toadstool

Question
We have a toad stool that seems happy most of the time.  But lately, the toad stool has closed up, it's "skin" seems like it's shriveling up along the stalk, and it has just a hint of green alge on top of it.  I know that the toad stool can stay closed up for a few days in order to slough off  skin...but we are woking on a week now.  It's in a 55 gal tank, med flow water, salt is 0.023, med to high lighting.
what else could be the problem?.. all the other soft coral seems to be okay.

Answer
HI Stephanie. If you are noticing any kind of algae growing on the coral this is a very bad sign. Because toadstool corals are large and basically flat they have a tendency to accumulate more debris and algae growth on them then most other corals. Toadstools should not be closed up for more than a day or two when shedding this debris off its skin and you should be very concerned if it has been going on this long. It may be having problems ridding its outer surface of the debris and because it is not opening up it is not getting the require nutrients from the polyps as it should. First of all take a look at what other corals or anemones may be in close proximity to the toadstool. There is a certain amount of chemical warfare that goes on with corals and some corals should never be set too close to one another and some others should never even be housed in the same tank because of the toxins they release. If this is not even a possibility then what you need to do is get yourself some Lugol's solution and do a dip on your toadstool. Fill a bucket with 1-2 gallons of your tank water.(Depending on the size of the coral and the bucket, you will need to use enough water to totally cover the coral in the bucket) Add the recommended dosage of the brand of Lugol's solution you are using.( usually 40 drops per gallon) Add the coral to the bucket and let it soak for about 10-20 minutes. If there seems to be any signs of stress going on with the coral remove it immediately. Most leather corals can withstand even more prolonged dips in this solution so you should be fine. Using your finger while the coral is in the bucket gently wipe away as much of the surface layer or any cheesy areas and algae off of the coral as possible. (don't worry this will not harm the coral) After the time is up for the dip and you are sure you have gotten as much debris off of the coral as possible, take a few cups or your tank water out of your tank and gently pour over the coral out and over the bucket to rinse as much of the iodine solution off of the coral as possible. (too much iodine in your water can have a detrimental effect on some corals) Your coral should open up with in 24 hours looking bigger and better than ever. You can do this dip on an as needed basis with your toadstool if for some reason it accumulates too much debris too often. However you may want to consider taking a turkey baster and blasting some water over the coral every few days to help blow away debris before it can accumulate to this point. If you are unsure which corals could have a detrimental effect to a toadstool with its toxins let me know what you have in your tank and I can help you with that.