joem1cha3l
New member
I see the feeder tentacles out often but what can I get this guy besides trace elements and strontium?
Brain coral....What can it eat
- Thread starter joem1cha3l
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Gdevine
Premium Member
Joe - I know you're new to this so buying an animal that you want to add to your tank without any research is pretty common error by those new to the hobby. My recommendation is to by books on Fish and Corals that you can refer to BEFORE you make any purchase. Julian Sprung has a number of excellent books that you can use for reference just Google him and find a good price for his books.
As for your Open Brain coral below is a good starting point to read on the care of this animal. These corals need to be fed a couple of times a week and if you just purchased it, then my guess it hasn't had a good meal since it's been harvested.
Here's what I do; I take a liter bottle of soda and cut it about 1/3 from the top in half. Clean the edges with sand paper and then clean thoroughly. Place the soda bottle over the coral at night when it feeds. Then get a target feeder and feed through the opening of the soda bottle. Leave the bottle over the coral overnight and remove in the morning.
I feed a mixture of crushed pellets, cyclops and finely chopped mysis. These animals eat slowly so keep the bottle over them.
BTW, they like iodine and iodide so use Lugol's as directed
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachyphlliidae.htm
As for your Open Brain coral below is a good starting point to read on the care of this animal. These corals need to be fed a couple of times a week and if you just purchased it, then my guess it hasn't had a good meal since it's been harvested.
Here's what I do; I take a liter bottle of soda and cut it about 1/3 from the top in half. Clean the edges with sand paper and then clean thoroughly. Place the soda bottle over the coral at night when it feeds. Then get a target feeder and feed through the opening of the soda bottle. Leave the bottle over the coral overnight and remove in the morning.
I feed a mixture of crushed pellets, cyclops and finely chopped mysis. These animals eat slowly so keep the bottle over them.
BTW, they like iodine and iodide so use Lugol's as directed
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachyphlliidae.htm
Anemonebuff
New member
Anything small and meaty will do. BTW I rarely feed mine.
dancewithethan
Ethan M
Although it was not intended, my new dotted Goby found himself in the mouth of the Open brain. My lost the coral gain.
pledosophy
Active member
I have fire shrimp and peppermint shrimp that do not steal food from the brain or other LPS at night IME.
I feed mysis, silversides, and krill.
I feed mysis, silversides, and krill.
RokleM
Premium Member
Sorry, disagree. Many "meat" corals can go for extended periods without feeding under quality/sufficient lighting. As a matter of fact, most recommend NOT overfeeding these (your link even says MAXIMUM of two times a week, not needed twice a week). Overfeeding can lead to something referred to as "gut rot". Most LPS corals and anemone's can have this symptom. Acans, "meat" corals, BTA's, etc. In short, they get more food stuffed into them than they can digest and/or expel starting a "rot" processes internally.
My recommendation is to feed newly acquired specimens a couple times a week with small foods like mysis. Throw 3-12 mysis at it per mouth. Don't force it over dump more on than it can eat pretty rapidly. As it maintains health and adapts to the light, back feeding of to once or so a month, or whenever you spot feed some of your other LPS.
If you see it "lightening" or "bleaching", then increase feeding slightly and move it to a more shaded area (assuming it's under some decent T5/MH lighting).
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