Lobophyllia care

b0bab0ey · 05/03/2011, 01:39 PM

I have a small brain (pretty sure it's a lobo) in my 58g reef that just hasn't looked right since Day 1. Day 1 was several months ago, btw. Now it seems like it's receding. I've tried placing it all over the tank, different flows and it just keeps getting worse. I am running an Icecap 660 w/4 UVL VHOs in this order:

actinic white
super actinic
454
actinic white

My candy cane & frogspawn are doing great! Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions?

BadSquishy · 05/03/2011, 02:55 PM

Does it look like its bleaching or just receding? Does it show any feeding response?

I purchased a lobo last year, it was pretty rough looking, many areas of exposed skeleton and zero feeding response. I put it in a low flow area, up off of the sand. I put a chunk of shrimp on it and stood guard on it for upwards of 40 minutes before it finally opened a bit and took the food. Its feeding response slowly recovered and now its a quite aggressive feeder and I no longer hand feed.

The best feeding response is to shrimp eggs (nutrimar ova).

I would recommend some patience and direct feeding. Get it eating and I bet it will recover.

b0bab0ey · 05/03/2011, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadSquishy

Does it look like its bleaching or just receding? Does it show any feeding response?

Maybe a little bleaching. Some of it's pink/red now look kinda purplish. It's definitely receding on the sides. It's "meaty part" used to hang over and now that's all but gone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadSquishy

I purchased a lobo last year, it was pretty rough looking, many areas of exposed skeleton and zero feeding response. I put it in a low flow area, up off of the sand. I put a chunk of shrimp on it and stood guard on it for upwards of 40 minutes before it finally opened a bit and took the food. Its feeding response slowly recovered and now its a quite aggressive feeder and I no longer hand feed.

The best feeding response is to shrimp eggs (nutrimar ova).

I would recommend some patience and direct feeding. Get it eating and I bet it will recover.

I've tried target feeding it 30 mins after the lights go out. I've tried mysis, brine and raw shrimp. Nothing. I've never even seen it's sweepers out. I'll try to post a pic tonight.

seapug · 05/03/2011, 03:27 PM

This is a somewhat common issue with Lobos, IME. I've seen it happen in my tank a couple times in the past. I have no idea what causes it or why it happens to some while others in close proximity are unaffected. I've had a couple recover but most just slowly wither away no matter where they are moved or how much they are fed. Would love to know a cause.

BadSquishy · 05/03/2011, 03:46 PM

I've only had this one lobo...so I can't offer any insight generally. My lobo was not bleached, but was severely receded and unresponsive.

The nutrimar ova is what I would use to illicit some feeding response as this seems to get the fastest, strongest feeding response out of my brain corals generally. Initially, I saw no feeder tentacles, only mouth pores. Now the feeder tentacles are quite obvious.

It may take a great deal of patience.

b0bab0ey · 05/03/2011, 07:33 PM

Here's two pics I took of the brain and one of my entire tank:

cody6766 · 05/03/2011, 09:27 PM

I almost lost a little lobo a while back. It just started to fade, shrink and die. I kept it in moderate to low flow and medium to low light and it eventually recovered. I fed it when it would take food, but mostly just let it do its thing. It took several months to recover.

BadSquishy · 05/03/2011, 11:20 PM

The pics don't look very bad at all...the frogspawn in the center is doing great...I bet you get this one turned around.

javsku · 05/03/2011, 11:59 PM

I bought my lobo from a LFS and it was ruff looking, I got a good deal. It had a slight orange color in the center and gray coloring on the outside. I started feeding it small cut up pieces of silver sides which it took every time. Now it's fat and healthy. The center is a super bright orange with a neon green mouth, and the outside meat part is bright orange with green. Definately starting to be one of my favorites.

b0bab0ey · 05/04/2011, 08:53 AM

Thanks for the replies! I'm gonna try to target feed some raw shrimp tonight. I'll also look into getting some silver sides and shrimp eggs, and try that. I'm currently cycling a 20 long w/T-5 lighting. I plan on putting my Xenia down there and use it as an Invert holding tank. Do you all think the lobo might do better under T-5 lighting (vs. VHO)?

Dubbin1 · 05/04/2011, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b0bab0ey

Do you all think the lobo might do better under T-5 lighting (vs. VHO)?

