tell me about open brains

[jacksonpt]

I was at my LFS last night, saw a beautiful open brain coral. Red around the edge, green in the center. But not metalic in color like most I've seen, it was much softer... like a powdered red and and powdered green, if that makes any sense. Are open brains supposed to be metallic in color, is the softer colors a sign of bad health? There seemed to be no inconsistencies in color, and no tears anywhere on the coral... looked to be in very good health to me.
SWF.com info says that open brains are very difficult to keep in home aquaiums, but SWF.com store puts them at a beginner's difficulty. What's the truth... easy or not? My biggest concern would be lighting reqirements (I've currently got only NO lighting, but MH is on the way, just gotta build the canopy... not sure when that's going to happen though). Are they photosynthetic, making light very important, or can they be feed meaty foods more often to make up for weaker lighting (kind of like anemones)? My levels are very stable, with the exception of salinity... flucuates a little from 1.024-1.028, and my alk is constantly low, around 1.1 (can't seem to get it above 1.1).
Thanks for the help.

 

[nm reef]

Jackson.....I've got a few different types of open brains in my reef.....I've found them to do well in a stable system(proper levels) with calcium&alkalinity around 450ppm&3.0meg/l...adaquate lighting...decent current......I feed a regular schedule of dt's and some are direct fed meaty foods at least once a week....mine are all doing well and I've had virtually no problems with any of them.....I got a very small red/green like you described several months ago and its grown to more than double its origional size......there are pics in the photo album below.......hope this helps some

 

[mal]

I second NM reef. I have several obs'. They are great. I have mine under pc lights, and at different depths, thus some are in weaker light. I feed DT's and direct feed meaty foods soaked in zoe. They love direct feeding! I have two that are powdered color like you describe. One is red, the other is yellow. They have been like this from day one. Great corals that respond rapidly and dramatically to good food and water. Sometimes it looks like mine are going to pop after a feeding. They are a photsynthetic coral, thus the DT's, but they readily accept direct feedings. If you put it high in the tank, you should be ok until you get the MH installed. It may lose some color, but will gain it back with the good lights. IME they are easy. the salinity thing shouldn't be much of an issue unless it happens overnight or rapidly. What's up with the alk? I keep mine up w/ kent super buffer. Mine is around 5meq/l and my salinity ranges from 1.024 - 1.027depending on water changes and top offs. If you have MH on the way, I say go for it, sounds like a really nice piece.

 

[twoods71]

I believe the brain coral you are referring to is often called a red open brain coral.
I have one that is exactly as you described. It is not metalic at all and is kind of a soft red and green color.
I have had mine for several months now in my 55 and I keep him on the substrate.

 

[wetone]

What type of "meaty foods" are you feeding the open brains??
I direct feed DT's , but nothing else

 

[keitho]

well, you don't really have to feed them if you lighting is adequate, but i feed a combination of squid, shrimp, and silversides to my LPS, anemones, starfish, and crabs. hope this helps

 

[q]

I have my red brain so that it gets only a sliver of light from my VHO. The rest is just indirect light from the MH/VHO. It is located in a corner of the tank to the side of some tall rocks with a low moderate flow.

 

[keitho]

my red/green open brain, on the other hand, is on the sandbed with direct MH lighting and a propwash of current. in fact, if i don't keep the current hard and direct on him, he starts to pout and won't open up as fully. i recently upgraded my powerheads to a size big enough to nearly blast a whole is the tank wall, and he hasn't been happier !?!?!? oh well..if that's what makes him happy, that's what he will get