Toadstool is not well.... Help.

[Tava176]

My Toadstool is (ussually) 5 inches in diameter adn open and full.

But today, this is what I see....
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e305/Tava176/DSCN1105.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e305/Tava176/DSCN1104.jpg

Is it dieing or maybe just shedding?

How can I help it. I just did a 20 gallon water change on the 90 gallon tank.

Please advice. Thanks a bunch!

[david999]

mine did this a few months back but the blotches were brown and not as many it may be somthing different but i brushed the brown spots with a soft brush and they came off like dust it then healed in a week it may not be the same but try it.they are very hardy so good luck with it

[reefshadow]

hi , tava-

i have gotten this on my s. glaucum in the past as well. i believe it is some kind of pathogen, like a bacteria, but have never had that confirmed. it was exactly as you have pictured, yellow spots where the tissue would start dying and eating into the surface of the coral, causing some major damage and retraction.

everything else in the tank looked normal, and all parameters were good.

what i did was to take the entire sarco out of the tank, and soaked it for 8 hours in 2 gallons of tank water treated with saltwater maracyn. i used 1/2 of a tablet designed to treat 20 gallons, so it was a strong preparation. i used a 5 gallon bucket with a heater and powerhead. i then brushed off any remaining spots like david suggested, returned it to the tank and increased flow tremendously around it. after two prolonged baths it made it through.

it was definately not a normal shed! when the yellow spots were brushed off, you could actually see where whatever it was had eaten into the surface of the coral. my damage was worse than you have pictured, some of the spots on the stalk of the coral had actually eaten it away to where you could see sclerites deep in the interior of the coral.

whatever it was, the antibiotic seemed to help.

good luck!

[Tava176]

Reefshadow,

how long did you let it soak in the Maracyn?

I do not have any maracyn on hand tonight, but I did take a very soft (brand new) toothbrushand gently brush the coral. It shriveled up extremely fast, but the spots came off very easlily. I hope it will be ok. I will call around to the area LFSes and ask for the Maracyn tomorow moning.

Thanks all for the advice!

[reefshadow]

8 hours each time. i just didn't know what else to do.

for now you can try increasing flow around it, that could help.

good luck

[Tava176]

Thanks. It is now the next morning and the spotw have not yet returned. But, the coral is extremely shrunken and I will hope to see it open up again in a day or two.

I do not think the brushing I gave it last night made it very happy. :( but no more spots...so that is good.

[david999]

should recover in a day or two

[Anemonebuff]

They are quite hardy corals.

IME leathers do not do very well when the pH is too high and they seem to "burn". Check you pH and dKH.

[Tava176]

I have a second toadstool doing the same thing now. I am on my lunch hour and will get some Maracyn.

[reefshadow]

oh, no!

like i said, i really think this is a pathogen specific to sarcophytons, not anything to do with water chemistry. when this happened to me all params were in check and all other corals looked great.

they are normally very hardy corals and this stuff can take them out.

good luck

[Tava176]

I just did a 6 minute dip in Kent Marine Tech-D. I hope this will help. I will dip again in 5 days if need be.

Thanks for the good wishes. i have my fingures crossed.