Keeping pink brains pink

reeferdude

reeferdude

Member
There is a red open brain at my lfs and it has a pink rim and a green inside. The guy there says the reason it stays so pink is because he adds iron to the water. Will I need to add iron to my water for this guy to stay pink?
 
justinx

justinx

Active Member
It sounds to me like they are trying to sell something. I have never heard of additions of iron to a reef tank for any reason, and IMO I would think that it would be a bad idea. However . . . . . I am not totally sure on this. Perhaps there is someone with a more definite answer.
HTH
Justin
 
justinx

justinx

Active Member
I tried sending an email, but my accounts are kinda messed up so I am not sure if you got it. If you didnt, post it here.
Justin
 
bdhough

bdhough

Active Member
Iron? haha. Not likely. Brains get their color from symbiotic algae. Keep the brain happy, keep the brains color. Other than doseings with stuff like coral vite and essential elements you can feed a brain at night or sometimes in the day. The best time is when his tentacles are out and about looking to snag food. Usually they come out at night. You can kinda see mine in the pic. He used to be bleeched. He's frikin huge now though.
 
justinx

justinx

Active Member
Bd
Mine did the same thing . . . bleached out then grew to twice its original size. I have heard this from numerous people on this board so I am going to guess that its an acclimation process maybe.
Justin
 
bdhough

bdhough

Active Member
possibly. He looked like crap when i bought him but i didn't really know better at the time. He's beautiful now. about 5 inches fat and almost 10 long....
 
amphiprion15

amphiprion15

Member
Yea that thing about iron is bunk, btw its the various proteins in the coral that give it it's color, zooxanthellae is golden brown.
 
bergamer

bergamer

Active Member
Originally Posted by JustinX
It sounds to me like they are trying to sell something. I have never heard of additions of iron to a reef tank for any reason, and IMO I would think that it would be a bad idea. However . . . . . I am not totally sure on this. Perhaps there is someone with a more definite answer.
HTH
Justin
iron is a requirement for flowerpots, they can't live without them. Which is the reason why they always die.
But too much iron will cause huge algea blooms
 
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