open brain coral

cfmx · 05/09/2006, 10:22 PM

I have an open brain coral that doesn't seem to eat. I have tried offering it brine shrimp, frozen, shrimp, silversides with no luck. Out water seems to be fine the only problem where having currently is Nitrites are at 40 which is because the tank was moved when we bought it. We have other corals that are doing great (clams, leather, zoos).
Every site I look at it mentions they have tenticles but I don't see anything. I even looked after our light was off for a couple of hours and nothing.
Does anyone have an open brain that could take photos of these tenticles? I would really like to keep this guy alive.
Currently it has a clown fish using it has its host. The brain is located in the bottom corner of our tank w/ not a lot of current. There are no other corals close to it that could be stinging it.
Please help,
Tina

familyreefer · 05/09/2006, 10:41 PM

I have had my open brain for about a month now and he opens up every night. The tentacles extend from around the area between the "colored" area and what I would call the fleshy mantle. I have fed mine Mysis shrimp. Some times he eats and some time he "pukes" it back out. He sometimes appears to be trying to turn himself inside out. Kinda cool to watch. Usually does this after lights out. One other thing. He needs to be on the sand bed. I tried mine on the rocks and he wasn't looking too happy. The LFS informed me and I moved him to the sand and he's been a happy boy ever since. If he is looking OK to you I wouldn't worry if he doesn't eat. I would just keep offering and see if he takes it.

xtremedelta · 05/09/2006, 10:43 PM

I feed mine shrimp pellets

frederickk · 05/10/2006, 06:57 AM

Is it your nitrites that is 40 or your Nitrates?

Dan Thrash · 05/10/2006, 07:05 AM

how long have you had the brain? if it is new, just let it be. it will eventually send out tentacles when it gets hungry.

Paintbug · 05/10/2006, 09:12 AM

mine use to eat mysis when i first got it. and it would put his sweepers out at night. now it wont eat, and the sweepers dont come out at night. its been this way for a couple of months. being they are somewhat photosynthetic, im guessing its getting plenty of light.

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kevensquint · 05/10/2006, 09:27 AM

Not to say that its better not to feed them, but I had one for 4 years under no fluoresents and never fed it. It died in a long winter pwr outage. That being said, I would just feed the reef and he should get enough food that way.

ddhuyn · 05/10/2006, 11:03 AM

Need to test your water and make sure it good. Brain Coral really sensitive to water conditions.

cfmx · 05/11/2006, 07:15 PM

Just wanted to give a update.
Today the brain is larger then it has ever been and fully inflated.
Still no tenticles but I'm assuming its getting what it needs from the lights and water. Because it's so inflated I can't see where it was pulling away from the skeleton so I'm hoping this guy will recover.
Our nitrites are still at 40 (not nitrates). I have done another water change but assuming it is because we bought the system used. the guy only had about 20 lbs of live rock so we added about 60-70lbs. So I'm assuming the nitrites are high because the rock is going thru its cycle.
The brain we got w/ the tank. He (seller) had it for 2 or 3 years. We only purchased the tank about a month ago.
I have slowed down on feeding both the fish and corals until our nitrites come back down.
Marlin (clown fish) not to happy!
Thanks for all your help
I will keep you posted on this beautiful coral.

hhlhhl92 · 05/11/2006, 09:31 PM

I have an open green brain for 8 months now. I put it on rocks and it seems to be happy there. It inflates during the day and shrinks whenever the lights are out, and then it put out its tentacles. I do not feed it directly. Sometimes I squeeze brine shrimps towards it and it opens its mouth (?), the 'mouth' is located close to the inner most flesh. (Sorry that I have no idea about the names of the different parts of a coral.)

ACBlinky · 05/11/2006, 10:11 PM

If your tank is cycling, the brain is probably pretty unhappy. If it's refusing food, trying to feed it will only make the water quality worse so I'd leave it be for now. If your nitrites are 40, that's phenomenally high. Even nitrates of 40 are too high for corals IMHO, so regardless of whether it's NO2 or NO3, I'd start doing some serious water changes. Also make sure he's in medium light and medium/low flow, and preferably on the sand - being on the rocks can cause tissue damage when they open up, and overly bright light can really shock them.
Once the water quality is under control, he should start opening up at night; that's the time to start feeding him. I think these guys do much better with feeding, but that's JMO.

