Lighting and Flow for Brain Coral

[mdog3000]

I posted this in the LPS section but Im not getting any replies. This is kind of critical because this is my main show piece and I dont want it to die. Currently I have a large brain located almost directly under a 250watt Metal Halide. Its about 16 or 17 inches deep in the tank. The flow it has is pretty solid, not horribly strong though. My question is that my brain looks like it is starting to bleach out. I say this because it is starting to get a whitish pale color in its center, when normally it is a vibrant green and purple. Is the lighting to strong or is it something else? I had in in another tank under the exact same pendant for a year and a half and it was fine, what could it be??? I also think that I fed it a little to much the other day, I usually on give it some pellets every two weeks but I think I poured just a tad to much. Could that be it?? By the way my Nitrates, Nitrites, and Ammonia are zero with my Calcium being over 400.

Hobby Experience: 7 years

[hyperfocal]

My T. geoffroi was doing great in my 60gal mixed reef, then I upgraded to 250W MH from 175W. It started to suffer pretty nasty tissue recession, losing most of it's 'lobes' and even suffering some recession back from the skeleton.

I've since moved it to a shady corner of the tank and have put a small rectangle of black acrylic on the bracing above it (for even more shade); it is starting to show signs of turning around, but I have a bad feeling about it.

So, in my experience, T. geoffroi does better under lower light levels. IIRC, this is what Borneman says in his book too.

[ahullsb]

I guess it could be a lot of things, but I would move it to a shadier area for a week or two and see if the light is shocking it a little.

[mdog3000]

I dont understand why it would be starting to suffer after all this time. I have just changed bulb types, so could this change in par affect it?? Ill try moving though.

This is what it looked like before it started to get pale.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b25/Mdog3000/DSC_0393.jpg

The paleness is mostly in the center, not everywhere.

[hyperfocal]

No idea. I doubt you'll ever find a 'smoking gun.' Moving it is probably the easiest solution so the one to try first :-)

[ahullsb]

I would check your calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. I would also check your ph. If this isn't from your light shocking it, then I would bet money that one of those things listed above is off.

[ihopss]

Mine is in the shade with little flow,and doing fine.

[hyperfocal]

Mine was still struggling, even after being moved and shaded. In the spirit of "why the heck not" I dosed Iodine (2 drops of Lugol's in the sump of my 60 gal tank). Within a few hours, the trachy was puffed up and happier-looking than it had been in months. It's stayed inflated for 3 days now, and I think it's turned the corner.

This is purely anecdotal evidence of course, but worth a shot maybe?