toadstool leather sloughing off a chunk

[astroboy]

Hi. A toadstool leather I've had about 18 months and which has doubled in size during that time is in the process of sloughing off a fair-sized chunk of the cap. I mean, one of the cap "lobes" is in the process of falling off.

 

Is this a normal method of reproduction, or is something wrong? All the other corals and fish, and the toadstool itself seem happy. I did do a 30% water change yesterday after running Slime Away (antibiotic to get rid of a minor but irritating red slime algae problem), also upped the Mg from 1125-1200 this morning.

 

Thanks!

 

Mark

[Coral Hind]

Without really seeing your coral I would guess it is reproducing.

 

"Typically, a hole in the cap of your Toadstool leather is the beginning of the coral's reproduction. As the hole grows larger and approaches the edge of the cap, a small piece of the coral will dangle from the mother colony and eventually drop." Quote taken from here.

[stevearlen]

Without really seeing your coral I would guess it is reproducing.

 

"Typically, a hole in the cap of your Toadstool leather is the beginning of the coral's reproduction. As the hole grows larger and approaches the edge of the cap, a small piece of the coral will dangle from the mother colony and eventually drop." Quote taken from here.

 

 

I too, ran across that quote/source but I do not believe it is accurate. Please see http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?show...mp;#entry218081

[jamesbuf]

Can't really tell without a picture, but it sounds like its' budding. I remember seeing Almon's large toadstool in the process of dropping a few buds. Pretty cool actually.

[Almon]

This is very normal. I have dozens of them....

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Mine does this periodically. Seems normal.

[zygote2k]

I'm glad someone asked about this. My Sarcophyton has been doing the same thing. I've been observing the process over the last few weeks. It started with a lesion near one of its' lobes, then flesh was sloughing off. Several nickel size pieces came off in the process and the "wounds" are beginning to heal.

I used to think that "hole theory" was crap, but now that I've seen it, I'm a believer.

[zygote2k]

Leather budding picture.