is my brain dying?

[faust]

is there anything I can do.....here's two pics - front and brownish-green spot on the back. his mouths have been opening and closing but has been de-flated (5 days) since a big turbo knocked him into some hairy mushrooms. he is 12-14 in below the 150w halides in an 80 gal with low to moderate flow. water quality: 8.3ph, 12dkh, 0 nitrite, 0 ammonia, 15 nitrate, .25 phosphate, 540 calcium.
tia

 

[CATALYST]

Put it down in the sand and try feeding it after the lights go out. They are not rock critters. Try feeding it a small piece of shrimp, scallop or silverside.

 

[faust]

okay moved him to a qt and fed him some krill which he readily opened up his mouths and pulled it in. will move to the sand bed as you suggested.

 

[funkpolice]

I don't have a clue how to save the brain, but isn't putting a ring in a reef tank a bad idea? I don't know if it could make a difference or not, but I do know that metal is bad for a reef, especially copper or nickel.
bill

 

[naperenterprise]

Its a gold ring, should be just fine.
Love your nails

 

[faust]

just wanted to say thanks, he's back in the dt. i notice he is more fluorescent in the center than i noticed in the last week. hopefully he'll start to puff up tomorrow
guess a case of bad husbandry on my part. as my green brain has doubled in size without me doing anything. i made the mistake of assuming.

 

[cbrownfish]

The brain may have been damaged on the rocks when it tumbled. Sometimes they will deflate for a couple days here and there. However, it appears that you have some exposed skeleton which is never good. As stated, keep it on the sand and target feed it.

Your Ca and dKH seem to be on the high side and oddly, both are high (especially Ca). That is not a typo, correct? What are you using for test kits? Ca of 540 with a dKH of 12 is very uncommon, unstable actually, as the solution will only hold so much.......your are dangerously close to a precipitation event at those numbers. I would verify/double check your testing resources and be sure that the numbers are your true readings.

 

[faust]

i am using aquarium pharmaceuticals test kits. my calcium has been high since beginning to use the seachem salt. i have not been dosing w/ calcium. it was a typo on the dkh - s/b 10. also - not to sound stupid - what is a precipitation event?

 

[cbrownfish]

Nicknamed a "snowstorm". It is when Ca precipitates out of the solution and it makes the water milky white.

 

[CATALYST]

You can feed it a little bit each day or two...1/4" size hunks are a safe size. If it's not opening up, try after the lights go out. Sometimes they just plain aren't hungry.
I have my hands in the tank with my jewelry and it hasn't phased it. You might try Salifert test kits. They are a little more spendy but I trust what they say.

 

[jnohs]

not gold no prob with 24 or 18 k

 

[Aquascaper]

Nicknamed a "snowstorm". It is when Ca precipitates out of the solution and it makes the water milky white.

If I may add:

water (especially) saltwater can only hold in suspension a maximum number of particles at a given temperature... due to the velosity of the molecules which are directly coorelated and directly proportional....

therefore, at a given temp. the water can hold upto its saturation level of things like salt, Ca,.....

If the temp was to drop while the water was at saturation level, or an attemp to add more when the water is at saturation level- the waters inability to keep the solution suspended will likely result in what is called precipitation ( the excess falling out of the water in its original form)

Also I agree with placing the brain in the sand- for if a coral has mantle extension beyond the tob of its coral stucture: ie brains, plates, tounges...etc. It is risky to blace them on rock where it is likely to have its mantle riped which opens room for infection...

Strontium and Molybdenum are also useful to the coral in its quest to repair the flesh...

 

[Kensn]

Might want to adjust the amount of light it is getting. PLace in a dimmer location, as you might of already did by placing it in the san d bed, but a little shade has been known to help.

 

[faust]

just a follow up. my lfs had me bring it to them. they"ll try to nurse him back and if he doesn't make it . i'll be issued full credit. so its a win win
the only reason they did this is cause i have mary's tanks and her name up there, carries clout