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FAQs about Trachyphylliid Coral Disease/Health,
Parasites, Pests 2 Related Articles: Trachyphylliid Corals,
Trachyphyllia Reproduction Report,
Related FAQs: Trachyphyllia
Disease 1, Open Brain Coral
1, Open Brain Coral 2,
Trachyphylliid Identification,
Trachyphylliid Behavior,
Trachyphylliid Selection,
Trachyphylliid Compatibility,
Trachyphylliid Feeding,
Trachyphylliid Systems,
Trachyphylliid Reproduction,
Stony Corals, Stonies
2, Stonies 3, LPS
Stony Corals, Coral System Set-Up, Coral
System Lighting, Stony Coral Selection, Coral
Placement, Foods/Feeding/Nutrition,
Disease/Health, Propagation, Stony
Coral Behavior,
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Trachyphyllia Health Question/Help
7/9/08
Dear Crew,
<Mike Maddox here with you this afternoon>
I have a Trachyphyllia geoffroyi (sold to me as a Wellsophyllia) that
I've had for about 8 months.
<Cool corals>
I fear that it has started to deteriorate and/or die.
<Hardy specimens as a rule, just need lots of food>
When I first purchased it, it was beautiful - red and tan striped and
always puffed up at night with very sticky tentacles out and ready for
food. It has slowly started to fade - its red coloration is now very
faded, and it looks very retracted most of the time (I can see the
ridges of its skeleton through its flesh), although it does puff up a
bit at night. I have been feeding each "mouth" pieces of silverside
soaked in Selcon about once per week, and I also squirt Cyclop-eeze
around it with a turkey baster when I'm feeding my Capnella.
Unfortunately, however, my Cleaner Shrimps tend to sneak in while I'm
not looking and steal the silversides. From time to time, I have tried
to cover the Open Brain to protect its food, but, and I'm sorry to say,
I know I've fallen down on the job with this coral and not paid enough
attention to ensure that it is healthy. I take the blame for its demise
but I am committed to bringing this animal back from the dead. More
troubling, however, is that I noticed last night that a portion of its
skeleton is showing and there is some tissue recession. My Copper Band
Butterfly was picking at this area. I immediately got it out of my tank
(a 110g), dabbed the exposed skeleton/tissue with Lugol's, and placed it
in my 30g cube with no shrimps (other than a Pistol Shrimp - the water
parameters between my two tanks are pretty much identical).
I then fed each of its 3 mouths a piece of Selcon-soaked silverside, and
it did eat them. This morning when I checked on it, it had puffed up
nicely, as it used to do after a nice meal. The lighting in my 110g is
2x250W HQI (14,000K).
<Waaay too much lighting for this species! It's depressingly common for
aquarists (especially for the "fad" aquarists frequenting RC and the
like - those types literally put halides on their nano tanks!) to
greatly 'over-light' their reef tanks these days. This is an "LPS" coral
that in the wild lives on sandy bottoms in less-than-clear water> The
lighting in my 30g (which is 17" or 18" deep, but I have
a 4" DSB) is 2 x 10,000K 24W HO T5s and 2 x 420nm 24W T5s.
<Much more appropriate lighting for this coral. I normally would warn
you against moving an already deteriorating animal, but in this case I
think it's a good thing>
I know this is probably not enough light for this coral, but I would
rather it be in the 30g until it can recover.
<Sounds like the ideal environment, actually - I'd keep it there
permanently>
My plan is to feed this coral every night with Selcon-soaked
silversides. Is there anything else I can do to help it recover?
<Feed every day, and introduce a bit of variety as well. Any minced,
meaty seafood will work. Once it's recovered (and it likely will) feed
3x a week>
Once it recovers, I am considering trading it back to my LFS because I
don't want to keep it in my 30g and I think my 110g is just not
hospitable.
<You're right about the 110 not being ideal>
As always, thank you for your help.
<Anytime>
Andy
<M. Maddox>
Re: Trachyphyllia Health
Question/Help 7/9/08
Mike, thanks for the quick response.
<Gone back studying. BobF here>
Just for the record, the Open Brain was positioned in a relatively
shaded area of my tank, not directly under either of the halides. My
tank is 30" deep, and the lights sit up another 6 or 7".
<Mmm, I would position this animal/colony more in direct light at this
depth>
I would love to keep this coral once it recovers, but it is just too big
for my little 30g. Moreover, I have a Yellow Watchman Goby/Pistol Shrimp
and a Pearly Jawfish in the 30g,
which are constantly reorganizing things and tossing sand everywhere.
Would that irritate the coral?
Andy
<Possibly so... Perhaps it can be set up a bit higher, raised on a bowl
shaped rock, above the bottom a few inches. Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/trachysysfaqs.htm
and the linked files above.
Bob Fenner>
Trachyphyllia geoffroyi - Follow Up for Mike M./Bob F
7/12/08
Hey Crew. I always like to update you guys/gals on issues
with which you've helped me. Unfortunately, I've deleted the
correspondence that I sent/received last week and can't for the
life of me find it on WWM by searching, so I apologize . . .
Hopefully, you remember that I wrote to WWM about my Open Brain
that wasn't doing so well in my 110g under 500W of HQI. It was
shriveled and had some tissue recession--my Copper Band
Butterfly was picking at it. I moved it to my 30g tank with
2x24W 10,000K and 2x420nm T5s. Mike Maddox/Bob F answered some
questions for me. Anyway . . I've been feeding it silversides
and/or raw oyster soaked in Selcon every night, and wouldn't you
know it . . . the injured portion of the Open Brain has healed
and the coral looks better than it has ever looked (other than
the bleached color). It opens up way more than it ever did in my
110g. What a difference 5 days, attention and good conditions
can make . . . I've attached a picture of what it looks like
now. I wish I had a picture of the "before" so you could see the
difference. Thanks for your guidance. I think I'm going to keep
this animal in my 30g even though it takes up a lot of space--I
hope to bring back it's beautiful red/brown coloration.
Cheers!
Andy
<Ahh! Thank you for this follow-up. Congratulations on your
success. BobF> |
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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 an Open Brain, allelopathy
likely 6/18/08
Hello WWM Crew!
<Mike>
I have a 14G Oceanic Bio-Cube. It's been an amazing tank, and I have
been fortunate enough to have had minimal problems with it. In fact,
it's been a dream tank for the most part. In the tank:
1 Clownfish
1 6 Line Wrasse
<... needs more room than this>
1 Cleaner Shrimp
Hermits
2 Cerith Snails
3 margarita snails
Some Green Mushrooms
Purple Mushrooms
Pipe Organ Coral
Leather Coral
<... ditto>
Open Brain Coral
<... the loser here>
(I'm upgrading to a new 34 gallon Solana Aquarium in July with MH
lights!
http://www.current-usa.com/solana.html )
<Oh! Much better!>
My tank seemed to take a turn for the worse in the spring. It's been
perfect for years and then something just seemed to happen. My frogspawn
started splitting, which was amazing to watch.
<But due to what prompting? Stress?>
until pieces started rotting and falling off.
<Ah, yes>
I tried hard to save it, but no avail. My Pipe Organ coral also started
to have some problems (and from what I hear that is a good indication of
poor water quality).
<Mmm, can be... in this case, allelopathy>
So I increased my water changes, and made sure to diligently test the
water.
<Good moves>
Small changes, multiple times a week and a 30% water change at the end
of every month. Readings have been perfect. When things didn't get
better I took samples to my LFS, hoping they would find something, and
they have confirmed near perfect water quality. Only one thing out of
whack, I do have high calcium. around 500 but they said it wasn't
harmful. Is that true?
<Likely so... as long as you have adequate alkalinity, magnesium...>
The Pipe Organ is doing better, the Mushrooms, Leather Coral, and
various frags are doing amazing (but they are hearty to begin with). My
problem, is with my beautiful open brain coral (image attached).
<I see>
I read through the forums and have some ideas to implement. The image I
have attached shows something I haven't been able to find on your site.
in the middle of the brain coral, between the mouth and the mantle,
there are 4 pieces of skeleton that are black in color. What is that!?
<Algal et al. opportunistic growth on damaged, dying tissue living on
septal teeth>
As you can see, the open brain is slowly receding, making parts of the
skeleton around the circumference visible. I read on the forums that in
this state, the brains won't be able to survive on photosynthesis and
normal feeding (I feed the system with a Phytoplankton twice a week),
<... most everything here doesn't eat such>
so now whenever the mouth is open I target feed it. It seems to react
positively.
The mouth eventually closes, and the coral puffs up. And when I say
puffs up I mean puffs up. It inflates like a balloon. And then next day
it seems to recede a bit more (or so it appears). When it puffs up the
black pieces are not visible. It was recommended to me that I add a
Strontium supplement into my routine, but it doesn't seem to be doing
much. I also supplement with Iodine once a week for the shrimp.
<Good>
You will also see some algae growing on the exposed skeleton. I read
something about Boring Green Algae or something like that, but it didn't
seem to fit. Thoughts?
<... secondary>
To complicate the matters, my Clownfish , even with a nice big frogspawn
and leather coral, has hosted in the brain coral (and has for years).
