polyp extension on yellow fiji

[yashua]

i have a 6og with 260wats of pc lighting.130 actinic 130 10k.i got a yellow fiji about week and half ago.sometimes the poylps come out, not all the way but to where you can see them and sometimes it just stays smooth and ruffled up.it is about 10 inches from the light in a gentle flow.now it did rip itself from the rock it was on when shipped.crazy.it is now suck in a shallow hole with no glue or anything.the polyps do react to the light at times.is it just stressed from the tear?is it to close,to far away?thanks for any advice .this is my first leather.thanks

[yashua]

any advice

[m2434]

Yellow figis are very difficult. I'm told that they like a lot of light and flow, but do not like to be touched or disturbed. I can't really say as I've never been able to keep one alive. If it starts to turn brownish or grey, get rid of it immediately, IME they a dying yellow can crash a tank quite effectivly.

[yashua]

ive never read that they can crash a tank.it is still yellow though not as yellow but not gray or brown.i do leave lt alone.so there is no way these pcs are too much.i have a 400gph koralia going over the top of it.not pounding it by any means but maybe flowing 3 or four inches above it.

[ricks]

For your first leather you picked the most difficult to keep. They do not like to be handled, like moderate indirect flow and intense but indirect lighting...

They reproduce buy splitting into new heads. I doubt it was reproducing during shipment. So the tearing doesn't sound good. They also require pristine, VERY stable water conditions.

I recommend you run a complete set of tests. Most of the 4-5 test can be purchased for 25.00 - 30.00, they should last a year. Test 2-3 times a week to make sure everything is stable.. You will have no chance without knowing your water conditions...

Good Luck

[yashua]

thanks guys for the responses.i know they are difficult,but i thought id try.the tanks going on 3 months.i test about twice a week.no ammonia,no trites,nitrates between 5-10.i do a five gallon w/c on a 60g a week.i run a canister with phos pads and phos x.every thing else is doing well ,but they are definantly easier to keep corals,frogspawn,mushrooms,gsp,and a trachy.what are the signs of it dying beyond saving.i dont want it to die and crash my tank.like i said it is still yellow(dull).and responds to light.thanks again

[nickjj]

I have a 7" yellow fiji that has been doing great for the the last year. Soon as I put a toadstool leather in my tank it shrunk down and didn't extend it's polyps for over a month. Then one day it started to extend it's polyps and within 2 days the toadstool leather had disintegrated.

Make sure there isn't any other corals that may be affecting it.

[Tajjo]

i have a huge fiji, my fiji did not open for 1 week, and turned brown because i kept moving it, then i put it in a high flow/high light area, and it opened up over night. You have to keep high flow so it can shed. my fiji grows very fast.

[Chubosco]

Your lighting is just fine if it is mid to high in the tank. Look carefully at the leather. There is a small place (near the rear) that looks a little heavier or thicker than the rest. This is where you would want to cut through the middle if you frag it. Rips...just watch the edges. If they turn a different color take a razor blade and cut about an 1/8 past around the entire bad spot. Most likely, it will be just fine if it has a good flow over it. I have found Fiji's to be quite easy to care for. They do tend to be moody while establishing themselfs, just don't move it and in a few weeks it will be a happy little guy. More light=more yellow color.

[NewNanoDude]

Ive got a pretty decent size yellow fiji. This is my second one. I kept one under pc's and it did not last long. They really do love light. An yes almost crashed my first tank.

The one I have now is nice. They do not like to be messed with at all. Mine does not stick its polyps out for 1 week every month or 2 while it sheds. They like to have a decent flow to where they kinda sway on the sides but not pounding on it. Here is a picture of mine.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/153255fiji1.JPG

That picture is a couple months old. Is about an extra inch or 2 bigger now.

I try to keep mine in a place closer to the light and flow, but out of the way of other corals. I have had this one for about 7 months now. Have loved it since I bought it.

[Chubosco]

I have fraged mine 4 times. The original came from a truck driver that came up from the Florida keys and sold it to a wholeseller in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is a good six inches across from the minimum points. I have noticed the 4th one is quite tolerate of me messing with it and me messing in the tank. Only momentarily will it close its pulps after being touched. Then shine like the sun again.

[yashua]

thanks for the replies.today there has been alot of brown/black showing up on one edge of the yellow.if i leave it will it bounce back?or do i need to start cutting that stuff off?i have seen and read alot about fragging so im all good to do it.just dont want to if i dont have to.

[yashua]

bump

[Chubosco]

Personally, if it is your only one I would cut. But just watch closely and if the edge starts dissolving cut quickly. That is just what I would do. The thing is small ones are far more tolerate of problems. The bigger it gets (from my experience) the more likely they will die. I lost a large mature one once just moving it from one tank to another. The water chemistry was identical.