leather coral question

[reef newbie]

I bought a leather coral from a LFS about 1 month ago. The finger projections don't look the same every since I brought it home.
They appear black at the very tip and only certain projections look this way. The others look healthy but they are not fully opened.
My tank has been running now for 6 months and other corals are very healthy.

PH 8.2
nitrate/nitrite - 0
NH4 - 0

Any help/suggestions would be greatly apprecicated.

TIA,

Tucker

 

[reef newbie]

I'm using a JBJ pc lighting which is set on a timer for 8 hours a day.
I also dose the tank with B-ionic every day.
Kent Marine iodine and strontium/molybdenum once a week.
I have an overflow which drains into my wet/dry sump (bioballs removed)

Tucker

 

[danmhippo]

Try directing a gentle flow from your power head toward the leather. Note the word I use : "Gentle". The water must pass over the leather from the top and not blasting it. Try a couple days and it might help.

 

[toyfreek]

I am by no means an expert but.......
my yellow leather the first day i had it would not open fully and some of the polyps did not fully expand then i placed it higher in my tank under my 175W MH and it perked right up. also the flow on the leather seems to make him more happy.
Im not sure 8 hours a day is enough lighting seems to me it takes about 1.5 hours in the A.M. for everything in my tank to open fully that would only leave 6.5 hours for photosynthisis. like i said im not an expert so take this just as my humble oppinion.

 

[esmithiii]

My devil's hand leather only opens a limited number of polyps, but has grown quite a bit. I have him high up because my lights are limited (2X55w PC) Gentle flow is also beneficial.

E

 

[vulkum]

reef newbie leather corals are a very tough coral. usually when first introduced to a newer system they will not open and sometimes look sick for quite some time. my toadstool went for 3 1/2 weeks and only extended its polyps about 4-5 times. they will get a slime coating on them for a few days then they shed this and the polyps will open. do not worry the coral is just getting used to the water in your tank. heres a pic of my toadstool after 2 months in my tank.

reef pics

not sure how to use the image option so heres a link

[ July 11, 2001: Message edited by: vulkum ]

[ July 11, 2001: Message edited by: vulkum ]

 

[reef newbie]

Thank you for your input everyone,

 

[Alex1]

I have had a green devils hand for about 2 months and it is still getting used to the new environment. It went from expanding with no polyps to extending with some polyps. It is growing but it is taking its time to open all the way. I have found that most leathers do like lots of current. I have 6 55watt JBJ PC's on my 125 gallon. Givre it time and it should open.

Alex

 

[toyfreek]

What kind of light are you using?
also what kind of flow, what are you feeding etc.
this information would really help