Can't Keep Brain Corals Alive

[FSOL]

Hey everyone.

I'm kind of frustrated. I just can't keep brain corals alive in my tank. The tank has way more sensitive corals thriving in it, such as many SPS corals, clams, other LPS and softies, but for some reason every time I put a brain coral in there, it just shrinks the minute I put it in the water, then never expands. Then slowly the tissue goes out and I'm left w/ the bare skeleton.

What's going on here? They look very puffy at the LFS, and the minute they hit my tank water, they shrink.

 

[theop]

Any leather corals? Certain leather corals (especially Lobophytum) can be toxic to LPS corals. This is just a guess.

 

[FSOL]

I have a yellow banana leather and what I think is a finger leather, BUT, the shrinking happens the minute the coral's in the tank. It doesn't happen gradually.

 

[shaggydoo541]

How long does the coral last? Do you keep putting the brains in the same place or do you try different locations? Is it in the sand? Hows the flow? I've found they are sensitive to too much water movement. Have they ever survived long enough to attempt a feeding?

 

[FSOL]

it's on the sandbed and I put it in a location w/ not much water flow. I have one brain that did last all this time, other than that none have survived.
Obviously when I brought it in from the LFS, it was deflated, cuz it was in the bag for half an hour, but even w/ careful acclimation, it never inflated in the water.

 

[bklynmet]

what type of lighting do you have? it may need to be acclimated to your lighting.

 

[reef211]

Hey everyone, I have the same problem too with my open brain coral, A friend gave me his green open brain and it was the size of my fist, but after a week or so it's been shrinking ever seen. I also have another open brain coral that i bought from the store and it not opening up too. I have a couple of toadstool leather in the tank with it. Here is a picture of my tank, the two open brain corals are on the sand bed. as you can see the red and green open brain is not doing too well.

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<img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b86/mikeaphan/aug78.jpg"><br><br>
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[FSOL]

I have 750W of MH lighting plus 330W of VHO's.

 

[nUgZ]

"I have 750W of MH lighting plus 330W of VHO's."
That right there might be the source of your problems. Try putting it in a shaded spot until it acclimates. Then you can gradually move it out to more light. With that much it might always need to be somewhat shaded.

 

[dvmsn]

I also have the same problem and also believe that light sensitivity causes the problem. Red brains generally come from lower light conditions than green brains. I literally have mine in the shade and it is doing much better. I have 2 x 400w 10k halides. I also have a really hard time keeping lobophelia/symphelia (sp?). I recently lost one that I had for several months after changing bulbs and I think that is causing the problem with them as well. I, like you, have a wide variety of "difficult" corals that are thriving. Bright lights will definitely cause contraction.

 

[Creetin]

Do you guys run carbon? I know when i had leathers i had to replace carbon religously or they would toxify the tank with chems

 

[Creetin]

opppa

 

[FSOL]

I have put it in the shade the last couple of days, but it's not doing any worse or any better. I think it is too late to have it recover, but I'll keep it there and hope it'll recover.

CREETIN - I run carbon 24/7

 

[christianstuba]

its been awhile, but reef, the reason yor brain may not be doing so well is that the fleshy part of the brain is in the sand. make it to where only the base is in the sand

 

[normanviking]

I have a Large green Wellesphillya (spelling) brain. My light are 1200 watts MH and 220 Watts VHO. It does fine in full light.

 

[CraigG]

Found out after nearly a week that my Eiblii angel was the reson my brain wouldn't stay healthy. Moved the brain back into my main reef and it plumped right up. Stupid coral nipping fish.

 

[Perureef]

for the record, all else being equal, which is "easier" to keep, frog spawn or a red open brain? Ive had problems with brains in the past due to current and a nippy fish. now all thats gone and this new brain might be successful. my frogspawn is huge though so a comparison might give me either hope or fear. thanks.

 

[CraigG]

I have my brain in a corner of my tank in low-medium flow, it has done great, it's actually getting a bit too big for the section it's in. My frogspawn gets mixed flow (wavemaker) and looks very happy and healthy. I actually had to frag a head off because it was getting to big.

 

[MiddletonMark]

I've only had good success with my Open Brain under 175w MH, 250's seemed to be too much.
To add, water flow and lack of food seem to make mine unhappy as well ...

That is, assuming we're talking about Wellsophyllia/Trachy-type brain corals.