Brain problem!!!!

[reefkprrn]

My metallic green brain coral is not happy. It has recently shrunk and now brown stringy stuff is coming out of the centers. What is going on? Also one small area has the skeleton showing. It was just purchased 2 days ago but the first day was nice and open and all flesh was juicy (for lack of a better description), everything else in the tank is happy.
Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - 2
Alkalinity 2.9
Calcium 450
pH - 8.1
Salinity 1.025

 

[AJO]

umm... alkalinity seems low. Is your pH droping at night?

 

[reefkprrn]

let me check right now....

 

[reefkprrn]

The pH is dropping at night currently it is 7.8-7.9 with Salifert test kit and I rechecked the alkalinity at 8.3 dKh or 2.96 mEq with Salifert as well. I thought the pH normally fluctuates from day to night?

 

[AJO]

pH dose fluctuate from day to night. Your alkalinity is fine I thought it was 2.9 dKh...lol
How long have you had you brain in this tank?

 

[AJO]

oops.. 2 days right?

 

[AJO]

How did you acclimate it?

 

[reefkprrn]

yes it's only been in the tank for two days but the first day it was really open like there was no problem. What happened? What are the brown guts coming out of it anyway? Thanks

 

[AJO]

Is this happening only after the light are off?

 

[reefkprrn]

It was acclimated to the tank over an hour, 15 minutes for temp in purchase bag then adding 1/2 cup of water every 5 minutes. Half of the water was dumped out half way in between the process.

 

[reefkprrn]

No, earlier today I noticed that part of the skeleton was showing but the flesh was still nice and juicy then went to watch the USC game came home around 9:45 the lights were still on and that is when the brain was shrunk. My son had called me about an hour before that and said that it's guts were coming out. I know that they shrink when the lights are off the rest of my LPS and softies do that as well.

 

[AJO]

umm...the only thing I can think of, is that it dose not like where it is in the tank. anyone else out there know what might be causing this?

 

[mikekman]

You don't think that maybe the brown stuff is poop?

I've had corals let off some waste and when they do that, they shrivel up and kind of look bad for a little while.

Do you have any fish or inverts that might irritate the coral?

 

[reefkprrn]

I don't know if anything was bothering the brain, I was watching football all day. I'll keep checking on it. Hopefully it comes back....

 

[chrisstie]

When a coral expels "brown stuff" its usually one of two things. The first of course actually is waste, but the second is zooxanthellae.

This is the symbiotic algae that lives in the coral's flesh, what soaks up light and gives the coral any extra energy it has, and also what lends the coral its color.

When an animal with zooxanthallae is stressed it can expel the symbiotic algae the same way it wastes and you may notice bleaching.

I would try putting the coral in a lower light area if possible or if not add a few layers of screen or other transparent material to slowly acclimate it to your lights.

Check at night to see if it opens its feeder tentacles. You may offer it mysis and if it takes it and eats it thats a healthy sign.

Most LPS corals can do great in higher light but need to be started in lower light. These tend to get more puffy.


Let me know if you notice any bleaching, your parameters seem perfect, so my guess is its the lights. The thing to consider with this is how your lights are different from store lights as well as where it was harvested in nature.

Hopefully this info helps. It could be many other things but this would be my educated guess