They seem to be fine with one another. In this state though, I'm afraid
he is hindering the healing of the brain. At times he can be found,
"splashing and rolling around in it" . He gets very aggressive to others
that come near it, flipping over snails and such. I think he may have
ushered a few of them into the brain while trying to get them away.
Perhaps that started the downward spiral?
<Possibly>
So, there it is. The only other thing I can think of that has changed is
that I had to purchase a new type of salt. I have religiously used
Instant Ocean, but recently had to switch to KENT (which is apparently
supposed to be better for corals). Would that have made a difference? As
for suggested ways to fix it, I have been given the following advice so
far:
<I'd switch back>
1) Someone suggested that I put a cube of shrimp or worms in the center
and then cover the brain with a clear glass cup. Seems strange to me,
but your thoughts?
<Nah>
2) Someone also suggested I try scraping off any algae on the skeleton,
and scrape the dark stuff away. but I'm worried that will do more harm
than good.
<Correct>
3) Freshwater Dip - but then I heard that it would just rupture the
cells that are left
<Nope>
4) Quarantine it
<Moving it period is the route to go>
What would you recommend and not recommend? At my wit's end here, any
help would be appreciated.
wit
Thanks again for all your help. You have a tremendous site, and a great
group of talented people. Don't know what we would do without you!
Thanks,
Mike
<Hurry along that new tank and read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/cnidcompppt.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
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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>>
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Open Brain Coral Question,
overly lit hlth. ish 2-18-06
Hey sorry to bother you.
<No worries>
I've just recently picked up a 250w MH ballast and XM 10000k bulb for my 75g
tank.
<A little bright there - shallow water 'sps'?>
I now have a few open brains.. one of them seems to be "droopy" like.
<Guess not - your lighting is excessive for 'LPS' corals, I would seriously
consider downgrading. Regardless of popular opinion, throwing high wattage
halides over everything is simply not necessary, with the exception of a few
species of course>
It is a metallic green open brain. It expands during the day and opens up at
night to feed...but when it expands during the day it seems really thinned out
and the on side of it seems to hang down (left side in photo). Could this be a
light problem?
<Sure - especially if it wasn't doing this before the upgrade, and all water
parameters are nominal>
Water is great I test almost everything except iodine.
<Numbers are usually requested, but okay>
I think I bought it from underneath a few T5's. I had brought it home and sat it
in the substrate off to the side for about a week before moving it more towards
the center. Could I have moved it into intense light too fast?
<Yes, and yes, and it may never acclimate to the brighter lighting, or if it
does, it may not open as far as it did>
I fed it for the first time after 2 weeks of having it. Could this be a hunger
thing?
<Possibly, but not as likely, though you should have fed it sooner. I recommend
feeding more often - twice a week should suffice>
I bought some shrimp, successfully fed it and haven't noticed any change in
appearance.
Everything else in my tank is doing great. Could you shoot me any advice? Like
moving it to a new location, or is this coral dying on me?
<From the picture, I'd say nothing is wrong with the coral - but you are going
to know better than I am, as you see it every day. I'd say if anything, the
lighting is too intense>
Also it is in not heavy but moderate water flow. Could this be a problem?
<Doubtfully>
Thanks a lot guys.
<Sure thing - when emailing us in the future, please make sure to use correct
spelling, capitalization, and punctuation>
Jason
<M. Maddox>
Open Brain Coral Question
Part Deuce 2-19-06
Good morning.
<For those of us without chem lab, yep ;)>
Thank you for the quick response.
<Sure>
You say I should downgrade my light set-up? I cannot do that, but I was
wondering...is there any way I could block some of the light intensity by using
typical black screen in between it and the water? Would this work or is it a
long shot?
<It would work fine - window screens work wonders in this situation. However,
unless you're keeping animals that require that much light, why not sell/return
your lights and get a 175w setup, or T5's? Cheaper, less electricity/heat, etc>
I really have no way to move and mount the light anywhere else. It is where it
is.
Another thing, what if I were to buy a 15000k or 20000k bulb instead ( I hate
the colour of my 10000k neways )? Probably wont make any difference will it?
<It will, actually - the farther you move from the ~5500-6500k range the less
photoactive radiation (PAR) there is going to be, and wavelength intensity
decreases as well, if I remember correctly>
Any overall suggestions on killing off some of the intensity from the light?
<See above>
Jason
<M. Maddox> |
Bubbles in Open Brain
1/3/08
Hello WWM Crew,
<Paul>
I recently purchased an open brain from my LFS. I acclimated and placed
it in QT, temperature is 80 degrees and salinity is 1.026.
<Good>
During QT I spot fed with Mysid, one piece of which had a small air
bubble attached. A few days later I noticed what looked like 2 small
air bubbles under the tissue near one of the mouths of the open brain.
<Mmmm>
However, it disappeared a few days later, upon which I placed into a
separate stand alone refugium. This is lit with a 100W daylight CLF
bulb. It expanded normally and was doing fine until I did a large 50%
water change. The NSW was at a salinity of 1.026 at approx 80 Degrees F.
However, during the water change I thoroughly covered the open brain in
sand.
<Yikes>
I then forgot to plug the heater back in and the temperature dropped to
about 70 Degrees F before I noticed. The next morning the "bubbles" had
reappeared so I quickly removed it, did an Iodine dip (10 drops to 1
gallon), and reacclimated it into the QT tank.
<Very good>
It still goes through regular expansion and shrinkage, but there appear
to be more and more bubbles under it's tissue. Please advise? I have
attached pictures.
Thank you!
Paul
<I think you'll be okay here... as will the specimen. Sometimes such gas
accumulation does occur... in moved specimens under "boosted" conditions
(mainly lighting), and rapid metabolism following challenges. Bob
Fenner>
Re: Bubbles in Open Brain
1/3/08
Mr. Fenner,
<Pablo>
Thanks! The open brain is indeed slowly recovering and the bubbles are
receding. Another coral making it safely from LFS to my tank.
Paul
<Ah, congrats! BobF> |
|
.JPG) |
Pink Brain
Coral -12/29/2007
Hello,
I have my first huge problem, by huge I mean the life safety of one of
my inhabitants. I'm really struggling on what the cause could be and was
hoping you guys may have an answer, or some direction on how to correct
the issue!
I have included a photo of my pink brain coral that was taken on Dec.
19th, it shows the coral nice and fleshy and with some of the feeding
tentacles out, and to what I have taken to be a healthy specimen. I may
have been fooling myself though. Christmas morning (of all mornings) I
woke up and did my normal check on my animals and noticed some bleaching
on the rim of the brain.
<Looks worse than bleaching... looks like tissue recession.>
I thought that maybe it had gotten blasted by sand or irritated by a
crab or something and decided to keep a close eye on it for the next few
days and see what happened. One thing that comes to mind that happened a
few days ago is that my cleaner shrimp molted over night and my fiancé
found the molt inside the brain corals mouth the next morning.
<This sounds normal. The coral was likely eating it (or trying to eat
it).>
(This happened before any of the bleaching appeared). Other than that
the only other thing that comes to mind is that one of my power heads
came loose and dropped into the sand and I awoke to the results of a
sandstorm and a big "hole" in my sand bed. (My tank did not have a good
Christmas season.) This powerhead was on the opposite side of the
aquarium though and I'm not sure that it would have had a significant
effect except for maybe a sand flurry or two onto the brain coral.
I'm at a loss to what could be going on and don't want to see anything
die under my care.
<What do you feed this coral? How much? when? and how often? These
corals are voracious eaters. It might be starving to death.>
(Not to mention my fiancé would kill me if her favorite coral didn't
make it. It's funny how she doesn't lay a finger onto the aquarium but
she lays claim to the fish and coral and has VERY outgoing opinions
about things when they go the slightest bit wrong... lol) If you guys
can think of what may have caused the problem and how I can correct it
it would greatly be appreciated. I began last night feeding the brain
heavily with E.S.V. spray dried phytoplankton
<No good... they don't eat this.>
and frozen Mysis and brine shrimp. (I have listed my tank specs, as of
this morning below)
<Meaty foods like this are good (be sure to defrost first though).>
55 Gallon tank with about 60 lbs of live rock. and a 3-4 inch sand bed.
(up and running since May)55 gallon sump (1/2 dedicated to a refugium
half to filtration, used to be a trickle wet dry, but I have began to
slowly take the bio balls out and just go with a prefilter and VERY
aggressive Skimming) ASM G-3 Protein Skimmer Refugium has Grape
Caulerpa, a 2-3 inch sand bed and about 25 lbs of live rock rubble. ( I
plan to replace the Caulerpa with Gracilaria and green Ulva and maybe
some Chaetomorpha soon) The circulation in the tank is provided through
a Mag 7 return pump fed into a SCWD that comes out at opposite ends of
the tank. I have a Tunze Stream 6101 that stays on its lowest setting
except when the Cyanobacteria starts to show on the sand and I turn it
up for a few hours. The Tunze is accompanied by a Maxi Jet 1200 (with
the 1600 upgrade kit.. claims to put out 1600GPH of turbulent
circulation) the maxi jet is on the opposite side of the tank blowing
water across the back glass and back side of the rocks.