IMO yes it would.

Sheol · 05/05/2011, 05:18 PM

I've had similar problems whenever I tried Lobo in the past, Seapug. None recovered, they all experienced RTN.
I would've blamed my Cherub, but I never saw him even nibble at the corals.
I think it was some chemical from my 'shrooms that caused it myself..

Matt

05/03/2011, 01:39 PM	#1
b0bab0ey Moved On Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 2,564	Lobophyllia care I have a small brain (pretty sure it's a lobo) in my 58g reef that just hasn't looked right since Day 1. Day 1 was several months ago, btw. Now it seems like it's receding. I've tried placing it all over the tank, different flows and it just keeps getting worse. I am running an Icecap 660 w/4 UVL VHOs in this order: actinic white super actinic 454 actinic white My candy cane & frogspawn are doing great! Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions?

05/03/2011, 03:27 PM	#4
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	This is a somewhat common issue with Lobos, IME. I've seen it happen in my tank a couple times in the past. I have no idea what causes it or why it happens to some while others in close proximity are unaffected. I've had a couple recover but most just slowly wither away no matter where they are moved or how much they are fed. Would love to know a cause. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

05/03/2011, 09:27 PM	#7
cody6766 Super Best Friends! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: OKC, OK Posts: 3,772	I almost lost a little lobo a while back. It just started to fade, shrink and die. I kept it in moderate to low flow and medium to low light and it eventually recovered. I fed it when it would take food, but mostly just let it do its thing. It took several months to recover. __________________ "The moral is the chosen, not the forced; the understood, not the obeyed. The moral is the rational, and reason accepts no commandments." - John Galt Current Tank Info: Cadlights 60G Arisan II mixed reef with 2x MP40s and 24" ATI

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05/03/2011, 02:55 PM	#2
BadSquishy Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: San Jose, CA / Duluth GA. Posts: 71	Does it look like its bleaching or just receding? Does it show any feeding response? I purchased a lobo last year, it was pretty rough looking, many areas of exposed skeleton and zero feeding response. I put it in a low flow area, up off of the sand. I put a chunk of shrimp on it and stood guard on it for upwards of 40 minutes before it finally opened a bit and took the food. Its feeding response slowly recovered and now its a quite aggressive feeder and I no longer hand feed. The best feeding response is to shrimp eggs (nutrimar ova). I would recommend some patience and direct feeding. Get it eating and I bet it will recover.

05/03/2011, 03:46 PM	#5
BadSquishy Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: San Jose, CA / Duluth GA. Posts: 71	I've only had this one lobo...so I can't offer any insight generally. My lobo was not bleached, but was severely receded and unresponsive. The nutrimar ova is what I would use to illicit some feeding response as this seems to get the fastest, strongest feeding response out of my brain corals generally. Initially, I saw no feeder tentacles, only mouth pores. Now the feeder tentacles are quite obvious. It may take a great deal of patience.

05/03/2011, 11:20 PM	#8
BadSquishy Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: San Jose, CA / Duluth GA. Posts: 71	The pics don't look very bad at all...the frogspawn in the center is doing great...I bet you get this one turned around.

05/03/2011, 11:59 PM	#9
javsku Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sarasota FL Posts: 116	I bought my lobo from a LFS and it was ruff looking, I got a good deal. It had a slight orange color in the center and gray coloring on the outside. I started feeding it small cut up pieces of silver sides which it took every time. Now it's fat and healthy. The center is a super bright orange with a neon green mouth, and the outside meat part is bright orange with green. Definately starting to be one of my favorites.

05/04/2011, 08:53 AM	#10
b0bab0ey Moved On Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 2,564	Thanks for the replies! I'm gonna try to target feed some raw shrimp tonight. I'll also look into getting some silver sides and shrimp eggs, and try that. I'm currently cycling a 20 long w/T-5 lighting. I plan on putting my Xenia down there and use it as an Invert holding tank. Do you all think the lobo might do better under T-5 lighting (vs. VHO)?

05/05/2011, 05:18 PM	#12
Sheol Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Waxahachie, Tx. Posts: 3,610	I've had similar problems whenever I tried Lobo in the past, Seapug. None recovered, they all experienced RTN. I would've blamed my Cherub, but I never saw him even nibble at the corals. I think it was some chemical from my 'shrooms that caused it myself.. Matt