Green Brain has a little "discoloration". .

[Teremei]

A small spot of a few of it's outer ridges appears darkish orange/brown. From the pinned topic on the top of this forum it says a darker brown color is a result of high nutrient / low light. Does everybody else concur with that?

Could it be a result of low PH, not enough feeding, ect. .?

I have 220watt PC in a 55 gallon, green favites is on the sand. 10x turnover flow. Nitrates test 0, I suppose my phosphates could be a problem since I have a little hair algae and bubble algae. Temp 81, SG .026, CAL ~370, PH ~8.0 (I'm working on it)

LFS said maybe low PH. Since I've noticed it I've been doing more water changes, used some seachem buffer to increase PH, and increased it's feeding to 3 times a week with mysis and brine soaked in selcon. I know I'm doing the right things to help it. I just need some answers from some experienced coral keepers. .

Thanks!!

 

[MiddletonMark]

How are you measuring pH?
What's your Alkalinity?

How long have you had it?

Do you have a pic of it? Often VERY helpful in this circumstance

 

[Teremei]

I AM measuring my PH, I mentioned it was ~8.0 and I'm working on it with buffer. Alk I havne't measured lately I have an aqua pharm test kit and I'm working on getting a fastest or salifert for that. Brain looks better today.

Can you offer any thoughts of what it might be in relation to PH and Alk?

 

[MiddletonMark]

Alkalinity relates to the amount of carbonate/bicarbonate in the water.

Given stony corals [like the brain] use calcium paired with Alkalinity/carbonate to create skeleton/grow ... IMO Alkalinity along with Calcium is vital for keeping stony corals [whether Acropora or brain].

I have found when Alkalinity is low, then pH will fluctuate more day to night and often run on the lower side. As I understand, Alk in the 7-9 dKh range [maybe above] will help stabilize the pH variation.

pH changes due to a number of factors, but alkalinity relates directly to these [as does CO2 levels, other factors].
See Randy's article for more [http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/rhf/feature/index.php]

 

[Teremei]

I have been working to raise the PH and get alk and cal at proper levels. The brain is now doing much better.

But I just noticed something, and I've seen this before too. There have been a few occasions where I would see this white stringy cottony "weblike" stuff come off of corals. And they aren't those "Filiments" that are used to sting other corals. It's very thin and threadlike as thin as spider webs. It almost just looks like a dusty collection of spider webs and lint (kinda like what you'd find under your couch). I've noticed it come from my shrooms once, and this time from around the brain.

Any ideas what this is?

 

[Teremei]

Here is the pic. . .

I've posted another topic but have yet to recieve help, so I figured I'd try to get attention any way I can. .

You see how it is brownish red on the ridges? And notice it lost some flesh and is showing skeleton on the bottom right? I moved some blue shrooms away from him do you suppose they were stinging him and he is just stressed out now?

TEMP: 81
N03: 0
SG: 1.025
PH: 8.0
DKH: 11.2
CAL: 380
220w PC w moderate flow, placed on sand.