Tank Parameters
Salinity 1.021
<Salinity should be closer to 1.025 to 1.026>
Nitrites 0.00
Nitrates 0.00
Ammonia 0.00
PH 8.0
Calcium 310ppm
Alkalinity 110 mg/L
Inhabitants
1 yellow tang
1 zebra goby
2 green Chromis
1 pink and blue watchman goby paired with a tiger pistol shrimp
1 lawnmower blenny (that I now have a hard time keeping well fed because
there is no algae in the tank, I feed dried algae strips daily. Any
suggestions?)
1 Cleaner shrimp
A huge clean up crew ( 3 Mithrax crabs, 20 scarlet hermits, 20-30 blue
hermits, 5 Nassarius snails, lots of Astrea and cap snails, other creepy
crawlies that go bump in the night (bristle worms etc. .))
Green star polyps
a large pink leather (not sure the species. It can be seen in the
photos)
a huge xenia colony (THAT WONT STOP GROWING!!!)
two green Ricordea polyps
a frogspawn
and a piece of moon coral?, The LFS sold it to me as pineapple brain
coral?
The tank has 4 55 watt T5 (two actinic and two 10K, as well as an
Actinic VHO) (lights set on a 12 hour cycle)
Also I recently scraped off about half of the coralline algae covering
the side of the tank, about a week and a half ago. I didn't want to
scrape all of it at once but both sides are covered and I'd like to be
able to see in. I also attached a picture of the coralline growth in the
tank without any of the aquarium lights on (flash only) does this look
normal, I almost feel as though it may be bleaching out also.
<Looks normal to me...>
Again you guys have been a HUGE help to me thus far and I am taking in
as much information from you guys as I can as I begin plans for the 280
gallon that is going into my basement!
<cool>
Thanks,
Adam
<De nada,
Sara>
Re: Pink Brain Coral
12/30/07
I feed the brain 2 - 3 times a week. Mostly the Spray dried
phytoplankton, that's what the LFS told me it needed.
<Well, they were/are wrong.>
I guess as I and a friend are finding out they provide A LOT of bad
information despite their good reputation.
<::sigh:: This seems to be a common phenomenon, unfortunately...>
Every once in a while I would feed it 'shrimp' pellets, and chopped bits
of frozen shelled shrimp (thawed first), last night was the first time I
had directly fed it the Brine and Mysis shrimp. So should I up my
feeding with the shrimp?
<If I were you, I'd feed it at least 4 to 5 times a week until the
tissue recession stops. After that, you could feed it only every other
day or so. But you should target feed it good foods such as well-chopped
fresh seafood, scallops, shrimp, squid, clams, oysters, etc. (this might
help: http://www.asira.org/feedingyourtanks)>
are the shrimp pellets going to be digested?
<Maybe to some extent, but they're certainly not ideal. I personally
would not feed them to any of my corals.>
Is there any other foods I should try?
<Yes, food you make yourself (please see the above link). From your LFS;
frozen Mysis, krill, chopped mussels are good. Don't use stuff that has
seaweed in it (corals won't digest it). Also avoid products with a lot
of fillers and preservatives, etc. Have you heard of Rod's Food? This is
good stuff too.>
The coral seems to take them in as food. but it also seemed to take in
the phytoplankton.
<This doesn't mean anything. It likely just spits it out later. And this
isn't good for the coral. There's a net metabolic loss when it takes in
food it doesn't derive much nutritional value from.>
Is there a chance for this guy to make it?
<Yes, of course... just be patient and feed it properly. Things may get
a little worse before they get better, but corals can be tough animals.
Raising your salinity should also help.>
How often should I be feeding him now that he is wasting away, I am
guessing several times a day ?
<I'd say about once a day (at night--after lights out, or whenever you
notice the tentacles peeking out). Just be careful not to spoil your
water (effective target feeding small amounts of food is the best way to
go).>
If he pulls out what kind of feeding regime should he be on?
<Quality, target fed food 3 to 4 times a week (or about every other day)
is ideal (IMO).>
I was also told that the lighting in my tank may not be adequate is this
true?
<I doubt it. They don't need intense light.>
I don't want this guy to waste away at my care! It especially bothers me
to now know that I haven't been taking proper care of him in the first
place.
<No worries, you know now. It's a learning process. Just keep at it,
keep reading, etc. You'll get the hang of it. ;-)>
Thanks for all your help,
Adam
<De nada,
Sara M.> |
|
.JPG)
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Re: Pink
Brain Coral 1/5/08
Sara,
I am displeased to say I think this will be my last email
re-guarding my pink brain coral. It has deteriorated much more
than the first few pictures I sent you a week ago depicted.
Despite my desperate attempts to feed it and keep it alive.
Several nights I woke up in the night to get a drink or
something and traveled into the living room to check on it and
would try to feed it.
<::sigh:: Been there myself... >
I even went as far as to try to very gently squirt pieces of
chopped shrimp and squid into the few mouths that were left.
None of which worked. One night it appeared as though the tissue
was regrowing and I was ecstatic, but alas, I went by the tank
on one of my late night strolls and noticed hermits devouring
what appeared to be the corals desperate attempt at regrowth. I
gently pulled the hermits from the coral and placed a plastic
jug I cut out over top of the brain to allow it to be left
alone. I fear this decision was too late. I have attached an
updated picture taken a few moments ago. My question is: Should
I still be trying to help this animal pull through... or is it
too late?
<It's not too late. As I warned (or should have if I didn't),
things would get much worse before they got better. If I were
you, I would 1) use a powerhead and/or turkey baster to blow off
any dead tissue and opportunistic diatoms and such, 2) use the
plastic jug to help with target feeding, 3) don't be too
aggressive, don't try to inject the food into the coral. I
forget, do you have a lit refugium? In my experience, sometimes
moving a coral to a refugium can really help. I noticed this
after several times I would give up on a coral and toss it into
my refugium, thinking it would soon die. Much too my
surprise/delight some of these corals no only recovered but
became much healthier than they ever were in the display. I'm
not sure why this is (though I have some theories). It's worth a
try at least (IMO).>
If it is too late, should I remove the animal from the tank? I
know it is polluting my water due to the outbreak of
Cyanobacteria. My parameters are still in check, and I would
like to see the animal pull through but my gut feeling is that
it probably wont make it. Please advise.
<In theory, so long as there is even just a "drop" of live coral
tissue left, the coral can recover. I won't lie to you, things
don't look so good. But I wouldn't say it's over just yet. The
coral appears to still has a fair amount of live tissue left and
I've seen even more "miraculous" saves than this. All in all, I
definitely think you should keep trying to save it. If it
doesn't make it, it will at least be a valuable learning
experience.>
Adam
<Good luck!>
If the animal is to be removed, what is the most humane thing to
do with it. I would like to keep the skeleton, it was one of my
first corals.
<Let's not give up on it just yet... if it does completely die,
do write back and I'll tell you what you can do with the
skeleton to preserve it. :-)
Best,
Sara M.>
Re: Pink
Brain Coral -01/04/07
I do have a refugium (or about half of my 55 gallon sump that is
being used for one. It has about 10 - 25 lbs of a mixture of
live rock, lava rock that the aquariums previous owner was
using, (one piece is covered in coralline), and dead coral
skeletons from yet another friends tank. (who gave up after a
tank disaster). It only has a 15 watt 6800K fluorescent bulb
over it. The grape Caulerpa thrives under it and I have even
seen some coralline algae start to grow on the glass (not much
due to the lack of lighting I'm sure). Will this amount of light
be ok for the brain!?
<Temporarily, yes, perhaps... I would give it a shot.>
Also this is normally where I pour in my supplements and My top
off water. After placing the brain in the refugium should I try
to top off and dose in the other half of the aquarium after
placing the brain in there? ( I would expect so, as to keep from
exposing it to concentrated chemicals and drastic salinity
changes)
<Yes, good idea. But I must tell you, moving the coral to one's
refugium as a "treatment" of sorts is not the "standard"
recommendation. This would be a more
"controversial/experimental" course of action coming from mostly
from me personally. So, it's up to you... it might help, it
might not. In any case, do keep target feeding it (delicately).>
Thanks for all your help,
Adam
<De nada and good luck... please do keep us updated! :-)
Best,
Sara M.>
Re: Pink
Brain Coral 1/5/08
Sara,
As I am still going over things in my head this came to mind:
The pink/blue brain that I have is a deep dwelling species
correct?
<Um, not necessarily. Usually the collectors stay more shallow I
believe.>
With this being said should it be in the shaded portions of my
tank? I ask this because it was in the "shaded" area of my tank,
Until about a month ago. It was expanding and got hung up on a
rock. Because of this I moved him to one of the few spaces on
the sand where he would fit which is directly under my lights
with no shade. Could this have been part of the problem?
<Possibly... the sudden change of light could have been
detrimental.>
I don't think he would have experienced photo shock because he
wasn't completely covered in the shade in his last spot. It was
under a huge Xenia colony that due to its movements in the
current, provided it with partial shade and light. So moving it
out shouldn't have induced photo-shock should it?
<It's hard to say for sure, but it's possible.>
I have placed him back under the Xenia for now and if conditions
become worse I am going to move him to the refugium as a last
ditch effort. (I hate to keep him from the light, but I guess
this could also be beneficial for short term?)
