So here is a picture of my leather coral. It was lower in the tank about a month ago and was fine for the longest time, but it started to accumulate bluish type sores and looked very peaked. Since we moved it higher, it dropped a couple of appendages and looked better but I am not sure. Does anyone know what it is doing? Help?
Is there brownish spots on the stalk and underside of the branches ?? I would pull it out and dip it in a iodine mixture or revive. Might want to look at with a magnifying glass before you dip it. If you see something that looks like slugs or bugs goto zoa Id .com and look up parasites.
Actually the spot are bluish and white. It looks like they are melting off but in some kind of stases. One of the branches dropped and now it has latched onto the rock. It still worries me but it looks like it is reproducing now. Thanks for your help. I'll definitely keep an update going!
Hard to say what is ticking it off...I assume no other corals were touching it?
It is pretty common for lobophytums (and other leather corals) to contract and look ticked off for several weeks IME. The contracting ends up making their colors look a bit brighter than normal...in your case more blue/green.
The best advice I can offer is to verify your water quality is good, possibly run some fresh carbon, and make sure it is getting ample flow. Typically after a few weeks in "ticked off mode", mine will shed their outer mucus layer and extend their polyps.
The dropping of limbs isn't all that normal for those corals. But I have had it happen and typically is the result of some sort of stress/problem.
The fact it is trying to extend polyps in the photo is encouraging.