Open Brain not doing well! Pls Help. Poisoning, starving, reading    12/31/09 Hello Crew, <Justin> I got a open brain that has not expanded or shown it's feeding tentacles in over a week. <Mmmm> This all started when I added my normal C-balance 2 part solution to my 90g Tank. <How added? I hope trust as dissolved via new water added as during a water change> As soon as I added the KH part, it immediately closed up and been that way since. <Please see WWM re supplement use... start here: http://wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm> It's mouth has receded a little bit and has yet to allow itself to feed. It's not getting bad, nor is it getting better. I normally feed once a week, <... and Trachyphyllia re Feeding: http://wetwebmedia.com/trachyfdgfaqs.htm need to be fed more often than this...> either freeze dried krill or a piece of frozen shrimp. <...> My water conditions are: 0-ammonia, 0-Nitrate, <An essential nutrient...> 0-Nitrite, PH 8.3, Calcium 420ppm, KH 176-196.9ppm range, Temp 80-81*F, Salinity .025. The tank is a 90g with 2x 250MH 14000k, and 2 VHO actinics. I had him placed in the sand bed, but recently moved him under my frag rack. Assuming the reduced light may help him out. On Saturday Night I gave him a Reef Dip and a strange Black worm and Bristle worm came off of him. Also, I saw one of my Peppermint Shrimps picking at his mouth the other night, so looks like I will have to cover him at night. <Maybe...> What else can I do to get him back to his normal state? <Better water quality, feeding likely> I've tried multiple forums with no resolution! Any advice or help in this matter to cure my brain is greatly appreciate. He's my favorite piece!!!!!! Pls look at attached pics! Thanks in advance !!! -Justin <Please read the above citation areas and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Re: Open Brain not doing well! Pls Help/Thanks!!   12/31/08 Hello Crew, > <Justin> Hey Bob, Thanks for responding back so quickly!!!! <<Welcome>> > I got a open brain that has not expanded or shown it's feeding tentacles in over a week. ><Mmmm>I know! Too Strange, but he seems to be getting better IMO! <<Ah, good>> > This all started when I added my normal C-balance 2 part solution to my 90g Tank. > <How added? I hope trust as dissolved via new water added as during a water change>No! I added to water stream from my return pump. Did not know I could add during water change. I use Reef Crystals, so did not want to overdue the Calcium and KH. <<Best to pre-mix the water, store for days, a week... and add supplements then... or blend slowly, well in a sump...>> > As soon as I added the KH part, it immediately closed up and been that way since. > <Please see WWM re supplement use... start here: > http://wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm> Thanks for the info! <<Welcome>> > It's mouth has receded a little bit and has yet to allow itself to feed. > It's not getting bad, nor is it getting better. I normally feed once a week, > <... and Trachyphyllia re Feeding: > http://wetwebmedia.com/trachyfdgfaqs.htm > need to be fed more often than this...>Ok! Is freeze dried shrimp good or  bad? <<Read on!>> either freeze dried krill or a piece of frozen shrimp. > <...> > My water conditions are: 0-ammonia, 0-Nitrate, > <An essential nutrient...> Good! I try to keep the water clean! <<Still, some nitrate presence is necessary>> > 0-Nitrite, PH 8.3, Calcium 420ppm, KH 176-196.9ppm range, Temp 80-81*F, Salinity .025. The tank is a 90g with 2x 250MH 14000k, and 2 VHO actinics. > I had him placed in the sand bed, but recently moved him under my frag rack. Assuming the reduced light may help him out. On Saturday Night I  gave him a Reef Dip and a strange Black worm and Bristle worm came off of him. > Also, I saw one of my Peppermint Shrimps picking at his mouth the other night, so looks like I will have to cover him at night. > <Maybe...> The cover has worked out so far. Got multiple holes in it to allow flow. <<Good>> > What else can I do to get him back to his normal state? > <Better water quality, feeding likely>Based upon the water parameters I noted, is there anything that is off? Will feed more often! <<Need some NO3... I would remove part or give up on whatever chemical filtrant use you have going...