<If it was "happy" under the xenia, then that's where it should
be. I think one of the hardest things for reef aquarists to
learn/accept is that every coral is different and you shouldn't
try to "impose your will" on them. If a coral appears healthy
and growing in a spot that (according to your sources) is
totally wrong for it, so be it. I assure you that the animal
knows itself better than you do. So, maybe we need a "Zen of
Coral Care" article or something... lol :-)>
I hate sitting things out and waiting with things like this, but
it's all I can do.
<Haha, I know how you feel, but it's all you can do.>
My brain wanders too much in it's attempt to figure out things.
<No pun intended, right? j/k I really am sorry for your struggle
and I know how it feels. I've even slept on the couch next to
one of my corals when I thought there was something wrong with
it (I was that worried/obsessed over it). But I've come to learn
that this hobby is just so uncertain. Even if we read all we
possibly can, it's still a lot of trial and error (and may
always be so). It does help for our trials and errors to be well
educated/informed though... so please do keep
reading/learning/sharing. :-)>
Adam
<Good luck,
Sara M.> |
|
 |
Re: Pink Brain
Coral... death 1/10/08
Sara,
<Hi, sorry for the late response...>
My brain is now completely white and most of the tissue is gone.
<:-( Sorry to hear that. At least you did all you could do.)
I have had a Cyano bloom on the sand. (nothing that the powerheads can't
clear up with a little adjusting but it is a nuisance) The coral is
still in the refugium. The reason I said most of the tissue is gone is
that two nights ago I figured it was probably over for the little guy
(it was completely bleached and smelled like sulfur), so I pulled it out
of the tank to notice that there was still white fleshy tissue on the
skeleton. I placed the coral back into the refugium and blew some of the
necrotic tissue of with a turkey baster as well as removed some of the
algae accumulation off the skeleton. While doing this I notice I sucked
some of the white tissue off the skeleton. To my surprise tonight while
I was looking at it I noticed the white "tissue" was back. Is this coral
tissue or something else?
<I can't think of anything else it could be. But I don't know if this
tissue is still alive enough to be saved. When you're ready to pull it
out and clean/preserve the skeleton, you should boil it for a half our
or so, then soak it in 50/50 bleach/water.
Best,
Sara M.>
|
Sick
Elegance, Rose Brain health, & possible Lithophyllum sp. ID 10/18/07
Hi Folks,
I have been searching your site for answers and with all the information
I've read I am less sure than I was before I started.
<It happens to all of us. :-)>
I have a few questions and I am a recent student of this hobby so please
bear with me.
I am running a 265 gallon, 32in x 32in x 5ft, with a 29 gallon sump with
skimmer, we don't do anything small in this house. Currently, I am in
the process of slowly filling my tank, so I have started at one end with
a 400W MH and 4-40W fluorescent actinic. I will be adding another 400W
MH at the other end when I have life to put under it.
First, I have enclosed a few photos of my rose brain, elegance and an
unknown. The unknown was a skeleton covered in mushrooms that had a
great shape. When I got it in my tank a tiny portion of the skeleton was
still alive and started to regrow, recovering the skeleton with life,
any idea what this could be?
<Very nice recovery. It looks like some kind of Lithophyllum sp.>
Under actinic only this glows green, but with MH it looks a tan colour.
The other 4 pics are of my formerly healthy elegance and brain and their
now sick images. The elegance from what I read on your site looks like
the virus that Julian Sprung describes. Over the course of about a week
parts of it started to shrivel. Now it's been like this for about 3
weeks. I am hoping for the best and just looking for suggestions.
<There's been some recent promising investigation into the cause of (and
possibly cure for) Elegance coral disease. Please see here: http://www.elegancecoral.org/Page_4.html>
My brain on the other hand had almost tripled in size from this healthy
photo(daytime) and now for about 5 days has continued to shrink. The
colour is still good but there is no puffiness to it at all.
<Actually, it looks a little bleached. You should move it to an area of
less intense light or raise your light. For general care of these
corals, please see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachyphlliidae.htm>
I have done a partial water change and then today I noticed that the
little sponges that hitchhike on live rock, the one that look like
cotton balls, have all started to die off. I can't figure out what has
happened. My ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are all at 0 and the ph is
8.4.
<I think you probably have too much light over your tank. Some sponges
don't like a lot of light.>
Also in this tank,
130lbs live rock,
Rhodactis mushrooms,
2 Fungia - green and orange
Platygyra,
Blastomussa,
lg coral covered in Christmas tree worms,
a Purple, a blue and a yellow tang,
2 small clownfish,
a lg orange and green BTA and a small rose BTA,
a sm Xenia,
a frogspawn,
chili sponge
3 cleaner shrimp,
a debelius lobster,
multiple mushrooms,
candy coral,
green star polyp,
a red and yellow feather duster,
many snails and hermit crabs,
and of course anything that hitch hiked in on the live rock.
Everything else in this tank appears healthy, eats normally and seems to
be thriving. The only thing that has changed since just before the brain
started to recede is the addition of 5 lbs of live rock, and the
Rhodactis mushrooms and a move of the purple tang in from the QT.
Should I just leave it or is there any suggestions about intervention?
<I don't think the new additions are causing your coral troubles.>
Thanks in advance for your help, us newbies really appreciate your time
and consideration.
Christine
<De nada,
Sara M.> |
 |
Receding Open Brain… Feed Me Seymour
– 09/13/07
Hey guys, Scott here.
<Hi Scott, Mich here.>
I have two open brains
<I wish I had two brains, the one I'm using right now is a little tired.>
in my 38-gallon tank. They both sit on the bottom in about 15 inches of water.
Lighting is 2x96-watt, including actinic. Between my hang-on-back filter and my
water pump, I turn over my water about 15 times an hour.
<In theory.>
The brains are sitting about 10" apart. One is thriving and has grown noticeably
since I got it, the other is receding. The one that is doing well is clearly a
Trach. I'm not clear on what the other one is -- it is flatter, deeply lobed but
the lobes do not touch, and when the flesh retracts it has spikes coming out of
it. It is a yellow/cream color in the middle, and dark maroon around the edge.
<Hard to tell without a pic.>
I purchased these two about a month and a half apart.
<OK.>
Anyway, my LFS advised me they didn't need anything special in the way of diet,
just some DT's, which I use every week.
<I would offer meaty fresh seafood’s, Mysis shrimp here.>
They both did well for a while, but about a month ago I noticed that the one had
its flesh receding from the outer edge of the skeleton. LFS had no particular
advice, said it should come back, and to try moving it out of the water flow a
bit, which I did. No luck.
<Manual feedings may help.>
So I started researching your site on what to do, and found that I should
probably be feeding it.
<Yes. Sounds like this brain would particularly benefit.>
For the past couple of weeks, I have been trying to feed it at night. Some
nights I use a soda bottle with the bottom cut out, and a turkey baster to place
some Mysis on top of the brain -- this helps to keep the shrimp and crabs off
it.
<Yes.>
Other nights when I am feeling less ambitious, I throw some rotifers in the tank
about a half hour after the lights go out. The coral still continues to recede,
and is probably almost half gone now. Is there anything I can do,
<Yes. You will likely have to increase the frequency and perhaps the quantity of
your feedings. These corals can take in surprisingly large pieces, but I would
recommend anything too large. I would soak any foods provided in Selcon, a
vitamin/HUFA supplement, and suggest diced shrimp, scallops and the likes be
offered.>
or has this particular specimen reached the end of its road?
<No! Certainly not. With aggressive feeding you very well may be able to bring
this specimen back. Good luck and happy meals! Mich>
Re: Receding Open Brain… Feed Me Seymour –
09/19/07
<Hi Scott, Mich with you again.>
Over the past two nights I have offered frozen mysis and fresh-diced scallops,
both soaked in Vita-Chem,
<Glad to read you are using a vitamin supplement. In the future you may want to
consider Selcon as it contains highly unsaturated fatty acids, that I believe
Vita-Chem is missing.>
but it does not seem to be eating much. I placed the food directly on it with
the turkey baster and left it covered with the soda bottle all night. Would it
stress the coral too much to take it out and put it in a dishpan filled with
aquarium water to feed it, so I can do a better job of placing the food near its
mouths?
<Not at all. I think this is a good idea. You can read how someone else did
something similar here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dendroreprofaqs.htme:
The first couple on this page start the story, but what you really want to read
is titled: Re: Feeding of Tubastrea.. Follow up to Baby Tubastrea Timeline
8/7/07>
At the rate it is receding, I may only have a couple of weeks left.
<I like your idea. It sounds like it is time to be quite aggressive with your
feedings, perhaps offering multiple times per day. I wish you success here.
Mich>
Re: Receding open brain 9/23/07
Hi Mich,
<Hi Scott!>
Thanks for the Tubastrea link
<Welcome!>
(wow, that's a pretty elaborate system).
<Yep! Sure is. Now that's commitment!>
I'm doing something just slightly less sophisticated. I take the brain out and
put in a Cool Whip container full of aquarium water,
<Simple works!>
and place diced scallops on top of each mouth with a pair of tweezers. I've had
some initial success -- first two nights, two mouths ate; last night none ate,
but tonight three have eaten.
