Open Brain Loosing Flesh!

red tiger

red tiger

Member
I bought a open brain coral on friday, looked good and opened up fine, sunce tuesday it hasnt opened up much and now some skeleton is exposed. It is placed in the substrate (crushed coral) and runing my lights 6 hrs daily (4 T5 96W) and i will perform my weekly 10g water change (reef crystals) and nithing has changed from my part.
I start my water and salt mix monday afternoon and perform water changes on thursday night.
Ammonia/nitrite @ 0
Nitrate @ 10ppm
PH @ 8.1
dKh @ 11
Calcium @410
Phosphate @ .04 (will change GFO tonight)
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
When it comes to corals and diseases, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Is there a black line around the area that is exposed? Is there a white line? Is there anything bothering it? What have you been feeding your tank? Have you been feeding the brain?
By the way, you need to bump your ca level up to 440ppm. Just a little fyi.
 
red tiger

red tiger

Member
When it comes to corals and diseases, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Is there a black line around the area that is exposed? Is there a white line? Is there anything bothering it? What have you been feeding your tank? Have you been feeding the brain?
By the way, you need to bump your ca level up to 440ppm. Just a little fyi.
I have a picture but dont know how to upload from iPhone, untill tomorrow morning. I have fed it mysis when it opened its mouth on sunday, i feed the tank phytofeast. Once i do my water change i'll check my ca level. There is plenty space for anything to bother it. And no black lines. Just the bone white where flesh has degraded
 
lcaldwell85

lcaldwell85

Member
Not to make light of your situation by any means, but only in this hobby could a title like that not instigate instant panic.
Hope your coral gets better........
 
S

siptang

Guest
Hi, I'm sorry to hear that you are having issues.
9 out of 10 times it's water
whether it's the swing in temp, salinity or just nutrients.
Work on that magic number zero in nitrate. (your p04 looks pretty good once you change out your gfo)
Also please check what kind of light that it was in the store (too much light = shock) and also see if it's getting too much flow, they don't like too much flow from what I have seen.
 
red tiger

red tiger

Member
Hi, I'm sorry to hear that you are having issues.
9 out of 10 times it's water
whether it's the swing in temp, salinity or just nutrients.
Work on that magic number zero in nitrate. (your p04 looks pretty good once you change out your gfo)
Also please check what kind of light that it was in the store (too much light = shock) and also see if it's getting too much flow, they don't like too much flow from what I have seen.
The store had about 6 T5 aticnics only, i will be taking the coral back see if he can help!!!
 
S

smallreef

Guest
Call and ask first if there is anything they add to their tank, what their levels are and what salt they use....
dont stress it out by moving it unless there is nothing else you can do...
 
S

siptang

Guest
Well its no wonder. You need to acclimate it to your lights to almost to no lights to strong lights will kill most of corals. Don't take it to the store, chances are you will stress it even more. Just put it under low light setting and moving it up to brighter settings slowly.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Or you could put a few mesh screens over your tank and take one off a week until they are all removed...
I don't know if it is your lighting though, TBH.
 
red tiger

red tiger

Member
What if i move it to the refugium and acclimate it under LED light, there are .10w 16 LED's then progress it up over the next weeks?
 
S

siptang

Guest
Please take my advise with grain of salt.
I'm only guestimating here with information that I was given and by eliminating probable causes to narrow it down to a culprit.
With that warning sign out of the way,
Where is it located now?
Can you put in a little bit shaded area like a cave where you will still get light but not too much?
That light in sump is almost nothing so it's not going to do you any good when you put it back in your tank.
Seth's method is good too but you may starve out other corals that you may have in your system already.
Let me know and we will try to figure this sucker out.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Siptang http:///t/392509/open-brain-loosing-flesh#post_3485808
Seth's method is good too but you may starve out other corals that you may have in your system already.
Let me know and we will try to figure this sucker out.
Naw - Many people have done the window screen method for a long time, successfully. It may even limit algae growth in your tank - but shouldn't have any negative effects on the other corals. Kinda like being cloudy for a week over the reef - which is not uncommon.
 
S

siptang

Guest
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/392509/open-brain-loosing-flesh#post_3485823
Naw - Many people have done the window screen method for a long time, successfully. It may even limit algae growth in your tank - but shouldn't have any negative effects on the other corals. Kinda like being cloudy for a week over the reef - which is not uncommon.
Sorry Keith, I was referring to this comment. My brain isn't working so good right now. I guess it's time for bed lol.
 
red tiger

red tiger

Member
I went back today, he offered to take it back and see if he can bring it back.
He had it under 4 aticnic t5, it was a 6 bulb fuxture but 2 are always off. I fed it last night and will monitor and advise if any changes!!!
Thank you guys for the advise!
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
so was this a trachy? Lobo? Brain corals imoe love light MED or HIGH but the flow must be right.... favias and such (more stony) like the higher flow but the more fleshy ones like trachy, scolys, even some lobos like more med/ low flow...
HTHs
9-10 times its flow! Most ppls water is spot(to out knowledge)on in terms of the basics...the algaes or watever nuissance balances the system. Its the flow and light that we have problems mimicing in our tanks.
also i think a cal reading of 380-440 is okay... yes it helps to keep it stable but i dont think they notice much of a diff in terms of ppm.
my .02
 
red tiger

red tiger

Member
so was this a trachy? Lobo? Brain corals imoe love light MED or HIGH but the flow must be right.... favias and such (more stony) like the higher flow but the more fleshy ones like trachy, scolys, even some lobos like more med/ low flow...
HTHs
9-10 times its flow! Most ppls water is spot(to out knowledge)on in terms of the basics...the algaes or watever nuissance balances the system. Its the flow and light that we have problems mimicing in our tanks.
also i think a cal reading of 380-440 is okay... yes it helps to keep it stable but i dont think they notice much of a diff in terms of ppm.
my .02
It is a trachy, and the lfs is using reef crystals as well? My ca is at 440 now after the w/c
 
red tiger

red tiger

Member
So on Tuesday night, i did a 5g water change (which i usually do on Friday nights) and this morning when i was leaving to work (approx. 3AM) the coral had opened up but looked very odd, not as it did when i first got em, what do you think?
<---- when it had recessed
<----- 8/08/12
A few days when i purchased it! (nvm the butter container, ease for transportation)
 
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