trees I had were open but were wrinkled and I later found out they weren't as extended as far as they could be. The cause was low phosphates and higher nitrates.

 

[Brew12]

Sorry, I'm not a softy person. I do know that they will sometimes deflate and fill back out for no known reason. Seems like it could be part of a normal cycle.

 

[H@rry]

I agree with Brew12. For some reasons leathers seem to "pout" for a few days for no apparent reason. Then they snap out of it and are fine. Go figure.

 

[TracyLynn]

The Kenya tree has perked up a bit, I moved it to where it’s getting more flow than before. The leathers area still looking squatty. Just did a water check and here’s the score. I’ll check phosphates & alkalinity again tomorrow as I’ve dosed for both after the check. Hope you can read my writing.

thanks so much.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Just like Steve and Harry said, both kenya tree and cabbage leather sulk from time to time. They shed their outer skin along with algae and detritus that build up on their skin. Some people call it algae tunic. They should bounce back in a week or two. Is you ammonia not zero?

 

[wadesims2000]

Sorry, I'm not a softy person. I do know that they will sometimes deflate and fill back out for no known reason. Seems like it could be part of a normal cycle.

Much of the literature suggests this cycle is kinda like shedding and is a normal part of growth

 

[TracyLynn]

@Tomoko Schum the ammonia looks to be between zero & 0.25 based on the color from the test.
I’m filling up the Brute now & will do a 20 gal water change this weekend. I think that should help more than anything else. I just need to remember to be patient
I just didn’t want to wait to long before asking & let them get to a point of now return.
Thanks everyone.