<Good!>
I haven't caught it regurgitating,
<Well it will. The mouth functions as both intake and output! Aren't you glad
your mouth doesn't? Heehee!>
so I hope I'm dicing the stuff small enough.
<tiny balls of finely minced food is best.>
I have been leaving the coral in the Cool Whip container for 1-1/2 to 2 hours
while trying to feed.
<Good.>
My new question is, how long can I comfortably leave it outside the aquarium to
see if more mouths will feed,
assuming that room temperature is in the 70's?
<I'd try to keep the temperature as close to the tank temp as possible. Perhaps
there is a way to support the containers and have them more or less floating
inside the tank so the water temp remains consistent. If you go this route you
will likely have the most success with feeding if the food is offered after the
lights are out.>
Also, I have been reading the site tonight about laminar water flow, which is
exactly what I have. Do you think this might have contributed to my problem at
all?
<If it is a constant direct flow, it could be a problem.>
I wish I had a picture of the brain, but it is probably not healthy enough for
you to identify anymore.
<Actually, sometime it is easier to identify when skeletal structures are
visible.>
I can't find a Google image that resembles mine at all.
<Send in a pic and we'll see if we can figure it out.>
Anyway, I am thinking about setting up another water pump on the opposite end of
the tank so that the two pumps would be
facing each other, to create more random flow
<Would be better than have a constant direct flow. Laminar flow is not bad onto
itself. But constant laminar flow can be a problem.>
-- although I also have a torch, branching hammer, branching frogspawn, and
candy canes that are happy and growing.
<Yikes! This could be your problem! That's a lot of Euphyllia and a lot of
allelopathy! This may very well be the cause of you brains suffering. I hope you
run carbon and change it frequently!>
Thanks Again
<Welcome as always.>
-- these kinds of details don't always make it into the books,
<Mmm, much of it is in the books, you just need to put it all together. This can
be the challenge.>
Scott
<Cheers, Mich>
Re: Receding Open Brain… Feed Me
Seymour – 09/29/07
Hello again, Mich,
<Hello again Scott!>
I'm attaching a pic this time; after reading some more I have some
suspicions about the identity of this thing, but tell me what you think.
Maybe if I know what it is, I'll know if there's anything more I can do
for it.
<Is/was a Trachyphyllia.>
Like I said in my first e-mail, it sits about 9 inches from a trach
that's doing great. Every night this one eats something, but it
continues to recede. Will it tend to do worse before it gets better?
<AYE! This is in far worse shape than I expected. I am very doubtful
that you'll be able to bring this guy back to health.>
I added a second water pump, perpendicular to the first. I tried facing
them at each other, but it was a little too turbulent. I did change the
carbon cartridge in my HOB filter, but maybe you can tell me what you
mean by "change it frequently" (it's a Cascade 300, cartridges are about
7" square, half-inch
thick, pumps 300gal/min).
<Once a month, maybe even twice a month.>
Allelopathy is something I wasn't warned about while buying all my
corals at the same LFS; when I finally asked about it, the advice I got
was that allelopathy is somewhat overrated
<I would disagree, in fact, I think much the opposite.>
(as far as getting this info from books, check this out: in Borneman's
book, there's no entry for "allelopathy" in the index).
<Borneman covers it my friend. Check out page 73, the section on
Chemical Competition. He mentions it through out the text in reference
to specific corals as well.>
Should I step up water changes?
<Likely it wouldn't hurt, but I doubt that it will help this coral.
Though I hope I am wrong, I think this coral is just too far gone.>
If I didn't want to get rid of some of my corals, could I group them
together by type in opposite ends of the tank?
<Could help, but eventually it will be a matter of survival of the
fittest.>
Also, I have not invested in a protein skimmer, because I have never had
any measurable nitrates/nitrites
in the tank,
<Surprising.>
and have read that over-filtering and -skimming can strip out your
water. I have been advised by two different LFSs that I don't need a
skimmer. Do you guys consider them a given?
<I do. I am currently running a tank with out any fish and feed
minimally and you would be surprised by the skimmate that is produced.
More here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i5/Filtration/Filtration.htm
>
Thanks too much,
<Welcome! Mich>
Scott |
|
 |
Sick Open
Brain... – 08/02/07
Hello Crew,
<Hi Thomas, Mich with you again. How is that goby of yours and his
little pail? Heehee!>
I was given (more like took)
<Heee! I like honesty!>
a bleached Open Brain. The person who I received it from had given up
and the Brain was the only thing showing any sign of life. The next step
was the dumpster
<Yikes!>
for this guy so I took it home hopping
<The brain was hopping? Wow! Cool trick!>
to do the right thing. When I quarantined it there was no sign of color
in the outer ridge and the center had and still has a light fluorescent
green glow under the light. I think it is a Trachyphyllia geoffroyi but
it is too bleached to be positive. I quarantined it for two weeks and
could not get it to eat. I have since moved it to my nano tank in hopes
that it would find something in the water channel to eat. I have noticed
that the outer ring is showing signs of pink coloring building up. This
is a slow progression.
<I hope you have strong lighting on this nano system. Oh! I see you do!>
I still have not been able to feed it and have read that this is a must
if this guy is to recover.
<Yes.>
I have used a turkey baster to put the food on the center section.
<This is a good start.>
The meaty foods I have tried so far are clams, mysis, and squid all
soaked in Selcon.
<Good.>
They all float away and do not stick to the brain.
<Here is the problem. You will need to stop all circulation in your
tank. Allow the food to sit on the center of this brain. It may need to
sit there for quite some time... perhaps an hour or more. Hopefully you
will see several small mouths open... will look like slits in the center
of the coral. Now here's the challenge... during this time you will need
to keep all potential thieves away... i.e. fish, shrimp, crabs. Much
easier said than done. Plastic Strawberry baskets sometimes work or
perhaps cut apart a plastic two-liter bottle or gallon container.>
This assumption that the food is supposed to stick may be incorrect on
my end.
<Yes. This coral basically needs to be spoon fed at this point because
it has been terribly compromised. >
I have also been adding Kent Phytoplex and Zoomax to the water.
<Mmm... not a fan.>
My tank specs are as follows.
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = <10
Phosphate = 0
Alkaline = 4 meq/l
PH = 8.3
Calcium = 360
SG = 1.024
Temp = 79 F
24-gallon tank
Aqua-c Nano Remora protein skimmer
150 watt MH light
2.5" live sand <Over 3 or under a half is generally better than this in
between amount.>
35lbs of live rock
The tank is seven months old. I have gone through the FAQ's and read up
on open brains in two corral books <Hmm, cattle paddock?> trying to find
out what procedure I need to follow to bring this guy back to good
health.
<See above.>
I asked the LFS if they would take him at first but they stated that it
needed to go in the trash. I don't believe this to be true.
<Time will ultimately tell.>
If you could give me any advise and point me in the right direction
please. Thanks again for your help.
<You are most welcome! Mich>
Thomas |
|
 |
Wellsophyllia Brain
Swelling/Compatibility
Hello Again, Happy 4th of July!
<Hi, Pufferpunk here. Happy 4th to you too!>
I'll make it short and simple. 75 gal. reef tank. 100 lbs of live rock. 390
watts of PCs (3 month old bulbs). Ammonia levels are 0, Nitrite 0, Phosphate 0,
Nitrates barely detectable. I am aggressively skimming and changing about 20% of
the water every 4-5 days.
I have a Green Wells Brain
<Wellsophyllia>
that is awfully close to some silvertip Xenia. The brain eats every couple of
days ...some Mysis, and Zooplankton. The Brain has grown excellent and has
doubled in size in the past 4 months. The brain is overall about 7" in diameter.
However, today I noticed that it looks swollen or "puffed up" and I was
wondering if this is normal behavior.
<Mine shrinks & swells daily.>
I also noticed that for a short time today, the Xenia was closed. I placed them
so close because I was told that the "Chemical Warfare" would not be an issue.
<Agreed>
The Brain is showing no skeleton and aside from being swollen, it looks very
healthy. Are these two species compatible?
<They should be fine. I run Purigen in my sump, just in case.>
I am supplementing Bio-Cal, Bio-Stront, Tech I, and Tech M.
<Are you testing for calcium & alkalinity?>
P.S. Am I wasting my money adding DT's Phytoplankton to a tank with Leathers,
Xenia, a Wells Brain and assorted zoos and shrooms?
<Not at all. There are tiny creatures in your sand bed that need to eat too.
They help keep your tank healthy.>
Just wondering... I am using HOB filters with powerheads and Carbon.
<Sounds like your tank is doing great. I had issues though, with my brain not
receiving enough light from PCs. Eventually, I had to loan them out to someone
that had more light over their tank, until I upgraded to T5s. Good luck to you.
I hope you enjoyed fireworks somewhere! ~PP>
Please Help. Trachyphyllia
5/16/07
Hello my name is Mike and I need help with my closed brain coral.
<Hi there Mike, Mich here with you and your brain.>
I've attached two pictures
<The photos look as thought they were taken several feet underwater...
very blue.>
of it and wanted to know if it was dead, dying, or ok.
<I think we can eliminate OK.>
And if there was something wrong is there something I can do to fix it.
