Sick Brain Coral

[dyeman]

Greetings,
I have a Maze (brain) coral that I bought off someone that was selling off their tank 3 weeks ago. The edge had died out by about 3/16" when I picked it up. The person I bought it from only had pc lighting. It seems like it might be getting worse. I would say the die off is 3/8" or more now. Can these things be fragged in an attempt to save it?

3 weeks ago
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/97733brain1.jpg

I have 1-400w MH over 1/2 the tank + 190 PC lighting including actinics over a 90g. I do a 10% water change every week. Water parameters are
PM PH-8.2
Temp 80
Salinity 1.025
Calcium over 400
Nitrates 0
Phosphates 0

Flow is 1 ph plus return
Live stock includes 2 clowns, a yellow tail damsel, a cardinal, yellow tang, and a crocea. Corals include various mushrooms, softies, leathers, polyps, and a clam. I also have a few small frags of Nano Acropora, Digitata, and Blastos. and a fairly large (6") Hydnophora

I add 25ml B-Ionic twice a week and DT's 2x a week. Feed fish small amount twice a day.

Yesterday
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/97733brain2.jpg


Thanks
ds

[Blastomussaman]

Are you feeding it?

[EricHugo]

exactly - and it may not need that much light.

Feeding would help, I am quite sure.

[dyeman]

I'm feeding DT''s live phytoplankton and supplementing the water with B-Ionic. Should I be feeding something else?

Thank you

David

[Blastomussaman]

Your brain needs some real food. Here, feed this or whatever else you can conjure up. ;)

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=176530

[EricHugo]

LOL. exactly. The phytoplankton is useles to this coral and your supplements allow for skeletons tobe formed - they are not food.

[dyeman]

I do feed fish with frozen shrimp every night and of course flakes and have recently been adding cyclop-eze a couple of times a week. DT's was mainly for clam and filter feeders. Been afraid of overfeeding and having Nitrate problems. All my other stuff seems to doing okay with the feeding I have provide so didn't even think of that. Sounds like I need to mix in more and different foods hey?

Thanks guys

[Teremei]

My brain looks alot like yours did. Basically browning around the rims, loosing some flesh around the edges. How is your brain doing now? I'm still looking for answers on mine. I'm just gonna try to keep feeding it. .

[saltman1]

Heres an interestign story for you all/ I too recently purchased a brain coral that was starving when shipped into the LFS. After just days in my tank he lost 3 sections and was bleached in about a square 1" section. For weeks i tried feeding mysis, shrimp pieces etc without seeing his tentacles come out at all. Then one day as I was feeding my fish formula 1/2 PELLETS they dropped onto the brain. After a minute of the food sitting on him, I noticed he got all fuzzy and colored up...here came all his feeding tenmtacles and within minutes the green holes sucked up the pellets. For the last few weeks I have tried anything with no previal but he comes alive for the pellet food! His bleached area is coming back!!

[Teremei]

Yeah I've read that in another thread (maybe it was you) that someone was having success with sinking pellets.

This is partly my fault because his sweepers came out at night and I went without feeding him for about 2 weeks. Now his sweepers aren't out and he's not looking as healthy as usually. I tried mysis last night and he shed some of his zooanthelia, one of his polyps did eat one but that's it. Tonite I'm gonna try sinking pellet. .

[saltman1]

Let me know how he makes out

[JmLee]

after reading your guy's post i just droped pellets on a open brain i got today and now hes sweepers are starting to come out. lol thats awsome.

[Teremei]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6766060#post6766060 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by saltman1
Let me know how he makes out

Well I just tried some formula 1 pellet (the kind with garlic) I turned off the flow near him and let some sink all around. He sweepers aren't coming out but his mouths ARE accepting the pellets. And this after he rejected the frozen mysis yesterday. So that's good!

I'm still waiting for some replys on my thread so I still don't know exactly what it is. How is yours dyeman? Because mine is suffering from the exact same thing, discoloration around the rims, some receeding along the edge, and it puffs up a little. BTW, how many pellets should I feed him? As many as he will take? He's eaten about 15 total but there are still 30 or so all over him I hope he'll eat alot and get better!

I wonder what Eric would think about feeding our brains pellets. Is this healthy for the brain?

[saltman1]

It is the craziest thing I've seen in a while....those pellets landing on him are the only thing that gets his feeding tentacles to come out!

[ShallowWaters]

If anybody is still reading this thread....try tobiko - flying fish eggs. It's my guess at the pefect food for brain corals. Mine devour it. Round pellets and round fish eggs are exactly what should fit in round polyps that cover the reef floor.

[DJ88©]

[moved]

[84jeepjohn]

Are ya'll feding "all" the mouths? or can you focus on one to three of them (easier to get to) I just tried the pellets and he's digging them