I kill every BRAIN, WHY??????

[syilk1]

I cannot seem to keep a brain coral but seem to do well with other hardy species. Can someone tell me what I may be doing wrong.

Water param

SG 1.028
Nitrate 1-2
Temp 81
Ammonia 0
Lighting Aquatininc T5's
Kh 9
Calc 380

Here is pictures

It use to be huge 3x the size when I bought. Has shrinked down to this for a month now.

IMG]http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m208/syilk1/IMG_1214.jpg[/IMG]





Last picture position in tank.

[BLockamon]

This is a shot in the dark, but it may be getting too much light. I bleached my lobo once under VHO lighting, so it's possible you need to acclimate him to the T5.

Can you move him into a shaded area? Other reasons: Is something picking at it? I assume you are feeding since I see other healthy LPS.

[Peter Eichler]

LPS corals seem quick to bleach under a good T5 system. I have a 25" tank and have one Platygyra in particular that starts to bleach whenever it's not shaded. Just something to consider...

[jjmcat]

My brains are under 900 watts of MH and VHO with no problem.I wish I had the answer for you.I know once I had a problem with a mythryx crap chowing on one of my lps corals.Do by chance have any angels in your tank?



Have you tried making your photo period shorter?Man I feel bad for you losing such great creatures.

[elegance coral]

I agree with the others and think it may be lighting. Try moving some of those smaller rocks behind it and sliding it back where it will be more shaded and see what happens.
They are also pigs, so feed it often.

[porky]

I agree it may be getting too much light...

[marcsmith73]

Lower flow....Lower light on the greens, and get the salintiy down a tad. 1.25 would be great. Also bump that Cal. up a bit....

Are you feeding it?

[Amazon4]

Just a thought...

Is that a plate coral next to (in front of) it? Both the brain and plate need room to expand. Could the plate be stinging the brain?

[raddogz]

I just brought home a brain on Saturday. I turned off the main set of T-5's (set of 4 for the main, and pair of two as supplementary for a total of 6 T-5's) and fed it.

By Monday it was pooping, and as of yesterday the flesh was expanding and looking much better.

I was looking after a brain from a friend where it went down hill over the course of a couple of months. My guess is too much light and not enough feeding.

I will slowly be bringing my main set of lights back online as to not shock the coral.

[Faviaphile]

How many brains have you gone through? Do they all exhibit the same symptoms? Do you put them all in the same place in your tank?

[acroporas]

Well the first thing I notice is that your specific gravity is too high. You should lower it to 1.024. You calcium and alkalinity are both a bit low as well. It is unlikely that any of this is the reason why you keep killing brains, but it's still a good Idea to correct it.

I also doubt that it is from too much light. Green Trachophyllias usually do good even in the brightest lights.

I have too guesses.

1. Someone is eating it. The only fish I see in the picture is a Clarkii Clownfish, which is unlikely the culpret but are there any other fish in the aquarium? You do not happen have a Dwarf Angelfish (Centropyge sp.) in the tank do you?

Green Trachophyllia Brain corals (the coral in your picutre) are the best tasting coral. They are like candy, many fish which do not ever bother any other corals, can not resist the temptation of a green brain.

2. Too much water flow. Also, I notice that it is surrouned by corals which like very high water flow. How much water flow is your brain getting? Trachophyllia's need very low water flow. Too much water flow, will cause them to close up (and look like the one in your picture) untill they eventually die, when they are getting too much water flow.

[elegance coral]

This is my wifes brain just inches under a 175W 10K MH. It loves it here, but it took him time to adjust to this light. He was in the sand at first and I slowly moved him up to where he is.
Acroporas is correct that Green Brains do good in bright light. The problem is that they need time to get there. If I would have put my wifes brain where it is now when I brought it home it would have looked like yours.

[GreyHawk1968]

Check the underside of the brain. I have a Trac thats the size of a small dinnerplate and when it starts to retract during the day I have found some sort of growth under the mantle . I brush that gently and a day later it's back to normal.

[syilk1]

Well I am a dunbass becasue i read on here you dont neew to feed em so O never have, That n may be problme 1, I will also move to shafe if its not to late.

Thx

[sindacate]

could have been starved when you bought it

[cristhiam]

Also what kind of fish do you have, my sailfing tang loves to eat brains, also a blue tang I had a while ago, the brain was 3+ years and I end up selling it. You can put a half soda bottle on top to see if it expands.