Quick Brain Question....

[SaltyKitty]

I've had my eye on a yellow open brain at my LFS for awhile, and I wanted to make sure my lighting would be good for it. I have the 96 watt Coralife 50/50 on a 16 gallon- is that enough light to put the brain at the bottom of the tank in the sand??

[SaltyKitty]

Edit- Did some more searching about the brain and it seems open brains dont normaly come in yellow- does this mean it's bleached?

[MiddletonMark]

Probably. Describe the yellow ...are we talking maize-yellow ... or faint yellowish green sorta luminescent [assuming second].

How long have they had the brain? What lights is it under?

Is there any skeleton showing? Showing through the flesh [can you see the ridges?]
Does it appear to inflate/deflate normally?

[SaltyKitty]

Thanks Mark :) To answer your questions:
1) It's a very light luminescent yellow with cream and darker yellow stripes.

2) They have had it for about two months under MH near the top of the tank perched on a rock.

3) No skelton showing, it always looks the same when I go in there- It's always been inflated when I have seen it.

[MiddletonMark]

Well, bleached [if on the rocks, under MH's] is unlikely ... almost would wonder if it's getting too much light.

Hopefully someone else will chime in. I'm pretty iffy on it ... the 2 months is good, then again if it is discolored ... not good.

But back to the top this goes :)

[masterswimmer]

Ask the LFS if you can take a pic and then post it here. Would help you more that way. He shouldn't mind.

[SaltyKitty]

Good idea- I'll try to get there and get a pic tonight or tommorrow

[markzfishn1]

Just looked it up in Aquarium corals. Open brain corals ( if it's actually a Trachyphyllia) are "reportedly found in deeper water and under shaded overhangs." So it's probably getting too much light at the lfs.

[MiddletonMark]

Oh yeah, on my sandbed mine was discoloring and shrinking once I put a good reflector on my MH [only 175w!]. Had to be moved to the PC-lit tank, where it's much happier.

But ... a mistreated coral in a store tank is not good to `save' IMO. If they harm it in their care, let them learn the hard lesson. They sell it ... they stock another and do the same thing. IMO, don't buy it if it's really hurting.

Then again, it might not be. Call me Mr. Wishy Washy :)

[SaltyKitty]

Thanks everyone.....I think I'll just get the plate that I KNOW is healthy instead of chancing it.

[MiddletonMark]

Well, either way, you gotta take a picture of what you get :)

[masterswimmer]

Originally posted by Strawberry
Thanks everyone.....I think I'll just get the plate that I KNOW is healthy instead of chancing it.

I've got a beautiful fungia repanda. Look into them too.

Russ