Jean-Paul Boerekamps, Niederlande
Info
Lobophytum sarcophytoides is a widespread leather coral that can reach a diameter of several meters in the ocean, exact size information is currently not available.
The leather coral is not specifically sold under its Latin name in the specialist trade, which is why there is no information on keeping it.
In principle, leather corals are also suitable for beginners in marine aquariums and can cope with less favorable water values for a while.
If you decide to keep a leather coral in your tank, you should be aware that leather corals regularly “slime off” without much notice.
Slime shedding is a skin cleaning process that is indicated by the coral no longer expanding its polyps and shedding its old surface skin, a procedure that can take a few days, but don't worry, afterwards the coral will “bloom” again fully and show its expanded polyps again.
A more drastic procedure may be necessary if the leather coral grows too much, takes up more and more space in the tank and shades out, displaces or overgrows other corals.
In these cases, pruning with a sharp knife is necessary to slow down coral growth.
Before pruning, the coral should be carefully examined and it should be determined how much and where the pruning should be carried out.
Right at the beginning of the cut, the coral retracts its polyps and cell sap escapes from the cut surface.
The leather coral is not specifically sold under its Latin name in the specialist trade, which is why there is no information on keeping it.
In principle, leather corals are also suitable for beginners in marine aquariums and can cope with less favorable water values for a while.
If you decide to keep a leather coral in your tank, you should be aware that leather corals regularly “slime off” without much notice.
Slime shedding is a skin cleaning process that is indicated by the coral no longer expanding its polyps and shedding its old surface skin, a procedure that can take a few days, but don't worry, afterwards the coral will “bloom” again fully and show its expanded polyps again.
A more drastic procedure may be necessary if the leather coral grows too much, takes up more and more space in the tank and shades out, displaces or overgrows other corals.
In these cases, pruning with a sharp knife is necessary to slow down coral growth.
Before pruning, the coral should be carefully examined and it should be determined how much and where the pruning should be carried out.
Right at the beginning of the cut, the coral retracts its polyps and cell sap escapes from the cut surface.
