Help with Brain Coral

[Clownboy]

have had my Brain Coral going on two weeks now and this week seems to not look as good. My water is:

Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - between 0 - 2.5
PH - 8.2
Alk - 11 dkh.
Salanity - 1.024
Temp - 80.5

He is showing some green where he was red and he seems to spitting some stuff out of one of his mouths. Whatever he is spitting out the Royal Gramma is eating. He also seems a little smaller than he was when I bought him.

Please Help

[Woodstock]

I would slowly increase the salinity up to 1.026 (35 ppt) over the next few water changes.

• Is the flow too strong around it?
• What type of lighting do you have?
• What type of lighting did it come from?
• Did you acclimate it slowly to your lights if they are stronger?
• Where is the brain located?... they prefer to sit on sand.
• Are there any fish/crabs/etc. that may be picking on it?
• Are there any other corals nearby that could be stinging it?

[Clownboy]

Originally Posted by Woodstock

I would slowly increase the salinity up to 1.026 (35 ppt) over the next few water changes.

• Is the flow too strong around it?
• What type of lighting do you have?
• What type of lighting did it come from?
• Did you acclimate it slowly to your lights if they are stronger?
• Where is the brain located?... they prefer to sit on sand.
• Are there any fish/crabs/etc. that may be picking on it?
• Are there any other corals nearby that could be stinging it?

My Tank:

24g Aquapod
30lbs LR
20lbs LS
150w HQI MH's
I use RO water only
I use Phosban and Purigen in filter.

It came from 20K MH and mine are 14k. I did not acclimate it to my lights.
I believe the flow is good, I have the stock pump. (15x water flow)
It is located in the sand.
I have not seen anything messing with it.
I do have some zoos close by but I did not think they could or would do anything. They are a few inches away on the sand.


I have:

Bubble Tip Anemone
Yellow Polyps
Green Star Polyps
Kenya Tree
Zoo's

2 Percula clown and a Royal Gramma
8 Blue leg Hermits, & 2 snails

Everthing looks as good as ever accept the Brain Coral.

I dont target feed it but I feed my tank:

Frozen Brine Plus (4 Days a week)
Cyclo-plezee (At night 3 days a week when feeding flake food)
Flake Food (3 Days a week)

I was told by a few that I did not need to target feed.

Thank you for any help.

[Woodstock]

I sounds to me like it is getting burned from your lights. Your nano cube is not very deep and all and with a 150 watt HQI @ 15k it is receiving a lot more intensity than it was.

I suggest either adding several screens between the light and the water and then removing one screen per week over several weeks.... or reducing the photo period way back and slowly increasing it over the next 6-8 weeks.

[Clownboy]

Right now I am running my lights 10 hrs a day. How much should I cut them back.

[Woodstock]

I would burn them 4 hrs... then add one hr every 5 days.

[Clownboy]

Should I target feed it as well.

[Woodstock]

I feed mine... but yours may not feel like eating? Try it... a small piece of shrimp. I feed mine in the morning when it has it's sticky feeder tenticles out.

[Clownboy]

I moved the brain away from the light and a little in to the shade. I am also ging to cut back a little as well. I am also going to feed him in the morning.

Thanks for the help.

[Woodstock]

Sounds good... Keep us posted!

[Clownboy]

Well, he now sits a little more away from the lights and he may even get a little shade. I also fed it this morning and it seemed to eat the piece of shrimp. It has 2 mouths, should I feed both?

I have also cut my lighting back from 10 hrs to 8 hrs for just a little while to see if it can better adjust.

[Woodstock]

Sure. Feed both. You could also alternate feeding them.

[cecilio]

hi woodstock
what is the best way to feed shrimp to a open brain coral?

[Woodstock]

Chop the shrimp into tiny pieces. Feed the brain when its feeding tenticles are extended (usually late at night/early morning). If you have any shirmps, make sure to feed them well first or they will steal the brain's food.

[Witfull]

steal the brain's food

i just have to laugh,,,i dont know why,,,but i do,,,out of context humor~