>> > I've tried multiple forums with no resolution! Any advice or help in this matter to cure my brain is greatly appreciate. He's my favorite piece!!!!!! > Pls look at attached pics! > Thanks in advance !!! > -Justin > <Please read the above citation areas and the linked files above. Bob Fenner> Thanks for the help Bob. Happy New Year!! Wish my Brain luck!! :) <<Mine too! D'oh!!! BobF>> Re: Open Brain not doing well! Pls Help/Thanks!!  1/4/09 Hey Bob and Crew, <Hello again Justin> The Trachy is making an awesome recovery. <Ah, good!> Even though his mouth is recovering, he can still eat from what I can see. How often shall I feed him to speed up his recovery??? <See WWM... two, three times per week> And Peppermint shrimp are they really safe with these types of "fleshy" corals? <Usually, yes> I ask cause I've seen them steal and eat from the mouth of this Trachy and I suspect them in aiding into his decline the past couple of weeks. Shall I pull them out of the tank??? <Or screen him out for now... like with an all plastic colander or "berry basket" turned over the specimen> Thanks for all the help! Justin L. <Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Open Brain Coral Help, hlth.  11/30/08
Hello Crew,
I'm hoping you can give me some advice on making my green open brain coral happy again. When I first purchased it it would fully open and would look like this.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KAYesZ3Ldi9SVZzRSl5a6w
After a few months (beginning of summer) it stopped opening but continued to live. During this time my nitrates went through the roof, 50 mg/L. Here is the most it will expand now.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/EzTBpRzNs-nVvkTHzmCEhw
When completely closed it looks like this
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/HEJB1__C8iAbesZGeISA5Q
First of all can you confirm that this is an Open Brain coral?
<The common name "open brain coral" can be used for different species... Lobophyllia, Symphyllia, Trachyphylliidae, etc.
See here:
http://www.asira.org/lobophylliasymphylliaothermussideans
http://www.asira.org/trachyphylliidae >
Perhaps the person at the LFS was incorrect. I've seen other open brains before but these had a skeleton that ran around the perimeter of the coral.
This specimen has ridges with individual polyps with mouths between the ridges. I have also never seen this specimen put out sweeper tentacles.
When the coral first stopped opening I thought it was because my Ocellaris clown was hosting it.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hPndSXqGFGsEF4m-8dREQA It has since stopped doing. I do see my yellow tang occasionally picking at it as if there is something growing on it. It doesn't remove any flesh from it as far as I can tell.
<The fish was/is likely picking of pods or other snacks on the coral...>
Here is what I have done so far:
1. Installed a refugium with a deep sand bed and also included Chaeto algae. Nitrates dropped to 10 mg/L one month ago. They are now at 0.5 mg/L and still dropping as measured with a Salifert kit. <very good>
2. Replaced my PC fluorescent bulbs one month ago (260W total 2 10,000K bulbs and 2 actinic bulbs). They had been installed for about a year. I also added some supplemental lighting using 4 6500K spiral compact fluorescent bulbs (100W total).
3. I lowered my temperature from 79 degF to 75 degF over the course of the last three weeks.
<Bad idea... corals should be in water at about 80 to 82F>
I remembered that at the beginning of the summer I raised the tank temp to 79 degF because I realized that the water temp was fluctuating with the room temp during the day when the house was getting hot. Perhaps it didn't like the higher temp. Lowering the temperature seems to have made some improvement. It expands a little but never fully anymore.
All my other inverts are doing great. My Pom-pom Xenia pulses like crazy and is spreading like a weed. I have Star Polyps, Frogspawn and Tooth Coral that are also growing and spreading. My green bubble tip anemone which was shrinking before replacing the bulbs is now growing again.
