Advice Please On Caring For New Toadstool Leather

[AZL]

I brought home my first pet without a face the other day, Gla'akI the toadstool leather (lol named by my spouse who's a Lovecraft freak). It's sulking as I understand they do when moved, the polyps are completely retracted and the top surface shriveled. It is having a wander around the tank looking to settle, the bottom of the stalk looks almost like legs and goes from purple and smooth to reddish brown with nodules. I realise they photosynthesis and as I only have an Aquael sunny retrofit LED I may need to add another light with the right spectrum. for now I'm re-purposing a clip on grow light that I generally use for houseplants to help it out while it's settling and until I can fit another light into the hood. Does it sound like it's doing ok apart from needing more light which I'm sorting now? the puffers had a little nip at it initially but are leaving it alone now that I've shooed them away and as it's clearly not tasty. Should I get some liquid supplements for it as well? I also have red mushrooms that hitch hiked and are thriving and colonising but I know they need less light. W ater parameters are perfect and sg is 1.025, temp is 26 c or 79 f. Thank you!

 

[stella1979]

I wish I could be of more help here but I've not kept many softies and never any leathers. All I can say is that corals do get 'mad' upon transfer, sometimes for weeks. The best we can do is keep everything around them stable, (water, flow, lighting), leave them alone for the most part, and hope for the best. Do not supplement anything without lots of research. When the corals are happy and extended, you can feed them foods especially for corals, like Reef Roids or Reef Chili. Another recommendation is LRS Reef Frenzy foods, which is a frozen blend full of chunky stuff fish like, and fine stuff corals like.

It's nice to see your puffers! Hope you get better leather advice than I'm able to give.

 

[AZL]

Thank you! Yes, I've been told that, Gla'akI is mad as ****, all shrived on top which looks worrying but slowly making its way to a spot it prefers. I'm hoping having grow lights on will help it photosynthesis for nutrition until it feels like opening its polyps to feed. In the meantime as you suggest I'm keeping an eye on the water and the flow while far less than hard coral keepers would have should be enough for softies I hope. the guy at the LFS has seen my set up and felt it would be good for most soft corals. Lol the puffers are lovely little things, very naughty though.

 

[Tony_097]

One thing I can tell you is that they love flow and will help them shed faster.