Toadstool (stalk) folding down. Why?

[chrisbenavides]

I just bought a toadstool leather yesterday and noticed that it keeps on folding itself down. It does not want to be upright.

Why is this?
What do I do to fix it?
Do I place something to support it?
Should the stalk be leaning on a rock?

THANKS!!!

[reefnetworth]

what are your parameters? pH or other imballances? is it molting? when it molts it will appear as a shedding of mucus membrane. this is not uncommon. they change constantly even if things are fine. they appear to be dying one minute and perk up the next. REEF-ON!!!

[chrisbenavides]

There has been a little bit of mucos coming off it (not much though). Would this contribute to its folding (collapsing) down. I guess I want this coral upright. I am thinking that there maybe a little too much flow, but I really can't tell. This is my first Toadstool leather, so I don't know much about it. I do have other corals, and they seem to be doing just fine. Alothough one of my Xenias has been smaller than usual, the other Xenia stalks look good though.

[reefnetworth]

it sounds fine to me, mine at this moment is folding edges down, about the size of a baseball. (smaller to be exact) while about an hour ago it was feeding open larger than a softball. REEF-ON!!

[reefnetworth]

flow, i keep mine at a medium to low part of the tank. REEF-ON!!!

[chrisbenavides]

So do I try to keep it upright? I don't like it in its collapsed state (I feel like that may be bad for the crown).

Is it bad for rock to touch the sides of the stalk and crown?

[chrisbenavides]

bump ;) question from above

[vessxpress1]

No, I wouldn't try to force it upright. It's not going to help it any. There's probably nothing wrong with it. Toadstools can be very weird sometimes. I have a few and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason when one closes up or folds over. Usually it lasts for a day. Some close up and don't put polyps out for a week. I have one that I got a while back that's looked pale and dead for months! Just a couple days ago, it has it's tan/brown color coming back and all the polyps are extending every day now. Just give it some time, maybe even a week and it should bounce back on it's own. They're pretty tough.

[cstires]

I agree with "vessxpress1", leave it be for about a week and see what it does. I have a very large toadstool, and for the first 3 months of having it, it would constantly fold over, film, and shed. It was placed in an area of moderate flow at the time. When I moved, I placed it in an area of high flow, and it hasn't slimed since. I think they are just tempormental at times, but very hardy!

[Justin74]

Sounds like a reaction to not enough flow. Other leather coral have been known to do this when flow is low. But thats with out being able to see or know exactly whats goin on and just goin on a hunch ;)

-Justin

[sassyfish]

my Xenia's bend when I am running low in salt...