Here are my tank parameters:
72 gallon with apx 80 lbs live rock
Tank age: 13 months
Nitrate: 0.5 mg/L <Try to lower this if you can.>
pH: 8.1
Alkalinity: 2.5
Calcium: 420
Temp: 75 degF
Specific Gravity: 1.024 <SG of 1.025 to 1.026 would be better for the coral.>
Any advice you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
<Do you have a lid on this tank? If so, take it off. Other than that, I would recommend some activated carbon filtration. Also, try target feeding the coral at night (after lights out). Turn the pumps off for about an hour. Do this daily for a week or so and see if this doesn't help improve the coral's extension.>
Thanks,
Paul
<Good luck,
Sara M.>

There's a crab living in my brain! 11/26/08 Crew - In the picture below you will see my green open brain (Trachyphyllia geoffroyi) coral that I've had for about a year now. As will see there is a very dark, black in fact, spot on the tissue of the brain. In the center, if you look real close, you will see a raised almost circular disk. That "disk" if you will is the shell of a very small what I presume to be hermit crab (I can actually see tiny claws emerge from behind the disk when I feed the brain!). <Mmm, not likely a "Hermit", but other animal... perhaps a Squat Lobster: http://wetwebmedia.com/galatheids.htm> The crab has inhabited the brain since I purchased the coral but at that point I had no clue that it'd be a crab actually living within the tissue of the animal as I thought the disk to be a natural part of the coral (it was not black when I bought the animal). Ok, so where do go from here? <"Which is the way to beer?"> I can tell you that the coral does not appear to be stressed (but who really knows) about the ordeal but I have to imagine that there could be a down side here at some point. Or maybe I am wrong and there is a natural symbiotic relationship between the two living beings and life goes on. <This is the route I would go> So, there you have it; your response much appreciated for sure. [IMG]http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p151/gdevine_photo/OpenBrainwithHerm it.jpg[/IMG] <There are many types and degrees of "living together"... that can be more deleterious to the host than what one might desire... But in this case... you've had both of these animals for "about a year now"... I'd keep both and enjoy them... Perhaps the Galatheid "does things" for the Trachyphylliid... keeps out other, more harmful predators perchance. Bob Fenner>

Bleaching Open Brain - 6/29/08
Hey
<Hello>
I just started with my corals and as a common beginner mistake, I believe I photoshocked my open brain coral. This is evident by the excretion of goo like substance, most probably the symbiotic zooxanthellae. I was wondering if the coral can recover from this or would I have to watch it waste away? Any remedies?
<If this coral has bleached it will need very clean water and extra feeding while it adjusts to the new light and regrows symbionts. Feeding small pieces of squid, fish, or shrimp when the tentacles are out will keep this coral alive until the algae return. Benjamin>

Help with my Brain…(he means the one in his tank)  4/1/08
Hello!
<<What’s up Rob?>>
I have a 65 gallon (love this size!) tank with a built in overflow. The overflow has a 1" drain and a 3/4" return. (MegaFlow my a$#) They both are used as drains, the 3/4" goes to my refugium. It is a 30 gallon rubber tub with 4" live sand and Chaeto that completely fills it! The 1 1/2" bulkhead drains from this refugium into a ten or so gallon area that houses a diy skimmer (very pleased with it!), heaters and carbon. This area also receives the water from the 1" overflow on the main tank. Water is then run back to the tank via a "little giant mdc-x" I believe. It is rated 1100 per hour. Water is run into a 1" PVC closed loop with four 1/2" outputs that were heated and squeezed at the ends.
<<Sounds like a well thought out and planned closed system.>>
Main tank; 1/2" to an inch of crushed coral
104#s of live rock
No fish,
<<An interesting and admirable approach I might add.>>
three fingers, a green toadstool, a red and teal open brain and a couple mushrooms. All up and running for over a year. The tank is lit by two 175 watt bulbs, one 10k and the other 20k. The refugium is on reverse light cycle and is lit by two 65 watt 12k PC's.
Water;
nitrite and ammonia-0
nitrate-0-.5
pH-8.2
Alk- 13dkh
calcium-ran out of the tests.. oops was around 450
temp fluctuates between 77 and 80
<<Temp fluctuates a little too much for my tastes but otherwise sounds very good.>>
I have no algae problems and everything is quite stable. I prefer light stocking, although I want to add more a little at a time.
Okay, several questions! My open brain has bad tissue loss, it has reached one of its mouths! I admit, I have been on the road a lot lately and have neglected my duty a bit. There were probably times where it was fed only once a week, maybe less! I know. its not fair to the animals! It still eats, in fact I am still able to feed the mouth that is reduced to half its former glory. I am feeding fresh gulf shrimp and clam. I will feed it as often as it will eat until it hopefully recovers. It gets light only from the 20k bulb, shaded from the 10k. I cant imagine this is too much light, the tank is two feet deep and it doesn't expand to the point that makes me think its reaching for light. It gets just enough current to gently move the flesh now and again. I am adding iodide daily. Should I increase flow, lighting...anything?
