Open Brain not looking Well PIC inside

[jwhiteuwc]

He's been like this for about 2 weeks, tried water changes, moved him around a little, but no luck.
Is th is normal?
Tank setup
55gallon
Sal 1.025
260 watt PC lighting
Amm=0
nitrites = 0
Nitrates=4
Calc 420
I leave my lights on for around 6-8hrs per day.
Thanks

 

[fishman830]

try putting it p at the top of the tank.. if it's not dead allready

 

[fishtails]

Try feeding him "meaty foods" every other day and see if it improves.
To feed simply place the foods on the corals mouth and make sure it eats the food.
Also, Brain Corals should be placed on the sandbed. They place their "foot" into the sandbed.

 

[jwhiteuwc]

I've tried feeding him silversides and such, but no luck eating them.
He's currenlty in the sandbed, but I could move him up in a LR someplace.
how do you tell if he's dead?

 

[wamp]

If he is dead, he will have no tissue.
The best thing would be to leave him alone. Don't keep moving him where it has to acclimate every other day.
This corals like medium light and low water flow.
You say your nitrates are 4. Which test kit are you using and what scale?

 

[dburr]

Starving for light. Leave the lights on longer 10-12 hours.
What else do you feed? Try plankton or something simular so the feeding tenticles come out and grab it.
Anything near it that might be stinging it?

 

[rbmount]

You could also try an iodine dip. It worked for mine. Get some Lugols and follow directions on label.

 

[jwhiteuwc]

I use to have my lights on for around 10-12 hours, but currenlty fighting a algea outbreak, so I had to tone the lights down to around 6-8.
I've tried feeding him in the past, but without to much luck. I've tried silversides, plankton, krill, a mixture of all 3(blended) and he doesn't seem to eat them.
I've upped my photoplankton dosing to possibly help out as he is somewhat.
I don't think he's dead yet, as he keeps changing from a darker brownish to white when the lights go out. No peeling of the skeloton or anything. I've moved him closer to the lights and we'll see how he reacts.
I'm wondering if I have to much waterflow for him. Although I've placed him in different waterflow conditions from very low to med. and he hasn't reacted.
I only user salfiert testing kits for my tank readings.

 

[007]

my brain went through the same phase . . . I think that many of them do as a method of adjustment.
If it were me . . .
Low flow, low light (I think you have it on the bottom which is where I would leave it) and in time it will come around on its own. The more you mess with it, the greater the chances that it will die.
Mine took about a month to make a comeback after acclimation. Looks great now. (It looked just like yours right after I got it.)

 

[jwhiteuwc]

OK, I took the suggestion on moving him closer to the top of the tank and now he's doing really really well. Opening up, and expanding out.
Only problem is that I had to move him on top of some live rock. He does have a cone shaped bottom, but I try and place him in a small hole in the life rock, but with my crabs and everything in the tank, i'm a little worried that he might get knocked down.
Am I able to superglue him down to a rock? I've heard of using SuperGlue gel, but not sure if anybody used it to hold down a open brain before.
On a future note if he grows to big, I'm giong to have to more the whole peice of LR
What do you think?

 

[euphoria]

I have a 60 gallon w/ 260W pc lights and my brains are placed on the sandbed. They are doing very good, always growing and expanding. So I don't think it's necessarily a light issue. Did u always have it at the bottom?

 

[jwhiteuwc]

He was always at the buttom. Tried him on the buttom right, buttom left, and still no real luck. Were he's at right now is the at the top with around medium water flow (can see his skin move when puffed out) and he seems to like it really well. Maybe it's not that he's getting more light, but more waterflow???? don't know.
I would hate to keep him at the top, but would also hate to keep him were he's not happy.
Thanks

 

[euphoria]

Well whatever it is, it's working, so let it be. I'd prefer to have it on the rocks but do good, rather than put it on sand and let it die (even though they prefer the sandbed).

 

[jwhiteuwc]

I was thinking the same thing.
Although he's a little wobbly on the rock work. Can I superglue him down?
I would hate for him to fall off.

 

[reef junky]

I had an open brain like that one and it was eaten by my flame angel. Make sure something in your tank isnt eating it. That one you have is a goner, it will not grow back.

 

[kistheeze]

Originally posted by reef junky
That one you have is a goner, it will not grow back.
I disagree.
I think the most important thing for brains like yours is to stop moving him around. Keep him in one place (glueing him down is fine) and leave him there.
In time he'll recover nicely.

 

[reef junky]

I was told that once the fleshy skin is gone off of the skeleton, it is dead and will not grow back. Was I misinformed?

 

[kistheeze]

Originally posted by reef junky
I was told that once the fleshy skin is gone off of the skeleton, it is dead and will not grow back. Was I misinformed?
Nope - you're just not looking at the picture right - the fleshy skin is receeded quite badly - but it's still there.

 

[squidd]

I don't think he's dead yet either...
Here's one I had that "came back to life"...
"Before"...

 

[squidd]

With good light and feeding...