Why is my leather toadstool not doing well?

[stanleo]

I asked this question before and people said they like flow. I decided the reason was I kept moving him and I was frustrated with it so I just puttied him down in a spot with flow and hoped it worked. That was two months ago and he still never has polyp extension beyond looking like he has goose bumps. I put him on the same rock that has hammer and xenia. The xenia gets blasted when the powerhead on a timer is turned on so I know it is getting flow. All the other corals, xenia, hammer, birdsnest, kenya tree, hairy mushroom are growing well. The leather toadstool is not growing. First coral I put in 8 months ago. Lighting is 2 Red Sea Reef LED 90s. Ramp up starts at 8am for one hour to 100% on white and blue and ramp down starts at 6pm for one hour. He's about half way up in the tank same as the hammer and xenia. Last weekly test was Wednesday:

Temp 78F
Salinity 35 ppt
pH 8.1 API
Alkalinity 9.2 dKH Red Sea
Calcium 440 ppm Red Sea
Magnesium 1480 ppm Red Sea
Phosphate .1 ppm Salifert
Nitrate 2 ppm Salifert

These numbers are stable. Tank is 10 months old. Besides the montipora that half bleached from too much light, it is the only coral I have had issues with at all.

This pic is how he always looks. I just don't get it.

 

[sfin52]

They like flow but not blasted. Mine like moderate flow. They also don't like being touched and moved. Leave it in a moderate flow moderate light and it will be fine. They really don't like being touched by other coral, give them lots of space they will get big and shadow other corals.

 

[dansreef]

I would just leave it alone and let it be. I have had neon toadstools and other leathers go dormant for weeks.... and then out of nowhere, they are back to normal. If you have conditions that change, or you are moving it around a lot they will go dormant. Just find a low light spot with some flow and let it be. They are very hardy as long as they are not exposed to too much extreme.

By the way, I have ripped larger specimens off of rocks.... and then used a rubber band to put them on new rocks for someone.... and the little bit of tissue on the original rocks will grow back for me. I literally rip them off. They are very hardy and bounce back with no issues.

Good Luck!

 

[bobonakamoto]

I find that toadstool don’t like to be move from low flow to high flow. Wherever they are originally let them be and do not move them. They will do fine with very little flow.

 

[Uncle99]

Leathers (gorgonians and shrimps) love when you maintain iodide at 0.03-0.06.
Helps in the shedding process, may not be the answer, but is a benefit.

I put mine right in front of high flow, they just adjust themselves