<<Honestly it sounds like you are on the right track, I wouldn’t change much if anything….just be as consistent you can.>>>
My water seems fine, I am back to weekly 5 to ten gallon water changes. I use instant ocean aged for at least two or three days. Only R.O. water is
used for mixing salt and my top off unit. The top off water is buffered before use.
Another question! I have not noticed much growth in my coral over the past year. I feed my refugium weekly with some flakes or scraps from the food cuttings for the brain. It is full of little white stars and Amphi/cope pods! I have baby snails (Margarita) coming out of my...and there is good Coralline growth. Is there a need to house a small fish or two for nutrients or something?
<<A need to? No…would it hurt, I don’t think so…as long as you made the right choice. It does sound as if your cnidarians could be a little nutrient deprived though, a little extra feeding would certainly not hurt.>>
Other than the feeding the fuge and the brain, I add no other foods.
<<Google, Eric H. Borneman coral feeding re: this.>>
I do not get it! I have noticed that when I turn my Chaeto over and the tank clouds up a little, that the little hard tubes on my live rock shoot out what look to be old dusty spider webs. It makes me want to stick a feather duster in there and clean it out! I think I know the answer, but just to be safe, could these little guys irritate my coral?
<<No, harmless.>>
I really appreciate your role in this hobby, you are all a great source of help!
<<You are on the right track, keep going…good luck.>>
Thank you!
Rob
<<Adam J.>>

Brain Coral Damage, supplement use    3/3/08
Hello,
<Greg>
I recently made the mistake of adding some powdered pH buffer (Sea Buffer by Aquarium Systems) directly to my tank.
<Such supplements should be added to and through water change water... dissolved...>
Found out the open brain coral did not like this at all.? It began secreting a lot of clear mucous.? I think some of the powder probably touched the coral before dissolving.? I removed as much slime as possible and waited to see if the coral recovered.? The slime production stopped and the coral re-opened.? However, after a week or so I noticed a small part of the coral was not opening fully.? There is a small (< 1/4") area that has developed a whitish patch with something sloughing off.? Coral continues to open daily (except for damaged area) and everything else appears normal.? I am thinking some type of infection has taken hold in this area.? Is this coral toast from the pH buffer contact or is there some chance the tissue will heal??
<The latter... with good care, time...>
Anything I can do to help the tissue heal?? Lastly, how and when will I know if this is a no win situation and I need to removal the coral before polluting the tank.
Thanks,
Greg
<Iodine/ate, improved feeding... See WWM re. Bob Fenner>

Open Brain Coral... ID, hlth...  2/25/08
Greetings WWM,
<<G'Morning. Andrew today>>
I have acquired and open brain coral, I stuck him on the bottom of the tank in the substrate and he was all closed up and now he has puffed up like a balloon is this normal? My water perimeters are great any suggestions? Thanks from Colorado
<<Species of coral? Would always prefer to know you exact water parameters.
<<Sometimes, yes this is normal for an open brain to bloat up as its creating more surface area for feeding. Maybe provide a photograph to enable us to better look at the coral>>
<<Hope this helps. A Nixon>>

Return Pump Flow--How Much Is Too Much? – 02/18/08
Greetings WWM Crew,
<<Hello Bill>>
Here is my situation. I have an AGA 180-gallon RR tank with the 'MegaFlow' system--sort of.
<<Mmm…>>
The ¾-inch return is now 1-inch, and the drains are 1 ¼-inch instead of 1-inch. The 'MegaFlows' have been replaced with Durso's.
<<I see… I do hope this means you increased the size of the holes/bulkheads in the tank…not just an upsizing of the pipe>>
I drilled out the 'teeth' in the overflows and siliconed black plastic gutter guard in its place. My tank has an Ocean-Motions 4 way Closed-loop plumbed according to Paul's suggestion. This all drains in to an 85-gallon 'fuge,
<<Sweet>>
and then to a 90-gallon sump.
