Help My Brain Please ???

[marinemarty]

Hi All, I woke up to notice a small part of my open brain seems to be dying. It looks like a small piece of coral skeleton is showing. All water parameters are Temp 81, PH 8.23,Alk 4.8, Ammo/nitrites o, NitrAtes 5, . Can anyone help??
Martin

 

[kpogue]

What type of lighting do you have and where is it placed relative to it?
Ca?
alk 4.8!? Is that the same as KH? If it is it should be around 10.
Nitrates 5? What what?

 

[brooklyn johnny]

I assume you mean 4.8 meq/l on the alk. A little higher than I like it, but by no means a problem. Nitrates are 5 ppm... that's not causing it either. They are usually very hardy when happy. What type of lighting do you and where is it in reference to the water column? Also what type of current is it getting? Are you supplementally target feeding it? This is not necessary but beneficial IMO, especially when they are lacking light. Is it getting stung? Did something recently fall on it or is it getting sand and/or detritus buildup on it? Is it new, or have you had it for a while and it has just started declining?

 

[brooklyn johnny]

By "open brain" I am assuming you mean the Trachyphyllia genus. Important to note here, as I have seen so many things called brain corals, including recently a Blastomussa

 

[saltyrich]

I have green brain that does well anywhere in my 30 tall. But, he does much better under a good steady, moderate current. Fleshy would be the way to describe the difference. He's about half way up my tank which is 24" tall.

 

[marinemarty]

Thanks guys, My tank has dual 175 MH 10,000K and Dual 95 VHO actinics. The brain is the trachyphylia kind. I currently have it on the sand bed and yes it doe ocasionally get sand on it. I've had since sunday and was getting really fluffy. I tried giving it some microvert food. My tank is a 75 gallon. I would say the current on it is low to medium. He looks like he is dying and skeleton is coming through.

 

[pa reef pig]

Is it possible that something else in the tank is stinging it? Is there any other corals near by that may have sweeper tentacles )lps)?

 

[saltyrich]

Try moving him up then inot a little more flow and see what happens.

 

[broomer5]

Most Open Brain Corals I've seen - when first shipped or purchased - are normally not in the best shape.
When you can see the tissue receding, and the skeleton showing - they need some help from us.
Mine does A LOT better on the sandbed than up in the rockwork.
They should be placed on the sand.
Lighting is important - but these guys NEED TO EAT MEAT.
Several times a week is what they like - IMO.
Thawed out frozen or fresh shrimp, krill and squid, placed right on it mouth - is what I've found works best for mine.
If it keeps losing tissue, and looking bad, it may have a bacterial infection - and may die.
You can pick it up and hold it just to the water surface, keeping it wet but exposing the questionable part to the air ........ and take a whiff. It it reeks like dead animal - it may be infected.
If not - you're in good shape.
I've heard some folks do an iodine dip. I've never done this so I don't recommend it. Maybe someone else here can tough on this procedure.
Get some food into this guy and see what happens.
If you see it's feeder tentacles around it's edge - it's hungry.
If it's all curled up in a tight ball - it may take some time for it to respond to feeding. Squirt a little frozen food "mush" on it with a baster ( pumps/powerheads OFF ) and this may entice it to eat.

 

[saltyrich]

I apologize for not clearly reading your post. OPEN Brain. My green brain is a lobed brain. I think his feeding recommendations are superb. Even my lobed brain eates the heck out of shrimp and silversides.

 

[marinemarty]

Will try, Thanks for the help guys. I will keep you posted. Of to feed my brain.
Martin

 

[pa reef pig]

Hey Broomer, I have a green open brain and I'm not sure how to feed this guy with solid food. I cant see anything that looks like a mouth on him. Should I just try to lay the food in between some of the "puffy folds". I've tried this before and the food just floats away or is stolen by a hungry, boisterous fish. Any tricks?
Hope you are talking about the same kind of Brain coral I am. Any pictorial advise on how or where to place the peices of food would be great. I am a "visual" preson. I learn better from pictures. btw, The brain coral looks good but has not grown much in the year that ive had him. And I do keep him in the sand as per your advice in much earlier posts. Thanks!

 

[broomer5]

Here's a couple pics - might help.
I have a Clown that likes to steal the food too.
Feed the fish at one end of tank.
Place the food on the brain coral.
Sometimes if you squeeze the food with finger/thumb - it sinks better, and stays in place.
Last resort - I've been known to stand next to the tank with a towel in hand - and when the fish goes near the coral - shoo it away by waving the towel LOL.
Oh well .........
Good luck reef pig !

 

[broomer5]

red open brain
( sometimes these guys will have more than one mouth ~ feed anyone that opens )

 

[azonic]

I agree with the feeding...I have a green swollen brain....I feed it krill mainly when i feed the rest of the tank...i take a whole block and let it thaw before hand and put it all right over the brain...my brain has 10 mouths on it....you should see them all in action at once.

 

[iceman302]

i feed mine at night after lights go out more feeder ten. out

 

[richard rendos]

I never feed my brain and it has grown tremendously over the pasrt 4 years. I did run into one problem...I had a black pygmy angel that was picking at it for a while. Looked like it was dying...tissue recession and skeleton showing through. Removed the angel...healed almost instantly. So if you have any pygmy angels in your tank, that could be your problem.

 

[marinemarty]

Hi All, and thanks. I will keep an eye out for any possible "pickers" Also my temp has reach 29 C. could this be the problem it's a 2 degree jump from normal. Thanks Again

 

[marinemarty]

Brain looks much worse this morning, lost more flesh and has a cloud of gook on one end. Also my hairy mushroom looks bad as well. The mushrooms mouth look wide open. Please help. All water checks are fine.
Martin

 

[marinemarty]

I think i found out what's happening, a yellow damsel is picking at my brain, he is even eating the cloudy stuff, I will get a friend to come and help me catch the little booger Thanks anyways
Martin