Leather sick?

[tritonpower]

I've seen this leather shed before. Then it looked shiny. Now it looks like brown algae growing all over it. Any thoughts? Is it dying? Risk of it nuking the tank? I recently added a filefish that may have nipped at it (since removed it). Everything else stable. Salinity 1.025, alk 9.0, calcium 440

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've seen this leather shed before. Then it looked shiny. Now it looks like brown algae growing all over it. Any thoughts? Is it dying? Risk of it nuking the tank? I recently added a filefish that may have nipped at it (since removed it). Everything else stable. Salinity 1.025, alk 9.0, calcium 440

Location is one issue. Elevate it so that it’s in the path of medium water flow and moderate light
Take a turkey baster and blow the film off of it and once it gets flow, you will see polyps start to open up

 

[tritonpower]

Location is one issue. Elevate it so that it’s in the path of medium water flow and moderate light
Take a turkey baster and blow the film off of it and once it gets flow, you will see polyps start to open up

It's been in this location and flow for months with good polyp extension

 

[vetteguy53081]

It's been in this location and flow for months with good polyp extension

They tend to film over due to lack of flow. No algae or detritus should form on it when there is adequate flow. It likely took this long for this to occur but im positive this is the cause. Also having a little iron and manganese in water helps

This is one of mine just as lights went on under medium flow at mid-tank

 

[tritonpower]

I've had it for 3 years now. It's been moody a couple of times. I agree flow has always helped in the past. It's over a foot wide when happy. I'll point the wavemaker at it and see what happens

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've had it for 3 years now. It's been moody a couple of times. I agree flow has always helped in the past. It's over a foot wide when happy. I'll point the wavemaker at it and see what happens

point towards it not so much at it