<<Really sweet>>
My skimmer is in the sump. The return I was using was a Mag 1800, and up until last Tuesday it worked fine--then BAMM.
<<Hate it when that happens… I have used these and do think the Mag-Drive pumps usually serve pretty well, for the money…but I made the “switch” to Ocean-Runner a while back and have been very pleased with the result…and when/if you can get them big enough, Eheim is even better>>
A friend of mine that owns/runs an LFS said he had a 'new' (used for 5 minutes) pump he would sell me, so OK, I'm good to go right. The pump is an Eco-Plus rated at 4950gph.
<<Yikes! Much too much flow for your overflows…or are we talking “closed-loop” here?>>
New plumbing was done--ball valve etc., etc., and I turned the pump on--(now don't get ahead of me, I know what you are thinking--but the ball valve WAS turned to 1/2 to start)
<<Mmm…okay…>>
Oh, I forgot--I installed a "Calfo Manifold" around the top of the tank in 1 inch PVC in place of the double returns already in use.
<<Very nice>>
I'm figuring my flow at about 3800 to 4000 gph--just from the return.
<<Not with “two 1 ¼-inch drain bulkheads” my friend (would only safely drain about 1000gph en toto). I must assume this is a closed-loop>>
With the 1-inch return manifold--it has 12 outlets around the top—I can turn the valve to 3/4 open with no problem. With ½-inch reducers in the outlets, and with capped 45 degree pieces drilled with a small hole attached, I can open the valve all the way, without overflowing the tank.
<<Okay, this “must” be a true closed-loop then…no way you would be running this much water through your sump/through two 1 ¼-inch gravity drain lines>>
I also have 2 Koralia #4--1200gph each in the rear corners. My 'buddy' at the LFS says it can never be enough flow. Is this too much flow ?????
Thanks in advance,
Bill Fletcher
<<Well Bill, that depends much on your livestock’s requirements/placement and how this flow is “arranged” in the tank. A common rule-of-thumb for marine systems is to have a water-flow rate of at least ten-times the tank’s stated volume. For your tank of course that would be 1800gph. I have heard of some hobbyists with flow rates of 50-times and more their tank’s volume. I believe “lots of flow” is very beneficial if applied properly…my own tank boasts more than 30-times the tank volume in water flow. I also believe the majority of hobbyists “don’t have enough” flow in their tanks. So to answer your question…if the animals in your system are not having their flesh blasted from them…if the animals in your system exhibit health and vigor, and the corals are not “closed-up” all the time as a result of the flow…then no, this is not too much flow. Regards, Eric Russell>>

Re: Return Pump Flow--How Much Is Too Much? - 02/19/08
THANKS for the reply Eric.
<<Happy to assist, Bill>>
To start, the pump in question IS the tank return pump. On my OM 4 way, I have a DART.
<<Ah, thank you for the clarification. I must say I think either there is something I have missed, or the pump is encountering a “bunch” of headloss as there is no way two 1¼” gravity drains handling the flow volume you mention (4,000gph+)>>
Each return has 6 one inch "T"s around the top of the tank, into which a 1" to 1/2 " reducer is placed, with a 45 degree PVC piece placed into that, and then capped and drilled with a small, not real small, hole drilled in the end.
<<So…the water is returned to the tank via these small holes in the caps? Well, that would explain how the drains can handle the flow with the valve from the pump wide-open (the “holes” are GREATLY restricting water flow)>>
This allows me to swivel the 45's left or right, and raise or lower the "T"s as needed. The drain and return tank bulkheads were re-drilled to accommodate the tubing upgrades.
<<Excellent…too bad you just didn’t go a little larger on the drains [grin]>>
I did forget to add/state that ALL plumbing is in the basement which is just behind the wall that the tank sits in front of.
<<Cool…does make plumbing/dealing with some associated hassles a bit easier>>
As of now, everybody--all the animals in the tank--- appear to be doing very well--I did tweak the 'nozzles' initially so as not to blast anybody--so all is well.
<<Very good>>
THANKS again for ALL you do for us in the hobby--where would we be without your help and knowledge.
Bill
<<Rewarding and encouraging to read…We are pleased to be of service. EricR>>