<Hmm, I do not discern any tissue in the photo, looks only skeletal to
me, but the photo is so blue it is difficult to tell.>
When I got him he was bright green in the crevices and now the green has
all but gone away. Also the protruding tissue around the crevices seems
to be peeling away.
<So there is tissue remaining? Perhaps an iodine dip (5-10 drops of
Lugol's per liter) might help if there is tissue to treat. Some info
here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/corldisfaqs.htm >
It happened after 2 days.
<After 2 days of what? Caring for this coral?>
Please help.
<Trying.>
Thank You.
<You're welcome, Mich> |
|
 |
Open Brain Troubles 4/26/07
I recently purchased an open brain coral from the local aquarium store.
<Okay.>
It was very healthy at first and for the first week was swelling and acting
normally. I was told that every so often I could feed it a piece or two of
silverside feeder fish to help it grow.
<Mmm...is true that this animal should be fed but I would prefer something other
than silversides or at least something in addition. Go for some Mysis, krill or
even bivalve meat (scallop, clam, mussel).>
After about a week of acclimation to the tank I fed it two small pieces. It
immediately swelled around each piece and ingested them. The next morning it was
not swollen and I assumed it was due to the digestion of the fish.
I waited for a few days and it still had not returned to normal. I asked the
store and they told me it may stay shrunk for a week or so and not to
worry. Well things have gotten a lot worse. It had never returned to normal
and now the "skin" has begun to pull away from the skeleton and it looks like it
is dying. Is there any way to save it and what happened to make it start
dying? Was I not supposed to feed it?
<A few question from me first; what type of lighting was the animal in at the
store and what type of lighting are you providing now? How turbid id the flow
the animal is in...and...what are your water parameters?>
Thanks
<Welcome.>
Kevin
<Adam J.>
Hitchhiking Polyps On Trachyphyllia Skeletal Base...Remove Or Not? –
04/11/07
Dear Crew,
<<George>>
Have had an open brain Trachyphyllia for several weeks now. Feeding daily
finely minced fresh raw shrimp, clam, and oyster. Keeping Alk and Ca2+
levels up without any hitches. No real problems. But, I have just noticed
3-4 baby polyps, maybe an eighth the size of an eraser head. Seems to me to
be a zoanthid or palythoa or similar polyp.
<<Likely, yes>>
They are attached just underneath on the side of its base (and are barely
visible under Actinic, but fluoresces bright green-yellow when the 460nm
night LEDs are on). I thought I heard/read someone posting like this
before, but can't seem to find it again.
<<Indeed, there is a very good possibility someone has gone down this road
before here...but it doesn't ring any bells with me>>
How should (or, should I not) remove these?
<<Well George, normally I would be inclined to say "leave them be" until
they pose an obvious problem...but, what will become "obvious" will likely
be tissue recession of the brain coral in the vicinity of the
polyps. Unfortunately, this indicates the "beginning of the end" for these
corals in most captive systems. I recommend you use something like an old
carpenter's chisel and carefully "shave" these polyps off the
Trachyphyllia's base. Gently "touch" the coral to make it recede before
removing it from the water (doing so helps prevent tearing the heavy
water-filled flesh). Handle the coral gingerly so as not to damage the
tissue of the brain coral on its own sharp skeletal structure, and be
careful not to gouge the skeleton (or yourself!) too deeply with the
chisel. Once you've removed the polyps give the spot a scrub with a small
stiff bristle-brush, give the coral a dunk and swirl in a container of clean
tank water (to be disposed of afterwards), and return the coral to the
display tank>>
Best Regards!
George
<<Be chatting. EricR>>
Re: Hitchhiking Polyps On Trachyphyllia Skeletal Base...Remove Or Not? -
4/12/07
04/12/07
Hi Eric,
<<Hello George>>
Thank you!!
<<Quite welcome>>
I think that once I have a rested mind and am focused in another day or so, I'll
follow your suggestions and repost if I run into any issues, but I think I can
handle this OK.
<<Ahh, excellent>>
Am I correct to assume that regardless of how easily/badly the 'surgery' goes
that a local swab-like application of iodine or dip is in order?
<<Mmm, no...scraping the polyps from the brain coral’s exterior skeletal base
won’t require treating/disinfecting the site afterwards. However, swabbing the
site with a strong iodine solution for a minute or two before rinsing the coral
prior to replacing in the tank may kill/prevent the regeneration of any missed
bits of polyp tissue left on the skeleton>>
I don't have Lugol's handy, but I do have OTC surgical iodine and can look up
recommended dilution for use in such a case.
<<The swabbing won’t require any dilution. The iodine you have will work just
fine, and this “surgical” iodine may well be Lugol’s Solution (also known as
Iodine Potassium-Iodide; Iodine, Strong solution; and Aqueous Iodine Solution)>>
Thanks again for the fast advice. The forum is probably more valuable to me than
anything (and thankfully makes lunchtime at the office more interesting and
useful!) ;)
Best Regards
George
<<Happy to assist. Eric Russell>>
Green open brain coral (Trachyphyllia), hlth.
3/11/07
Ok,
<Hello Jason.>
I have a thiry <thirty> five gallon tank and am currently changing into a
reef setup from FOWLR. I have taken an green open brain (Trachyphyllia)
<Trachyphyllia> from my mom's nano cube where it has steadily declined to
the point that over 1/3 of the skeleton is showing.
<Not good. I would assume that it is placed on the sand.?>
It is my mission to save this coral!!
<Admirable. And it can be done.>
It has been in my tank for about a two weeks and will puff during the day. I
have yet to see any tentacles <tentacles> when I attempt to feed it (and
haven't ever seen any when it was in the nano either). Is it too late to
save this coral??
<No. Try adding a little bit of food before feeding. They seem to be able
to sense the protein. Shortly after the tentacles should emerge. If they
don‘t try target feeding a little bit of food. I had to do this for several
days before I saw tentacles on mine.>
What is the best plan of action from here?
<Please see above.>
My water parameters are all excellent,
<Please define excellent.>
adequite <adequate> lighting, intermediate flow (in that part of the tank),
and there is nothing to harm it in my aquarium (fish, other coral, etc), so
I am hoping that I <I> can bring it back. I want to know what the best
feeding stategy <strategy.> would be (and what exactly I could buy from the
LFS as far as food mixtures, or can I spot feed it with frozen fish food).
<Mysis, Blood Worms, etc. soaked in Selcon.> Finally, can I use a toothbrush
to keep
the algae from growing in the abandoned part of the skeleton?
<I would not do this. Place it in the tank in an area where the algae
cannot get light, and it will start to die off. After the die off, you can
begin to re-acclimate it to the light. I have used this method to clear
mine of algae. Using a toothbrush will cause you to have to move it too
often. It needs to be left alone for a while. Also adding Iodine to the
tank will help. Please remember that regular water changes are a must
here. 10% once a week. You need the influx of new chemical nutrients here
to help. Add the I to the replacement water. For more information see
here,
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachyphlliidae.htm.> (and on the remaining
coral?) I need help fast to keep this guy alive! Thanks in advance!
<You are welcome. Brandon.>
Re: green open brain coral (Trachyphyllia) 3/16/2007
Thanks for the response about the Trachyphyllia!!
<You are welcome! I take it that you got it to eat.>
You stated that I should place the coral where it will not get light to kill off
the algae, but I am wondering how long (as in days) can I leave the coral in the
shade without hurting it even more?
<It should be fine as long as you can get it to feed. Feed it a little more
than usual, about once every other day. Do remember to use some Iodine
supplementation. Just don't overdo it. I left mine in the shade until the
algae died off.>
Also, what is a good schedule as far as re-acclimating it to direct light?
Thanks again, you guys are a life saver.
<Use a piece of cardboard to create the shade, and remove it in gradually
increasing thirty minute periods. Increase thirty minutes a day until you reach
8-10 hours. Brandon.>
Re: green open brain coral (Trachyphyllia), fdg. 3/16/2007
Update on the Trachyphyllia. So I have relocated the brain coral to back of
tank (in sand bed still) and made an arch of rock to make shade. I have tried to
feed the last couple days
<Cnidarians take time to acclimate to such moving...>
with no site of tentacles (even if I prime with juice before the feeding). Where
should I be placing the foodstuff, i.e. where would the tentacles come out from.
<The grooved areas...>
The only thing that I have seen are very small tentacle like things, but they
are coming from the underside (rock-like side, near the sand-line). So is this
where I need to place the food?
<Possibly... if feeding a mash, I encourage you to place a bowl, cover over the
animal for ten, fifteen minutes...>
These tentacles are small and do not look like they could do much?
<May be "it" for now>
I have revamped my supplement addition (especially iodine), but promise not to
overdo it.
<Mmmm, you have read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachyphlliidae.htm
and the linked files above? Please (re)do so. Bob Fenner>
Coral bleaching? (Trachyphyllia) 2/20/07
<Hi, J & S. GrahamT here.>
Thank you for all your help.
<Welcome.>
Bought a brain coral about 3 weeks ago. This
white area was present in just the lower left about 1 inch. It has
progressed and now I am worried.
<See your picture, but I don't see the "white area".>
This coral is about 16in down from 80w
power compact light.
