Help! Mushroom Leather Coral Closing A Lot!!

Chef Mateo · Apr 6, 2019

Hi, I recently purchased a mushroom leather coral, it was in great condition when I bought it and it seemed so in my tank for the first several days. But, over the last couple days I have noticed it closing it's polyps and it is shrinking. But, after a couple hours it will open up again. I'm wondering if this is normal behaviour or if there is something wrong. Every few hours it fully closes then fully expands throughout the day. I have no idea why, I need help please.

Mjrenz · Apr 6, 2019

Corals will normally close and open again periodically. Some pics and water parameters will help you to get a better answer

ShariC · Apr 7, 2019

I've had one for a couple weeks and it does the same thing. I searched on here and seems like normal behavior.

Mine is kinda funny. He closes whenever he gets any little piece of anything on him. I blow it off with a little syringe and he opens back up. If anyone could find a way to spoil a coral, that would be me.

I even named him after a friend of mine who is a bit of a jerk, too. ;Hilarious

Hemmdog · Apr 7, 2019

What is the coral? A mushroom a leather and a coral(stony skeleton) are 3 different things lol.

sfin52 · Apr 7, 2019

I'm going out on a limb that it's a toadstool leather. They have been called mushroom leather .

Yes they close up from time to time especially if they are touched bumped or moved. They will close up if they think you touched them. They may get all shiny looking means they are getting ready to shed.. it's ok that's perfectly leather behavior