05/09/2006, 10:22 PM	#1
cfmx Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 1,199	open brain coral I have an open brain coral that doesn't seem to eat. I have tried offering it brine shrimp, frozen, shrimp, silversides with no luck. Out water seems to be fine the only problem where having currently is Nitrites are at 40 which is because the tank was moved when we bought it. We have other corals that are doing great (clams, leather, zoos). Every site I look at it mentions they have tenticles but I don't see anything. I even looked after our light was off for a couple of hours and nothing. Does anyone have an open brain that could take photos of these tenticles? I would really like to keep this guy alive. Currently it has a clown fish using it has its host. The brain is located in the bottom corner of our tank w/ not a lot of current. There are no other corals close to it that could be stinging it. Please help, Tina

05/09/2006, 10:43 PM	#3
xtremedelta Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: plano texas Posts: 199	I feed mine shrimp pellets __________________ Xtremedelta Current Tank Info: i have a 55 gal with invert crustations, about 80lbs of live rock, and other corals, along with a royal gamma, purple tang, blue tang, six line reef wrasse, yellow stripe marroon clown, scotter blenny dragonette and a mandarian dragonette

05/10/2006, 09:12 AM	#6
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	mine use to eat mysis when i first got it. and it would put his sweepers out at night. now it wont eat, and the sweepers dont come out at night. its been this way for a couple of months. being they are somewhat photosynthetic, im guessing its getting plenty of light. . __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

05/11/2006, 09:31 PM	#10
hhlhhl92 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Ontario Posts: 102	I have an open green brain for 8 months now. I put it on rocks and it seems to be happy there. It inflates during the day and shrinks whenever the lights are out, and then it put out its tentacles. I do not feed it directly. Sometimes I squeeze brine shrimps towards it and it opens its mouth (?), the 'mouth' is located close to the inner most flesh. (Sorry that I have no idea about the names of the different parts of a coral.) __________________ Corallife 220 skimmer, 2 x 900 Litres JBJ Powerhead, 20 gall sump with refugium, Corrallife PC 2x96, 65 gallon tank, 55 lb LR, 20 lb. LS

05/11/2006, 10:11 PM	#11
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	If your tank is cycling, the brain is probably pretty unhappy. If it's refusing food, trying to feed it will only make the water quality worse so I'd leave it be for now. If your nitrites are 40, that's phenomenally high. Even nitrates of 40 are too high for corals IMHO, so regardless of whether it's NO2 or NO3, I'd start doing some serious water changes. Also make sure he's in medium light and medium/low flow, and preferably on the sand - being on the rocks can cause tissue damage when they open up, and overly bright light can really shock them. Once the water quality is under control, he should start opening up at night; that's the time to start feeding him. I think these guys do much better with feeding, but that's JMO. __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

05/09/2006, 10:41 PM	#2
familyreefer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Augusta Ga. Posts: 206	I have had my open brain for about a month now and he opens up every night. The tentacles extend from around the area between the "colored" area and what I would call the fleshy mantle. I have fed mine Mysis shrimp. Some times he eats and some time he "pukes" it back out. He sometimes appears to be trying to turn himself inside out. Kinda cool to watch. Usually does this after lights out. One other thing. He needs to be on the sand bed. I tried mine on the rocks and he wasn't looking too happy. The LFS informed me and I moved him to the sand and he's been a happy boy ever since. If he is looking OK to you I wouldn't worry if he doesn't eat. I would just keep offering and see if he takes it.

05/10/2006, 06:57 AM	#4
frederickk Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 2,712	Is it your nitrites that is 40 or your Nitrates?

05/10/2006, 07:05 AM	#5
Dan Thrash Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 578	how long have you had the brain? if it is new, just let it be. it will eventually send out tentacles when it gets hungry.

05/10/2006, 09:27 AM	#7
kevensquint Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: new york Posts: 2,277	Not to say that its better not to feed them, but I had one for 4 years under no fluoresents and never fed it. It died in a long winter pwr outage. That being said, I would just feed the reef and he should get enough food that way.

05/10/2006, 11:03 AM	#8
ddhuyn Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 110	Need to test your water and make sure it good. Brain Coral really sensitive to water conditions.

05/11/2006, 07:15 PM	#9
cfmx Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 1,199	Just wanted to give a update. Today the brain is larger then it has ever been and fully inflated. Still no tenticles but I'm assuming its getting what it needs from the lights and water. Because it's so inflated I can't see where it was pulling away from the skeleton so I'm hoping this guy will recover. Our nitrites are still at 40 (not nitrates). I have done another water change but assuming it is because we bought the system used. the guy only had about 20 lbs of live rock so we added about 60-70lbs. So I'm assuming the nitrites are high because the rock is going thru its cycle. The brain we got w/ the tank. He (seller) had it for 2 or 3 years. We only purchased the tank about a month ago. I have slowed down on feeding both the fish and corals until our nitrites come back down. Marlin (clown fish) not to happy! Thanks for all your help I will keep you posted on this beautiful coral.