<You do realize that that is the threshold for light penetration through the
water, right? >
Nitrates 10, nitrites 0, ca 420, pH 8.2, phos 0, kH
143ppm. I feed the coral Mysis early am or night and he eats well with good
polyp extension every time.
<Not everyday, I hope. (
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachyfdgfaqs.htm ) >
There is no other stuff next to him. Tankmates:
1 yellow tang, 2 striped damsels, 1 firefish goby, 1 false clown, 1 coral
banded shrimp, 1 Condy anemone who stays under a rock 12in away (and does
not move.)
<Would venture a few diff. hypotheses. PC lights may be in need of changing,
starving the symbiotic algae. The Condy *may* be sending some chemicals his way
that are affecting his health. The Trach. may be responding to the difference
in lighting from where it was collected, stored in the interim, and placed in
your home-system. Which brings me to my last thought. Shipping stresses in
general. This is still a new coral in your system, and has been moved around
quite a bit in the past few weeks/months. Use the Google tool here on WWM
searching for anemones and corals, light requirements, bleaching, etc.
-GrahamT>
Thanks -JL |
|
 |
Trachyphyllia hlth. 2/6/07
Hello to the wonderful crew a Wet Web Media,
<Brandon... so soon?>
One of these days when I am experienced enough I am going to ask you guys if
I can help out.
<I look forward to this time>
Good god I hate being a newbie. I am also slightly retarded in my
selections of coral. I have apparently put two types of Favia, Favites in
the same tank.
<Mmm, if there's room, likely no problem>
I can move them if I have to. This will cost some money, but fortunately
I am in a position at the moment that cost is not an option. By the way, (I
know that I should have posted all of the
original texts with this) I have found a place to put the Tangs.
<"The" tangs... we have a bunch to recall... not even including WWM... w/o
prev. corr....>
I have a person that has adequate room, tank space for them. Please
understand that I acquired these creatures in the purchase of an
aquarium. I did not want to sentence these guys to an early death. So I
tried to the best of my abilities to keep them happy. I cannot purchase
another tank (Read wife here. She was okay right up until the MH retro
purchase.) I have around five thousand USD into my fish. That is saltwater
and fresh. I feel that this is a large enough commitment. My problem is
that I have too much trust in people that seem to have a good deal of
knowledge.
<Trust yourself... accumulated knowledge...>
I purchased a Trachyphyllia from an LFS, and I have had some issues. There
is a section that is missing tissue. About 1/8 the overall coral. I am
feeding when it will take food. If it will not I let the fishes eat the
food. The coral has green algae growing on the exposed areas of the
skeleton. Just regular green algae. I am very concerned. There are a
number of things that could have caused the tissue loss.
<Yes>
I am wondering though, can the coral recover from the tissue loss and the
green algae, or should I chalk this up to inverticideal stupidity.
<It can recover... I take it (for one) that this colony is placed on the
substrate... and for two, that you've read the postings on WWM re this
species>
I am hoping that with regular (two to three times a week) feedings that I
can reverse this. I love these little critters, and caring for
them/watching them makes me think about my own mortality less,
<Interesting point>
every time that I lose one, I feel a great personal loss. I recently lost
two Discus to a bad product that was supposed to lower Ph, and I felt
horrible. To heck with the cost, ($150 USD apiece.) I accidentally killed
two fish that were so used to humans that they would let me pet/move them
around the tank with no stress. I cried like a baby when they died. This
taught me a very important lesson, and I have tried to research specimens,
and not use chemicals when I can. I took someone's advice and now I am in
trouble. I do not think that this is allelopathy based on previous
responses, and other information that I have found on your wonderful site.
I think that I may have touched this coral improperly, or photo-shocked it.
I am really hoping that it can recover. Thank you for all of your help.
Just a thought but perhaps, we should not pretend to be god,
<Though indeed we are each others?>
and take all of the money that we spend on aquaria, and instead spend it on
visiting real "God made" reefs. Perhaps the reason that we do this is
because we love to create like God.
<Mmm... more likely transference from a fear of death...>
Again Thank you all so very much for your tireless effort, I would like to
help. Please let me know if I can,
Brandon R. Foster.
<Study my friend... and in the meanwhile, draw contentment from the
realization that you're doing your best. BobF>
Small Crabs Embedded in a Rose Trachyphyllia 2/1/07
Hi,
<Greetings Sai, Mich here.>
I just purchased a rose Trachyphyllia.
<A beauty.>
I noticed two small dark spots, 2-3
mm. Upon closer inspection at night with a flashlight, it appears that the
spots each house a tiny crab!
<Cool!>
During the day, the coral tissue doe not fully expand to cover up the spots.
<OK, but the tissue does expand?.>
The coral is otherwise happy, with feeding tentacles fully out at night and
feeding.
<Very good.>
Any suggestions, should I dig them out?
<No. Would most likely do more harm than good. As long as the flesh of the
coral seems intact I would allow this relationship to continue. Most likely
both the crab and the coral do or did benefit in someway.>
Thanks,
<You're welcome, -Mich>
Sai
Black Slime and Sick Trachyphyllia Geoffroyi
8/7/06
Thanks in advance for your help.
<Welcome in real time>
My problem in my 55 gallon is two fold: black slime algae and a
sick Trachyphyllia geoffroyi.
I have been battling black slime for about 2 months now and have
done everything I know short
of using some sort of chemical. My water parameters are as follows:
Ammonia and nitrites are at 0
Salinity at 1.025
Temp ranges from 79 to 82
Nitrates range from 10 to 25
About 3 weeks ago, I added the largest hang on refugium I had room for
(only 2.5 gal) and started
with 2 lbs of Chaeto which seems to be growing well. I have not
noticed any drop in nitrates.
<Good... takes a while... weeks to a few months to really "kick in">
I changed my actinic bulbs 3 days ago (they were 6 months old) but the
slime still seems to be multiplying.
<Can be a real bug-a-boo>
I use RO water and Tropic Marine reef salt and do a 3 to 5 gallon
water change weekly.
I have about 40 lbs live rock, 2 inches of live sand, a
sump/trickle filter (with bioballs),
<Oh... I would ix-nay on the bioballs nay... Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/bioballfaqs.htm
and the linked files above>
and skimmer.
My inhabitants are
3 chromis
1 small yellow wrasse
1 black and white ocellaris
1 flame angel
1 scarlet skunk cleaner
1 peppermint
various snails and hermits
<... how big is this system?>
I have reduced feeding and now alternate feeding small amounts of frozen
or flake on alternate days occasionally skipping a day.
I am really getting discouraged. My Trachyphyllia geoffroyi has
been slowing declining and fading in color, and now has several black
spots on the skeleton that are visible when it is all shrunken up (which
is has been doing a lot more lately).
<Yes... looks like Cyano growing on some portions of the exposed
septa... very bad>
I have read your FAQs but nothing sounds like my case. The coral is on
the bottom away from other corals and nothing has been picking on
it. My ocellaris hosts it, however,
<Mmm, the likely original source of tissue loss, septal exposure here>
and I am wondering if his sleeping in/wiggling on it may be the cause.
<Initially, yes>
I have some Lugol's Iodine and wonder if an iodine dip might be helpful.
<I'd add this directly to the water... weekly, with water changes>
I usually do not dose iodine because of the weekly water changes.
<Mmm, best to do immediately following>
I have recently reduced my lighting schedule to 8 hours actinic and
6 hours MH trying to get rid of the slime.
I have read that leaving the lights off for 3 days with get rid of the
slime, but I am afraid it would mean the end for my Trachyphyllia
geoffroyi.
<Maybe so... there are other avenues...>
I would greatly appreciate any advice you can give me.
I am attaching 2 photos of the Trachyphyllia geoffroyi.
Thanks again,
Angela Collison
<Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nutrientcontrol.htm
and here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm
and the linked files above... and consider (seriously) removing your
bioballs, possibly modifying the wet-dry. Fix the environment here and
the Cyano will be gone, your Brain/s recovered. Bob Fenner> |
|
|
Trachyphyllia worries 6/13/06
Dear crew,
<Andrea>
Very sorry to bother you, but I need a bit of professional advice. Last
week I was away on work business, when I retuned home it became apparent
that my area received somewhat of a heat wave, and my reef tank was running
in its low 30,s!!!!! After the initial blind panic and setting up the
chiller I began to assess the damage which I might add was not good but
thankfully not as bad as it could have been.
My tank is now running at 26 and my only concerns are the two Trachyphyllia,
one red one green that are situated on the fine substrate. They are not at
their best colour wise, the red specimen seems to have retained most of its
zooxanthellae, however the greener specimen, looks some what fleshy. (this
particular specimen has never had the intense green fluorescents of a
Stichodactyla anemone, like some Trachyphyllia).
Anyway my point being, should I leave them both exactly where they are or
move them to the miracle mud sump where they is less light intensity and
more cover of Caulerpa, and Chaetomorpha?
