Question about green open brain coral

[refinnej]

Hi, I've got a green open brain in a 29 gal. tank. One of my clownfish started picking at it awhile ago. Only about a quarter of the coral is left. The fish is leaving it alone now. My question is - can the coral still survive? It seems to be growing a bit. Maybe this is my imagination.
Ph - 8.0
nitrite - 0
ammonia - 0
nitrate - 0
spec. grav. - 1.023
The light on the tank is a Current Sun Pod. I feed it micro-vert once a week and add araga milk to the tank every day.

 

[mr_x]

first, raise the SG to .025-.026, which is the natural levels at the reef where these creatures are harvested. raise it slowly...over the course of a week.
secondly, i don't think the clownfish would have picked at the brain unless it was already failing.
i believe this even more so since it stopped picking at it.
stop the microvert, and aragamilk. they aren't helping anything. if the creature still has a mouth, try feeding it some meaty foods like misis shrimp, or a piece of raw fish. let it fall right on the mouth with all flow off. wait 20 minutes to a half hour to see if it takes it in.
if it doesn't have a mouth, then i believe it's a gonner. how long has the tank been up?

 

[nycbob]

Originally Posted by Mr_X
http:///forum/post/2718479
first, raise the SG to .025-.026, which is the natural levels at the reef where these creatures are harvested. raise it slowly...over the course of a week.
secondly, i don't think the clownfish would have picked at the brain unless it was already failing.
i believe this even more so since it stopped picking at it.
stop the microvert, and aragamilk. they aren't helping anything. if the creature still has a mouth, try feeding it some meaty foods like misis shrimp, or a piece of raw fish. let it fall right on the mouth with all flow off. wait 20 minutes to a half hour to see if it takes it in.
if it doesn't have a mouth, then i believe it's a gonner. how long has the tank been up?
+1.

 

[refinnej]

The tank has been running 2 years. The open brain has been in the tank about a year. I'm the first to admit I'm a beginner at this. I just want to double check with you - will a higher specific gravity be okay for the 2 clownfish and the sixline wrasse in the tank? I've had them since the start and would hate to lose them. Another dumb question - how do I tell if the coral still has a mouth?

 

[fishygurl]

Originally Posted by refinnej
http:///forum/post/2718574
The tank has been running 2 years. The open brain has been in the tank about a year. I'm the first to admit I'm a beginner at this. I just want to double check with you - will a higher specific gravity be okay for the 2 clownfish and the sixline wrasse in the tank? I've had them since the start and would hate to lose them. Another dumb question - how do I tell if the coral still has a mouth?
yes the fish will be fine with salinity at .025-.026 (most people keep their tanks at this..)
The brain will have a mouth in the center of it where it eats..(or where the center should be if it was whole) it looks like a small circle if its there.

 

[refinnej]

Thanks for the advice. I think I got it to eat a piece of shrimp this morning. I'm raising the salinity slowly.
Thanks a lot - I really appreciate it.