Pics of Potential Problem?

New2Salt · 10-05-2007, 04:32 AM

Hey guys. I got this new Soft Finger Coral and he started out standing up and now he is leaning to the right. If that is what he likes to do, cool. But if there is a problem, let me know?? The first pic (standing straight) was taken 48 hours ago. This morning he is leaning right. I got him 72 hours ago, drip acclimated him for an hours, and then but him in. Those rocks are NOT supporting him, he is standing on his own. His colors do not seemed to have changed, and he reacts when I drip him with Phytoplankton.

Any advice/comments welcome.

As always,

Matt

I also added pics of the entire tank and my 2 new friends for your enjoyment. Thanks again!

geekdafied · 10-05-2007, 06:13 AM

It could be a number of things. Too much flow/too little flow, too much light/too little light, or it could be still getting use to your setup, also could shedding its skin. They will slump when they shed, and it can take a few days to even a few weeks for them to shed or sloughing or whatever the technical term is, it means shedding, so I say shedding. From the looks of the pics, there is nothing wrong with it.

New2Salt · 10-05-2007, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geekdafied

It could be a number of things. Too much flow/too little flow, too much light/too little light, or it could be still getting use to your setup, also could shedding its skin. They will slump when they shed, and it can take a few days to even a few weeks for them to shed or sloughing or whatever the technical term is, it means shedding, so I say shedding. From the looks of the pics, there is nothing wrong with it.

There are a few spots that look like there could be some shedding going on. Lets hope you are right that he is healthy! Hey Geek, can you tell me what I am looking for as far as warning signs? If you can offer some "waning signs" specific to the Soft Finger Coral or to coral in general, I would appreciate it greatly.

Thanks

nemo79 · 10-05-2007, 09:25 AM

You should never drip acclimate corals only fish and inverts. Corals only acclimate them to temp. You don't need to dip it in phytoplankton! Just leave the leather alone, it needs to get used to it's home and new spot. If you touch or move leathers around too much it stresses them and in the end you will do it more harm.

It looks fine, looks like it's acclimating or shedding detritus. Leathers do this every few weeks or so. Just leave it be and watch it, if there is too much flow it will shrink up or bend over, after a while if it doesn't look happy in the spot you put it in them move it once and try a new place but give it time in between moves. Also wear gloves when handling leathers as the oils from our skin can aggrivate them.

New2Salt · 10-05-2007, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemo79

You should never drip acclimate corals only fish and inverts. Corals only acclimate them to temp. You don't need to dip it in phytoplankton! Just leave the leather alone, it needs to get used to it's home and new spot. If you touch or move leathers around too much it stresses them and in the end you will do it more harm.

It looks fine, looks like it's acclimating or shedding detritus. Leathers do this every few weeks or so. Just leave it be and watch it, if there is too much flow it will shrink up or bend over, after a while if it doesn't look happy in the spot you put it in them move it once and try a new place but give it time in between moves. Also wear gloves when handling leathers as the oils from our skin can aggrivate them.

Why should you "never" acclimate coral to its new water? #1, there is no way for me to acclimate it to temp without doing a sloooow drip. The coral is too big to put the bag in my tank without crushing my zooanthids. Also, I dont heat my tank, so room temp is easy to acclimate by doing a drip. #2, This coral was a display coral at my LFS that they just decided to sell. It lived there for 5 months. So Im going to take something from its home water of 5 months, and just drop it into my tank? I was told by the LFS that I DID NOT have to acclimate the coral. The problem was, when I was acclimating the clown and pseudo in the small acclimating bucket (1 gallon), the clown was biting the pseudo. So instead of dropping the coral right in, I acclimated it with the fish so the pseudo could hide. And thats exactly what he did. It probably saved him. So I had like 4 o 5 reasons to keep him in the acclimating bucket.

Dip it in phytoplankton?? Leave it alone?

#1 - I have never touched this coral. Ever. When I took it out of the bag from the LFS, and when I took it from the acclimation bucket to put it in display, I grabbed it from the rock base. So leaving it alone shouldn't be a problem. Im not sure why you think Im touching it or moving it around. Totally confused.

#2 - I FEED the coral Phyto Feast. Thats what he has eaten all his life. I dont dip the coral in the Phyto. I have no clue what that even means. I have fed it one time in 3 days.

#3 - As stated, the coral is on a rock base. I have never touched the polyps or the soft parts of ANY of my corals ever. And I always rinse my hands and arms in very hot water before I put my hands in my tanks. I am welll versed handling tanks and livestock.

#4 - As far as flow, the new coral is in the bottom right hand corner of the tank, with the flow nozzle being in the top left hand corner. So the finger is getting flow, but I believe it is not too much.

Thanks for the pointers but I wasn't doing any of the things you suggest I don't do.

matt s · 10-05-2007, 12:49 PM

Ummm, I think he was just trying to give general tips for a healthy system, no need to bite back...

geekdafied · 10-05-2007, 07:50 PM

Whoever said you cant touch your corals with bare hands doesnt know what they are talking about. How do you all think the people in indonesia or wherever are collecting them? They go out with a snorkel and water mask, ya lucky they even wear shorts. If you are hyper-sensitive to things like poison ivy/oak then it might be a good idea to wear gloves. Im allergic to poison ivy and poison oak, and I dont wear gloves. However I am sure to wash my hands before and after.

nemo79 · 10-05-2007, 10:33 PM

There was no need to bite, you are being unreasonably rude. I was giving you advice. I can't see your tank or know what you do with it so when you ask questions, people are going to give you general reasons as to what may be possibly causing problems if there is a problem. I didn't tell you you were doing these things, I was helping you, some of the things I listed are general causes to a leathers aggrivation. And the answer is right there, the coral was in the LFS display tank for 5 mnths and it was placed in a new environment, of course it's going to need time to acclimate. By the way temp acclimating...float bag in tank, how was I to know the bag wouldn't fit in your tank???? You go ahead and listen to the LFS advice, we've all exprienced that before!

cuttingras · 10-05-2007, 10:43 PM

give it time to get used to the tank. mine is doing fine (1week so far) yet I still am looking for a permament spot for it. I have moved mine twice and it's been happy wherever I've put it... just give it time plus I think yours looks fine, very health. I think you should start to worry when it shrinks(it's normal at night), but shrinks and doesn't stop then dies or turns white....

baugherb · 10-06-2007, 08:00 AM

Can't we all just get along?? I touch my leather with my bare hands. Props to geekdafied and cuttingras...... Nemo79, you look like your missing some of your a__!!!! Because new2salt chewed some of it off. Geez, take a chill pill salty!!! Like I tell people, these are things that work for me, maybe not always the right advice, but for me they work.. Anywho, my leathers slump over also, but not for long. And they shrink up when they are I guess you could say molting......