what's going on with my brain?

chickadee

chickadee

Member
i purchased a green open brain on Saturday. sunday it was pretty closed for the entire day, but that's understandable because of the stress... i noticed, however, that there were some white spots on it after the move. On monday and tuesday he opened up all of the way, and seemed to be doing very well... Wednesday it wasn't that opened, and i noticed that when i fed everyone, my YWG was swimming on the brain (you know how they kinda scoot along the bottom... it was scooting on the brain). Yesterday and today it wasn't very open. There's more white spots on it now, but not very big, and it's still very green. the YWG hangs out on that side of the tank, too. The tentacles still come out at night, so i know it's not dead. The big thing is that when i was changing my water today, i syphened off some of the sand around the brain, and i noticed that the sand directly surrounding and under the brain was grey (normally a white sand)... i was like :notsure: so i started vacuuming that sand out, and as soon as it hit the bucket, i smelled it... it was horrible! so i lifted the brain and smelled it and it smelled fine, but then i flipped it over and smelled it's base and it was the most wretched thing i've ever smelled!!! i thought for sure he's dead now, but once again, the lights are out and so are it's tentacles... i can't get any pictures cause my camera's dead... any ideas???
water parameters as follows:
temp - 80 & consistant
SG - 1.024 - 1.025
ammonia & nitrites 0
Nitrates - around 20
calcium 450
alkalinity - on the low-normal side
ph - 8.4
lights: 4x96 outer orbit PC's
tank 55g, 18" deep... the water is about 1" from the top of the tank, and the sandbed is about 2", so the water is about 15" to the coral...
any input would be greatly appreciated. I'll try to get pics on here later tonight after my camera charges a little bit.
 
michaeltx

michaeltx

Moderator
there might have been a sponge or something growing on the underside of the brain that has died from being on the sand its really hard to say but if the tissue on the brain it good and its coming out to feed I would jsut watch it and make sure there isnt something else wrong with it. but my guess a sponge, tunicate, or something similar was growing on the under side of it.
mike
 
chickadee

chickadee

Member
WOW, that was a quick friggin response!!! Thanks, that actually makes a lot of sense to me. What do you think about the white spots, though? it seems like most of the rim on the inside where the flat part meets the folds is white too... i wish my camera were working. I'll get some pics tonight, and then some tomorrow as well. thanks!!!
 
michaeltx

michaeltx

Moderator
I took white spots as and or other particules on there when you talked about the fish hoovering over it.
Mike
 
misfit

misfit

Active Member
CHeck for Phosphat. I had almost the same problem I have a green open brain and a red closed brain.Every thing in the tank looked really good execpt both my brains werent opening and were losing color fast. All parm were fine execpt phosphate it was pretty high due to diferent carbon i was running.I guess thats what happens when you get something cheap. It took a long while but there slowly comming back.
 
seannmelly

seannmelly

Active Member
Is there anyway you can post a picture of the problem??? It can be a number of things. Your perameters look good, so I don't see a problem there, other then your nitrates, but who's nitrates couldn't be lower!! My nitrates were 80+ and I had mushrooms and zoos that took that abuse is my mostly FOWLR!
Melly
 
tx reef

tx reef

Active Member
Oh my God if you have white spots on your brain then it has to be ick you have to hypo - something your tank or everything will die why didn't you qt the bain before you put it in there you need to break down your whole tank and start all over you need to read and learn how to do things right next time or you will end up with ick all over again......
Just kidding. Give it a little more time and be sure to feed it 3 times a week. Mine green open brain is playing host to my 2 ocellaris clowns and he looks kind of funky sometimes.
 
chickadee

chickadee

Member
i don't think it's the skeleton... it's like someone took a bottle of white out and went artistic on him...
i'll check the phosphates... i actually have a phosphate sponge, so i'll run that too, jus in case. Wow, guys, thanks for be so quick at responding!!! Camera's been charging for like 20 minutes now, so i should be able to get a pic. give me like 15 minutes.
 
seannmelly

seannmelly

Active Member
Originally Posted by TX Reef
Oh my God if you have white spots on your brain then it has to be ick you have to hypo - something your tank or everything will die why didn't you qt the bain before you put it in there you need to break down your whole tank and start all over you need to read and learn how to do things right next time or you will end up with ick all over again......
Just kidding. Give it a little more time and be sure to feed it 3 times a week. Mine green open brain is playing host to my 2 ocellaris clowns and he looks kind of funky sometimes.

lol your posts are always like that! Becareful with your clown hosting your brain! I had my GSM hosting my red trachiphyllia(sp) and he eventually killed it :mad: here's a pic before it died
 
chickadee

chickadee

Member
i have ricordeas too and my clown's not hosting them either, thank goodness... any kind of fish hosting any kind of coral is very irritating.
 
kzoo

kzoo

Member
First you have high nitrates and you say your alk is low? what is your dkh? Lps are very sensitive to light changes , what were the lights on the tank at the store. If it is on the bottom of your tank the pc light that you have most likely are not strong enough to reach it. Also you will need to feed it, have you tried? You can save it a got one from another reefer and it was almost dead and it came back well, check it out.

 
michaeltx

michaeltx

Moderator
some brains have that coloration under different lights so it might be that color not sure have to see the pics but I am glad its not the skeleton that would have been a bad bad sign..
TX REEF
that was a bit unexpected LOL
Mike
 
chickadee

chickadee

Member
i could do some serious damage to tx reef right now...
and i spot fed him yesterday at night...That's a very beautiful brain
and my alkalinity is on the low end of the normal range.
 
seannmelly

seannmelly

Active Member
Originally Posted by kzoo
First you have high nitrates and you say your alk is low? what is your dkh? Lps are very sensitive to light changes , what were the lights on the tank at the store. If it is on the bottom of your tank the pc light that you have most likely are not strong enough to reach it. Also you will need to feed it, have you tried? You can save it a got one from another reefer and it was almost dead and it came back well, check it out.



Alright I am officially confused!! Chickadee is that your brain that you originally posted about?? If it is then in the first pic I would be concerned because the flesh deflates and almost reveals the skeleton. In the second pic the brain is totally open. When it closes and it is totally healthy it should not show that much skeleton. I know when my wellsophyllia(metallic green open brain) is deflated you can tell he's not inflated but there is no way you can see as much skeleton as yours! I wish you luck with your brain. I was told that red trachiphyllia like your's and my former one was suppose to be one of the more hardier ones!
Melly
 
seannmelly

seannmelly

Active Member
Originally Posted by chickadee
lol, that's not my brain... look at the poster, sweetie...


OMG I am SOOOO sorry, I thought it was you!!! Must be the lack of a new episode of Grey's Anatomy ;) :hilarious lol. Sorry once again!!!
Melly
P.S. Long and painful night thus far! Sorry agian.
 
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