Sick Open Brain

[runway1]

I have a small (1"-1.5" diameter) open brain that was doing great. Early this week, one side of its lobe began to shrivel and now I think he's dead.

Any suggestions as to what may have happened? Thanks.

More detail about the tank, chemistry and the brain corals "neighbours" if any... Fish other than the chromis?

If you have a pic you can post close up and of the general placement area, that will help.

Cheers
Steve

[midiman]

I have a new brain, too (HA HA), and it has not fully opened. Maybe I don't understand brains (I'm in the midst of the Borneman book right now), but I can see too many of the ridges of the coral skeleton for my tastes. Shouldn't it be "plump" when it's fully open? Are the ridges that radiate out from the center normally visible, or covered in flesh?

I notice that, at night, a ring aroung the center seems to curl up , exposing more fleahy material underneath- feeder tentacles?

[runway1]

I have a 55 [acronym:b9e18fa298="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:b9e18fa298] with mushrooms, some gold polyps of some kind (forgot), orange sponge, 6-line wrasse, LT-plate coral, 3 chromis, o-clown, blenny, cleaning crew.

Chemistry is about 20 [acronym:b9e18fa298="Parts per Million"]ppm[/acronym:b9e18fa298] nitrates, 450/460 [acronym:b9e18fa298="Calcium"]Ca[/acronym:b9e18fa298], 14 kH, 8.3/8.4 pH, [acronym:b9e18fa298="Specific gravity"]SG[/acronym:b9e18fa298] was a bit high at 1.029. Lowered now to 1.026

I did notice that my 6-line pecked at it a bit but I though that was after it died. Dunno. Nitrates were at 15 and have floated up to 20+. Not sure why

[Phyl]

How long have you had it, what kind of lights do you have and what do you feed it?

I've had mine under [acronym:09a17dfeaf="Power compact fluorescent"]PC[/acronym:09a17dfeaf] since mid-February. It seemed to be doing ok and then just started opening less and less. At feeding time my tang and clown are voracious and no matter how much food is in the water column they've always stolen whatever I put on the brain. I knew it wasn't doing so well so I took a small plastic container put some flow holes in it and a feeder hole in the top. I put that over the brain and anchor it with a rock and then used a turkey baster to blow the food onto the brain. The day after feeding the brain usually swells up bigger than the day before. It seems to be helping to feed it.

I also finally got my [acronym:09a17dfeaf="Metal halide light"]MH[/acronym:09a17dfeaf] bulbs back from coralvu and have been running my [acronym:09a17dfeaf="Metal halide light"]MH[/acronym:09a17dfeaf] for an hour or so a day. I haven't seen anything that I could directly relate to the [acronym:09a17dfeaf="Metal halide light"]MH[/acronym:09a17dfeaf] but I figure it has to help!

Maybe yours is hungry too? Good luck.

[runway1]

Maybe it wasn't eating enough, hummm. I have dual 175 [acronym:9434095d2b="Metal halide light"]MH[/acronym:9434095d2b] on my 55 [acronym:9434095d2b="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:9434095d2b] for about 7 hours. For 6 hours prior and 2 hours after, I run two 40 watt [acronym:9434095d2b="Normal Output Fluorescents"]NO[/acronym:9434095d2b]'s.

[Phyl]

How often were you feeding it?

[midiman]

Just fed my brain. I turned off the flow and dropped mysis shrimp and some mixed flakes, etc, soaked in water to soften them up. HArd to tell if it ate anyting under the moonlights.

No such problem with my bubble, though. Bubble corals are SCARY at night !!!!

[runway1]

I feed once daily. Mysis or brine. But considering his small size (about 1.5" diameter) and the water flow (I don't turn it off) I guess he may have missed most all of it. I have a clown, blenny and 3 chromis that can scoop it up pretty quick.

Although, I add DT plankton as well. Shouldn't that help with his feeding?

[Phyl]

If you're just feeding your tank and not target feeding the brain he's probably not getting much, if anything. While they may be able to eat the DTs I've read that they like meaty foods. I feed mine chopped krill though I've heard people say that they feed them silversides.

Brine is junk food for fish. You should try to phase that out in favor of some formula 1 or prime reef.

You could always try target feeding and see how he responds. How's he looking these days?