Need help with leather coral

Texas Reefer · Dec 28, 2013

I've had a green devil's hand coral for about 1 month now. It started out great, but then I changed my lighting. I have a 6 bulb fixture, but was only running the back 3 bulbs which were 2 actinic and a 10,000k white. I decided to run the 3 front bulbs instead of the back to make the lighting better for display. The bulbs on the front are a super blue, a 10,000k white, and an actinic. Since then my leather has stopped putting out his polyps and has developed white spots. So I moved him from his spot in the mid-to-top right to the bottom in the middle. At the time he stopped putting his polyps out I had just done a water change (that was 2 weeks ago) and I bought a green mushroom that wasn't attached to anything and kept floating around in the current. I tried superglueing the mushroom to a rock (which didn't work, he's now in the sump till he attaches to a rock there), do you think a toxin in the superglue (krazy glue craft gel - cyanoacrylate) would upset the leather? I also bought a masked rabbitfish that day. I know I have flatworms, but they are the clear, benign ones. I think I have a good current - two Hydor 1500 gph powerheads and a Rio+ 2500 sump return pump. My dt is 90 g and sump is 30g. Today I'll be adding my Christmas present, a RO NWB-SSS-150 skimmer. Any help is appreciated!

bluwinghawk · Dec 28, 2013

you can loosely strap the leather to a rock with a rubber band

Texas Reefer · Dec 28, 2013

Sorry, forgot to post pics! The leather isnt floating, it's attached to a good-sized branch of dead coral.

Texas Reefer · Dec 28, 2013

Also, the stalk has never stood up well, doesn't seem strong. The head has always bent this way or that.

Texas Reefer · Dec 28, 2013

Texas Reefer · Dec 29, 2013

Any ideas on what causes the white spots on a leather coral?

Texas Reefer · Dec 29, 2013

So now I've moved the leather back up to where it was, and am planning to coral rx dip it when the rx comes in - in a week. Then I'll wait another week and move it up even further for more light and even more flow. What do ya think?

Reefing Madness · Dec 30, 2013

I'd quit messing with it. Softies are like lil kids, you do something they don't like and they will pout. he looks fine to me, even with the white tips. No worries unless you see it start to dissolve. He should come around for you. I don't think you did anything but mess with his lighting and he got mad about it. I also have one, and the thing is like yours more than its extended.
Did you notice a glaze over the leather at all? They do shed from time to time also.

Texas Reefer · Dec 30, 2013

I see an occasional bit of something hanging off, but no major shed, no glaze.

Reefing Madness · Dec 30, 2013

Ok, I'd just leave em be for a bit. See how it goes. It doesn' appear to be dieing on you.

ahart16 · Jan 3, 2014

Most leathers can/will go through these phases. my neon green cabbage will occasionally shrink up and get the waxy coating on him. everytime he does, he comes back bigger than ever, and my devils hand seems to be the most unprodictable in my tank, to me it looks fine, just let him be for a while.

Texas Reefer · Jan 8, 2014

Y'all were right, it was getting ready to get bigger. The last few days it had a waxy look, which peeled off, and now the polyps are extending a little.