Open Brain doesn't extend anymore

[VoiceInTheDeser]

I've had a Trachyphyllia for close to a year now and it's been mostly happy for most of that time. For the first few months, it inflated and extended it's feeder tentacles pretty much every day. As such, I was spot feeding it several times a week with Mysis and it always grabbed it pretty much immediately and pulled it in.

At about the 6 month point, I switched to LEDs. It took a bit to dial it in (I had it much too bright at first), but once I did, the Brain just didn't display the same inflation and extension that it used to do. It started doing it rarely, then barely at all. Now, I don't think I've seen it do it for close to two months.

Another change has been that since it stopped extending it's tentacles, my Mandarin has decided it's not threatening and has started picking shrimp right off it when I do attempt a spot feeding. The Mandarin has always been a bit of a bugger like that, frequently stealing spot feedings from my acans and other LPS (really only respects the Nem, will steal from literally anything else).

So I'm not sure if I should be concerned. He seems healthy enough, if a bit smaller because he no longer inflates. No loss of color or anything, just refuses to feed.

My thought was that maybe with the new light being a more concentrated source and better penetrating, maybe he simply doesn't need any extra food anymore and is getting all he needs from his photosynthetic algae.

Any input is appreciated.

 

[Reef Frog]

Was just wondering if it puts out the feeding tentacles out in the dark & you're just not seeing them.

Your idea about the light-feeding relationship doesn't sound far fetched. I've wondered the same thing with other LPS corals like acans & candy canes for example.

Just a little less inflation doesn't sound bad as long as there aren't additional issues like tissue recession or bleaching. Do you have any before/after photos?

 

[VoiceInTheDeser]

Was just wondering if it puts out the feeding tentacles out in the dark & you're just not seeing them.

Your idea about the light-feeding relationship doesn't sound far fetched. I've wondered the same thing with other LPS corals like acans & candy canes for example.

Just a little less inflation doesn't sound bad as long as there aren't additional issues like tissue recession or bleaching. Do you have any before/after photos?

I've checked multipe times in the middle of the night and have yet to see it in a different state. I do have some pictures. Now that I'm looking at them, there's a little more skinniness to them than I thought, but it's still not like there's any visible skeleton and there never has been. He's more or less looked like this for a few months now.

Before with tentacles out under t5s

Now, under LEDs

 

[Reef Frog]

I don't see any obvious signs of distress. If you do, getting it in lower light would be the thing to try. Did any other LPS start to suffer when you converted to LEDs.

 

[VoiceInTheDeser]

Not that I noticed. Tonight, I moved it slightly off center, so it well get a little less light now. We'll see how it does in a few days. Thanks for your input.