what is my toadstool doing?

Jeremy1973 · 05-08-2003, 09:35 AM

I finally took a pic of it..but occasionally my toadstool gets these yellow splotches on it, and then they are gone..anyone know what is happening?

mjsandbe · 05-08-2003, 09:42 AM

My toadstool leathers pull in and darken every once an awhile. I have never had them turn yellow though.

bongobrian · 05-08-2003, 01:27 PM

it's an infection, at least that's what it looks like. Are you adding iodine to the tank? leathers are very prone to infections, and iodine is a natural antiseptic. What kind of flow is the coral in? leathers need medium to high flow... so don't be afraid to blast it. At this point since it looks like the infection is taking hold, you may want to do an iodine dip. Take a gallon of tank water in a bowl or bucket and make it concentrated with iodine. I use lugols so I use about 3 drops of that. Soak the coral in that for an hour and then discard the water afterwards. Keep doing this for about a week or until it starts showing improvement. If the area ever starts deteriorating and falling apart, you may need to amputate that part of the coral. HTH

Jeremy1973 · 05-08-2003, 02:20 PM

yeah, I brushed my hand against it, and the yellow comes off like chalk. I better not have an affection..I have been blessed up to this point to have had no major issues with my tank! *stomps feet up and down* And how concentrated are we talking here?

icebear · 05-08-2003, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jeremy1973
yeah, I brushed my hand against it, and the yellow comes off like chalk.

thats what my gold crown did when it got flipped over and stuck behind a rock for 5 days.... it didn't make it... i hope someone has an answer for you on the iodine treatment dose!

bongobrian · 05-08-2003, 02:30 PM

you need to cut off the dead/decaying parts so the infection doesn't keep spreading. Those areas are just going to add ammonia to your tank. The concentration of the iodine depends on what kind of ioding you are using... you need to check the regular dosage and go from there. That's why I mentioned that I use lugol's solution so it may be different for whatever you use. I think lugol's recommends 1 drop per 20 gallons if I remember correctly. I put 2 drops per week into my tank, so my concentrated solution is 1 1/2 times my normal dosage (3 drops). I'm not sure where I came up with this formula, but I've been using it for years and it seems to work. When you put your leather back into the tank after doing the iodine dip, put it in an area with strong flow. Also make sure you are adding iodine to the tank itself.

Mrs Smith · 05-08-2003, 03:11 PM

If the yellow splotches come and go, I wouldn't worry about it.

Knowing your tank, I disagree with the infection diagnosis - I'm not sure what it is, but if it brushes off without damaging the tissue underneath and resolves spontaneously, it's not infection. (At least as I know it.)

Danielle

bongobrian · 05-08-2003, 03:33 PM

I think you are thinking of waxing. All leathers wax and have thin tissue that they shed. This is not one of those cases. If the coral is physically disintegrating and the leather is losing large amounts of tissue, than it is an infection. From the way jeremy described it crumbling when he touched it, that's what it sounds like to me.

Rick O · 05-08-2003, 03:36 PM

I wouldn't be too quick to cut. I would just observe it. It doesn't look bad.

Mrs Smith · 05-08-2003, 03:56 PM

Nope - I agree that it's not waxing or sliming. I'm thinking more along the lines of pigment release or algae. Chalk-like doesn't sound to me like it's disintigrating. Kind of depends on your definition of chalk-like, though. Most of the infections I have dealt with have had clear necrosis or pretty blatant disintigration. This really doesn't look like either.

Jeremy,
Does the color -and just the color- come off on your hands (think yellow polyp staining)?

Jeremy1973 · 05-08-2003, 06:45 PM

The tissue itself isn't coming off in a chalk like manner, it is only the yellow on it. I did add some iodine, but I will just keep an eye on it. The only other thing I can think of is now the stalk on it has grown to such lengths, that part of it was touching the yellow star polyps. So, maybe that has something to do with it aswell. I will keep you all updated.

icebear · 05-08-2003, 08:02 PM

ok, i see....when i hit mine with a powerhead...*poof* and i would have described it as chalky bitas and pieces that came off...