Trachy brain bloated then skinny

[dustin323]

I've got a problem. I've been having a trachyphyllia brain for about 2 months. Recently within the past week or two in the morning it looks bloated & swollen. The sometimes it still looks bloated, but kind of a messy look. Sometimes it still looks uniform, just fat. Then sometimes it lookes super skinny & thin. Which I just got pictures of it looking that way. Here are my tank's specs;
55 Gallons
260 w PC, 2 atinics & 2 days
SG-1.025
PH-8.0
KH-9
CA-500
Ammonia-0
NitrIte-0
NitrAte-10
Temp-78.4-79

It is kind of close to candy canes, but it don't seem like their tentacles could touch each other. I know the nitrAtes are a bit high, I'm trying to fix that & adding on a refugium next week. Any ideas?

Here is a pic from the third when it has the uniform bloated look.

Skinny Pics

Normal

 

[coraladdict]

Do you feed it?

 

[dustin323]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8915082#post8915082 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by coraladdict
Do you feed it?

Yeah I do about once or twice a week. It hasn't been fed in days.

 

[scottflanagan]

you have to directly feed brain coral?

 

[dustin323]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8916882#post8916882 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scottflanagan
you have to directly feed brain coral?

They can catch stuff floating about with their feeder tentacles, but yes you can spot feed them. It is not a must from what I've read. Some say once a month, some say never, some say everyweek, etc.

 

[chrisstie]

I've had one that did that and just kept on going and .. disintigrated and im not sure why =\

 

[jessp]

they get real swollen and fat when they eat. also those crabs could be bothering it. also could be to much flow.

 

[dustin323]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8917380#post8917380 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jessp
they get real swollen and fat when they eat. also those crabs could be bothering it. also could be to much flow.

I know they get swollen when they eat, but this is happening at other times & to na higher level of getting swollen, then really skinny. The crabs aren't normally around it and it happens daily now. I think the flow is probally fine.

 

[coraladdict]

What else have you tried?

 

[dustin323]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8921905#post8921905 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by coraladdict
What else have you tried?

In terms of what??

 

[coraladdict]

Have you tried feeding it three or four days in a row,water change ,your nitrate are on the high side could be the cause.

 

[dustin323]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8922154#post8922154 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by coraladdict
Have you tried feeding it three or four days in a row,water change ,your nitrate are on the high side could be the cause.

No I havent tried feeding it more, but I'll give that a shot. I'm gonna do a nice sized water change this week & my refugium comes in so hopefully that can help me in that area also. Which I'm running bio-balls now, but won't with my new sump/refugium.

I usually do a 10% waterchange weekly, but I'm gonna do a bigger one tomorrow.

Thanks for the help.

 

[coraladdict]

Keep us posted...

 

[Miggsy]

Try feeding it with some red plankton down a length of tubing before the tank lights come on, it will still have its feeders extended with the lights off.

Mine takes loads of it.

Feed mine once a week.

 

[syrinx]

I have one in a tank I care for, and it is exibiting the same behavior. I have started feeding it some "real meals" of squid and whatnot instead of only the "dust"foods. It will only eat a couple times a week these bigger pieces, but in the last month its health has really improved.

 

[dustin323]

I've been feeding mine mysis shrimp. I may try something else if I can find it in town. Thanks for all the help everyone & I'm gonna do a nice sized water change today to bring those nitrAtes down. I'll let ya'll know if anything changes.

 

["Umm fish?"]

Mine's also doing the same thing. It has seemed to respond to daily feedings of frozen cyclops (and whatever else I think might entice it) through a feeding hat, but I don't think it's out of the woods yet. Anyway, straight mysis seems like it might be too large for my coral in its weakened state. And smaller stuff without the feeding hat seems to blow out before the coral gets a chance. So, small and plenty of non-current time to capture the food and digest is what I'm trying.

Good luck!

 

[dustin323]

Well yesterday I did a 10 gallon water change, usually I only do five gallons each week. Also I cleaned 1/4 of the bio-balls in old tank water along with the blue bonded filter pad sitting above the bio-balls that is replaced monthly. Also I cleaned two sponges that I have after the bio-balls. I have never though of cleaning these, but I did last night. Guess what I think that was my problem, I just tested my nitrAtes & they seem to be somewheres around 3-5 ppm. They were at 10. So that is good. The brain still looks a little strange, but maybe give it a little time. I pushed it slightly away from the candy canes & gave it just a tad of shade, since hearing a lot of people on here saying a little shade for them is good.