I recently purchased a toadstool from Aquarium Center. It looked great when I got it, and the first day I put it in the tank it came out fine. It’s now been about 5 days and ever since that first day, it has not come out again. After not being out for 2 days I tried to move it to another location, but it still won’t come out. Everything else in the tank is doing great. Am I doing something wrong? And does it look like it’s dying?
My experience with toadstool has been the same as you mentioned. Toadstool takes a while to acclimate to its surrounding. Usually it would shrivel up for a while, days at some point. Then before it come out to bloom it shed a film type cover, then open up fully. I wouldn’t worry too much unless it stays shrivel up for a long time (weeks) then I would start to worry, but by the picture it looks as it still acclimating to it surroundings.
I agree with most of what reefman said.
Toadstools are “moody” corals that don’t like sudden changes in flow or chemistry. In my experience they do best in pretty high flow and lighting, but it would be best to carefully acclimate them to it. Do you top off the aquarium with freshwater every couple of weeks or every couple of days? Are you dosing any major, minor, or trace elements to the aquarium?
I love my toadstool, but it did take months to acclimate. It still goes through occasional spells doing the same thing you mentioned… and thats a year and 1/2 later. I do think mine finally got the happiest when its trunk attached to some rock and gave it stability… not sure though
[quote=“saltcreep, post:4, topic:5061”]
I love my toadstool [/quote]
Ditto! (well all 4-5 of them)
An important note for anyone who has them/considering them. Do NOT cut these animals in an aquarium with stony corals. They release tons of toxins that harm other corals and often after fragging Sarcophyton in a SPS dominated tank… there are issues.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:5, topic:5061”]
Ditto! (well all 4-5 of them)
An important note for anyone who has them/considering them. Do NOT cut these animals in an aquarium with stony corals. They release tons of toxins that harm other corals and often after fragging Sarcophyton in a SPS dominated tank… there are issues. [/quote]
Good advise Jon. I have to frag my leather, and I already planned to put it and all the frags in my QT tank for about 3 weeks afterwards running lots of carbon. Once it’s all healed I plan on putting them back into the display till I sell them off.
My leather is about 20" in diameter and he slimes every 5 days like clockwork. Takes him 2 days to fully slime than he opens back up and is good as new!
[quote=“Saltyballs, post:7, topic:5061”]
My leather is about 20" in diameter and he slimes every 5 days like clockwork. Takes him 2 days to fully slime than he opens back up and is good as new![/quote]
This sounds extremely frequent and slow for it to slime. Every tank and every animal is different so this may be normal and healthy, but out of curiosity what kind of flow do you have going near by? It may slime up less often and take less to release it with a bit more flow or more randomized flow.
He’s in the bottom left hand front corner. Today’s the first day he actually came out a little bit. You think he would like to be moved somewhere with a little more flow? Or should I leave him be now that hes starting to come out a little bit finally?
I’d say leave it be if its showing improvement, but if it has that shedding slime type stuff, and it doesnt seem to fully come off, then more flow. although i a corner might be too low off flow, hard to say.
here’s a video of my tank, you can check out what kind of flow mines been getting for a year+.
Well it was long enough ago now that if it hasn’t continued to move I would recommend trying to find an area with a little bit more flow and light.
Mine gets a bit more flow then John’s and is super happy as well. As with anything too much too fast is never good to make adjustments slowly.
Let us know how it’s doing. Hope it is well.
I moved him to another area and now hes coming out everyday. Will try to post a pictures of him soon. Hes not as full as he was when I bought him from the store, but still coming out pretty good. Its normal for them ti suck back in at night when the lights go out right?
Mine often closes up 100% after lights out.
I had a client ask me not long ago what a healthy toadstool looked like. I thought I would share the video here as well:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TerraReefAquariums?feature=guide#p/u/6/Fpd6FFsyXy8
[quote=“Gordonious, post:8, topic:5061”]
[quote=“Saltyballs, post:7, topic:5061”]
My leather is about 20" in diameter and he slimes every 5 days like clockwork. Takes him 2 days to fully slime than he opens back up and is good as new![/quote]
This sounds extremely frequent and slow for it to slime. Every tank and every animal is different so this may be normal and healthy, but out of curiosity what kind of flow do you have going near by? It may slime up less often and take less to release it with a bit more flow or more randomized flow. [/quote]
My leather has his own 850 gph koralia that aims directly on him. It does seem like a lot of sliming but he was touching both sides of my 125 and hopefully he’ll grow out of control in my 750. I think i will switch up the flow for him in my bigger tank. Check him out! Redirecting...
Looks nice. I love seeing massive colonies in captivity. How long have you had it and what size was it when you got it?
It was about "12 spread out when i got it. It outgrew a LFS display and i got a great deal! It Ive had it for almost a year and he touched both sides of my 125 before i moved him! I just put him into my new tank and he hasnt fully opened yet. I really want to start getting into more sps but i dont want to get rid of my leather! My new tank is pretty big so I might try it anyway.
Funny you say that. My 120 is packed with thriving stony corals and two softies, a Sarcophyton, and a Lobophytum. I will never cut or frag either of these in the system, but with frequent water changes and use of activated carbon I can live knowing they’re likely slowing the growth of my scleractinians to some extent.
Yeah I’m gonna try it too. I have lots of Kenya trees to remove and a few other things to get rid of but once i get everything in the sump where i want it Im gonna switch a lot of things around.