Best wishes
Andrea
<That they did not perish is telling... I would not move these specimens...
in all likelihood they will recover, re-color in your good care. Bob Fenner>
Brain Coral/Bleaching 4/14/06
Hi! <Hello.> I always seem to be able to find the answers to my
questions on your website. It is very informative! However today my question
is simple. If an open brain coral is eating great, expanding most of the
time and growing well could it turning from a pinkish-red to white be a sign
that it is getting too much light? My tank gets direct sunlight from a patio
door for about three hours every day. This placement of the tank was very
purposeful to save electric and simulate as close to the wild as possible
for my corals. All my light loving corals are thriving. Could too much light
be killing my open brain? Or will it just fade to a pinkish-white and thrive
being a different color? Will moving the coral to a darker location restore
the original color or is it too late? thanks for listening. <Bleaching
generally refers to loss of zooxanthellae (symbiotic algae) which the coral
needs to survive. Since these corals require moderate to high levels of
lighting, it may be suffering from lack of light. You didn't mention what
type of lighting you have so I cannot comment further. James (Salty Dog)>
Neuroscientist or Reef Aquarist? - 03/29/06
Hello,
<Hi Dan, Adam J. with you this fine-afternoon.>
I bought a "rare" Trachyphyllia from the pet store about 2 weeks ago.
<Okay.>
It has a dark purple rim, with a pinkish blue center. I haven't been able to
find a picture of one like it so I assume it is a bit rare... Anyways All of
my tank parameters are good, my lighting is 440 watts VHO on a 75 gal, and I
feed it mysis every couple of nights. It has been getting better, but there
is an area near the rim where a piece of its skeleton has broke off and it
is just laying sideways in the tissue. I can see it in the tissue because
the area is bleached and it looks like it is slowly dying there. It is a
thin piece about the size and shape of a dime. My question is, should I let
it handle the problem itself or maybe try to make a small incision with a
razor and remove the broken piece of skeleton.
<If the “dead” area does not appear to be spreading I would leave it be for
now….continue to provide optimal water quality and keep nutrients low, I
have seen many a brain perish because the owner allowed algae to colonize
exposed skeletal areas.>
Thanks, Dan
<Adam J.>
Trachyphyllia health question 3/10/06
I've been reading, reading, reading (Aquarium Corals, Book of Coral
Propagation, and this great site!), and I've come to a dead end. I'm
learning a hard lesson about not quarantining corals...
<... no fun>
Last week I received an order of corals, including three acropora frags. They
were shedding quite a bit of mucus from the stress of the trip. I placed them
in the bottom of the tank to acclimate, near my two open brains.
One of my brains has been having issues ever since - mucus, and this deposit
of white stuff on the brain. I've long since moved the Acros to their final
positions.
From what I've read I'm sure this is the result of the noxious mucus of the
Acro, but haven't found anything on what, if anything, should be done about it.
<Time going by, some addition of iodine/ide/ate...>
Any insight/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks much, your fan, Kimberly
<Bob Fenner>
Open brain unwanted growth 11/6/05
Hello.
<Hi there>
I hope you can help with this one as you have in the past. I have a green open brain coral that has grown green hair algae that has exposed some
of its skeleton.
<Mmmm, what came first, the chicken/algae or the egg/damage, conditions that induced this?>
I have removed it frequently but seems to grow back worse. Others have suggested that I use a Dremel and drill out the algae like a
tooth cavity.
<Mmm, better to seek out what is "too much" or "too little" here and change the circumstances in the system to favor the Trachyphyllia>
Before taking such a drastic measure I wanted to consult the pros. Your wisdom is eagerly anticipated by my coral and I. Thank you for
your time
<Do a read over of our area covering the species/family: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachyphlliidae.htm
and the linked files above... hopefully "something/s" will "jump out" at you re husbandry... that will shift the balance to the health of the specimen and away from the algae. Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Trachyphyllia Confusion - 11/06/05
Hi Crew,
<<Hello Agnes>>
I need your experience and knowledge.
<<I shall try to help.>>
I have two Trachyphyllia corals, one is a red and the other a green. They were
placed about the same height in my tank so the light and water movement was
nearly identical. My tank is a 110 gal. with a below tank refugium of about 25
or 30 gallons. The
ammonia and nitrites are zero and nitrates are below 40 <<Yikes!>>, I know the
nitrates need to be less and am working on it diligently.
<<5ppm or less>>
I keep the sg at 1.024 to 1.025.
<<Very good>>>
I have an RO/DI unit on order which should have been here yesterday
and didn't make it yet. I have well water so no chlorine, it is a deep well and
has less minerals than some but can still have enough to cause problems.
<<And possibly trace amounts of pesticides, heavy metals, nitrates, etc..>>
That's the reason for the RO/DI unit. Several days ago I noticed that the green
coral was not opening very much, it has done so beautifully until then. But my
red coral is opening just as much as ever, maybe even more so.
<<You don't mention your lighting or "where" in the tank these corals are
placed. Tis possible they are getting too much light, though honestly I would
have thought the red brain to be mal-affected first if this were the case.>>
What is the difference between these two besides the color which can cause one
to look so poorly, it may even be dying?
<<It may be that the one was in a more weakened state when acquired. For certain
the high nitrate levels are not doing any of them good.>>
I'm doing water changes as often as I can and really watching the pH, sg, temp
and nitrates.
<<Good, keep it up.>>
I appreciate your help as always. Thank you.
Agnes
<<All things being equal, I think your nitrates are probably at issue here (have
you tested your well water re?), hopefully the RO unit will arrive soon. I would
also recommend employing some Polyfilter in a canister filter if possible...and
have a read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachydisfaqs.htm. Regards, EricR>>
Trachyphyllia Confusion 2 - 11/06/05
Thank you for your reply. This seemed like a good way to answer your
questions and give you more information.
<<Italicized is from previous correspondence, hope it's not too confusing!
Marina>>
"Trachyphyllia Confusion - 11/06/05
Hi Crew,
<<Hello Agnes>>
I need your experience and knowledge.
<<I shall try to help.>>
I have two Trachyphyllia corals, one is a red and the other a green. They were
placed about the same height in my tank so the light and water movement was
nearly identical. My tank is a 110 gal. with a below tank refugium of about 25
or 30 gallons. The ammonia and nitrites are zero and nitrates are below 40
<<Yikes!>>
I know the nitrates need to be less and am working on it diligently.
<<5ppm or less>>
I keep the sg at 1.024 to 1.025.
<<Very good>>>
I have an RO/DI unit on order which should have been here yesterday and didn't
make it yet. I have well water so no chlorine, it is a deep well and has less
minerals than some but can still have enough to cause problems.
<<And possibly trace amounts of pesticides, heavy metals, nitrates, etc..>>
That's the reason for the RO/DI unit. Several days ago I noticed that the green
coral was not opening very much, it has done so beautifully until then. But my
red coral is opening just as much as ever, maybe even more so.
<<You don't mention your lighting or "where" in the tank these corals are
placed. Tis possible they are getting too much light, though honestly I would
have thought the red brain to be mal-affected first if this were the case.>>"
[You are right, I forgot to mention the lighting. I have a fixture with 2 150W,
20000K, bulbs and 4 actinic blue lamps.
<<Mmm, could be too much light for the brain corals depending on their
placement in the water column.>>
I turn the blue lamps on about 2 hours before and off about 2 hours after the
MH bulbs, and the MH are on for about 8 hours a day.
<<For overall health/natural lighting, I would shoot for a MH photo-period of
10-12 hours.>>
My corals were about at the middle of the tank.
<<Better at/towards the bottom. Though they may be bright in color, most brain
corals don't require such intense lighting as you describe though many can/will
adapt, some of the "reds" will actually turn brown and/or decline from such
intense lighting.>>]
What is the difference between these two besides the color which can cause
one to look so poorly, it may even be dieing?
<<It may be that the one was in a more weakened state when acquired. For certain
the high nitrate levels are not doing any of them good.>>
[I got the green brain first and it was doing beautifully, it would open at
least 4 times it's closed size. I've had the green brain for about 6 months.
<<OK...you have me thinking it is the nitrates again...but these corals also
need to be fed...feeding once or twice a week with finely minced meaty foods is
recommended.>>
I got the red brain about 4 months ago and it never has opened anywhere near
as fully as the green brain but it was doing better lately. And now it looks
great!]
I'm doing water changes as often as I can and really watching the pH, sg,
temp and nitrates.
<<Good, keep it up.>>
I appreciate your help as always. Thank you.
Agnes
<<All things being equal, I think your nitrates are probably at issue here (have
you tested your well water re?), hopefully the RO unit will arrive soon. I would
also recommend employing some Polyfilter in a canister filter if possible...and
have a read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachydisfaqs.htm. Regards, EricR>>
[Yes, my well water tested zero nitrates and very close to 7 pH.
<<Be sure to buffer your makeup/salt mix water to bring up the pH.>>
Thank you again for your help. It sounds like the red brain is actually more
delicate of the two so I am at even more of a loss as to why my green brain is
looking so poorly. I had not added anything to my tank before this happened. I
have since added some new live rock that just finished curing. Maybe the extra
rock will help with the nitrates.
<<Maybe...but you need to determine the source of the problem and address that
as well.>>
I hope so, my green brain is still hanging in there, it opened weakly today so
it is trying. As always I am amazed at the amount of help you offer folks.
Agnes
<<Very happy to assist, EricR>>] | |
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