Brain Coral not opening - need advice

[hootond]

I purchased some coral from a very experienced aquarist. Everything I purchased has done fine except the brain coral. It's been a week since I moved it into my tank and it's not opening. How long should I wait before I conclude the brain is dead or dying? What else can/should I be doing to care for this expensive animal? (Water parameters are excellent - all other coral in the tank are open and looking healthy.)

 

[hops523]

What type of brain is it? What type of lighting do you have, and for what size tank? What are your parameter readings? Did you add anything else to the tank at the same time? Any pics?

 

[hootond]

Brain Coral

Brain Coral

Not certain the exact type of brain coral - the guy I purchased it from didn't know for sure. The "polyps" are normally brown in the center and an irridescent blue around the edges. I added two other corals the same day that came out of the same tank: a rock full of zoas and a frogspawn. Both of these corals are doing well.

This is a 70 gallon reef tank with a berlin filter, a refugium, and an oversized protein skimmer. I am running a high-end set of Coralife metal halides and have this brain coral near the top of the aquarium - I am told they need a lot of light.

I have attached a picture.

 

[hootond]

Brain Coral

Brain Coral

Type: Closed Brain Coral.

 

[hootond]

Photo

Photo

Picture as requested: http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=123330&thumb=1

 

[hops523]

I think I need a closer picture to tell, but if its a closed brain coral, it already looks open to me. Im pretty sure closed brains dont need too much intense lighting. Why dont you try and move it lower in the tank, and see how it does? Search google for pics of closed brains to see how others compare to yours.