shrinking mushy

[gnashty]

I picked up what i beleive to be a devils hand leather at the meeting. this is what he looked like. now he is really shrinking up and is leaned over a little and is getting smaller, he is now about 1/3 the size he was in this pic. the first 2 days i had him all of is tentacle feelers were out and he looked really good and healthy....now..meh.

FWIW - he was within about 8" from a candy cane coral and on the sand bed....also started feeding the fish food soaked in metro & focus as my tang has ich and i cant remove him safely - his change in appearance happened right around the time i started feeding them this.
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[glxtrix]

Well if it was acclimated to you tank water and assuming your parms are in line. Like toadstools, devils hand will shrink and shed some of it's flesh (a very thin filmy layer). There is a difference between shedding and dying though. They typically will look glossy/shiny when shedding. It's part of growing and dealing with new tank conditions.

 

[llewella]

I got one of those frags too and for the first few days he was open and doing well, then for about two days he shrunk up, no tentacles out and I was getting worried, but then, he just snapped out of it and is doing great again today! I didn't notice any shedding from him, although my cabbage leather sure did!

 

[gnashty]

I can see some of the filmy layer its getting rid of.

 

[jennm]

It's a normal thing for leathers to look shriveled and snotty for a day or two, once in a while. Like Glxtrix mentioned, they "shed".

Give it a couple of days, it will probably look better than before.

Jenn

 

[llewella]

I just went and looked at mine. He grew a new nub while shriveled. He is full open now and bigger than before sporting the beginning of a new "finger"

 

[gnashty]

llewella;466151 wrote: I just went and looked at mine. He grew a new nub while shriveled. He is full open now and bigger than before sporting the beginning of a new "finger"

very cool, where did you place him in the tank? I left mine in the sandbed but may want to move him up higher so I dont knock him over when vacuuming.

 

[llewella]

I have mine a little more than halfway down. I have a 55 long so he's about 6 inches or so up from the sand on a rock.. He gets moderate flow as well.

 

[gnashty]

Sho nuff...got home and he was looking like his old self again. thanks all

 

[corigan]

gnashty;466322 wrote: Sho nuff...got home and he was looking like his old self again. thanks all

Like Jenn said, it's a common leather deal. They just every once in awhile will close up like that for a few days and then come back stronger than ever.