I need some help with to figure out what's going on with my Leather coral please!!!

[JustinMN]

So, a few days ago it was fine, and recently I've noticed it hasn't extended/inflated much the last few days, the hermit crabs have also been hanging out on it a lot the last week also.

I know they normally don't inflate for a few days when shedding, but this time it has these white marks all over it and I'm worried. Every other leather in my tank is fine, and this is a soft leather/mushroom tank only.

I have two clown fish, one velvet damsel and 9 hermits along with a few snails along with ( obvious spaghetti works and the small pink bristle worms.) I've tried looking at night, and I don't see anything chomping away at it either, or when i took a closer look i don;t see anything small on it either.

Would be a huge help or suggestions, this is my first time running into a sick coral outside my tank crashing some years back because of annems spawning in my tank T_T


Here are some photos.


I'm just worried I'll need to cut the bits off....

 

[Formulator]

It does appear to have become a meal for something in your tank. I’m not sure what the culprits would be, but maybe spy on the tank late at night after lights out and see if any critters come out to munch on it. I don’t know that I would worry about trimming them. In my experience leathers are pretty resilient and it will probably heal itself without intervention. Just need to get the predator out of there, whatever it may be.

Edit: Sorry I didn’t fully read your post. Looks like you already tried looking at night. Maybe others will know specific animals to look for as a culprit…

 

[Euphyllia97]

Looks like damage from something nipping it. Haven’t seen any nudibranches or hermits picking at it?

Should be recovering once the culprit is gone. Maybe isolate it to find out if it improves?

 

[JustinMN]

Looks like damage from something nipping it. Haven’t seen any nudibranches or hermits picking at it?

Should be recovering once the culprit is gone. Maybe isolate it to find out if it improves?

Could this really be from my hermit crabs? All I have is several blue footed, and red legged ones. Also I don't have any nudi's in the tank. I haven't added anything new to my tank in 1 year. The same color, same fish and hermits. The only thing I do is my water changes and top offs.

 

[JustinMN]

It does appear to have become a meal for something in your tank. I’m not sure what the culprits would be, but maybe spy on the tank late at night after lights out and see if any critters come out to munch on it. I don’t know that I would worry about trimming them. In my experience leathers are pretty resilient and it will probably heal itself without intervention. Just need to get the predator out of there, whatever it may be.

Edit: Sorry I didn’t fully read your post. Looks like you already tried looking at night. Maybe others will know specific animals to look for as a culprit…

Yeah, I've looked several times at night, but I never saw anything eating or nipping at it. I've also tried moving it else where in the tank also. Sadly all I have is a 11gal soft reef, so not sure where i could put it.

 

[mfinn]

I've seen leather corals that had a nudibranch and holes similar. I can't be sure, but it may be something you can be looking for.

 

[JustinMN]

I've seen leather corals that had a nudibranch and holes similar. I can't be sure, but it may be something you can be looking for.

My only issue is, I haven't added anything new in well over a year to my tank. So.... where would they even come from suddenly? XD I don't see them anywhere either... T_T lol