Brain Coral Dying HELP!

[tmtmtm]

Hi I have purchased a brain coral (let me call it Brain A) recently and placed it at the very bottom of my tank. It looked alright for a day until I dosed Polyp Lab ONE (to supplement calcium, magnesium and KH) on the 2nd day after it entered my tank, then it started showing its skeleton. In an attempt to save it, I tried feeding it shrimp but it shrinks even more. It has been a week now and it started opening its mouth. It inflates a lot, and shows its tentacles when I dose amino acid, iodine and strontium at night (while lights are still on, but dimmer) as my daily routine. All other corals including brains which has been in my tank for quite awhile look perfectly fine and healthy.

I purchased another brain despite the above issues with Brain A. It looked fine and has no skeleton showing until I fed the tank with shrimp. Now this brain is slowly showing more skeletons again.

Can specialists here advise what is causing the issues with my new brains? Should I not feed anything in the first few days until they get used to my tank? And what can I do to save it/them? Your help is much appreciated!!

My parameters are as follows:

No3: 2.5
PO4: 0.01 or less
Temperature: 25C
Salinity: 1.025
KH: 7.7

 

[Seyoz]

Your probably burning them, sounds like should take some tank water out with cup and dilute dosage. And when filling tank beware to have hand at surface to diffuse addition of these diluted element.

 

[Seyoz]

Could be top off, if topping off sump or filter in nano back filter area. The return pump could be blowing unacclimates concentrations of chemicals used,and/or rapid zoothanella lost from cells shocked from salinity and pH swings. Or calcium literally acid burning all meaty tissue of polyp over calcium skeleton.

 

[Seyoz]

Usually they feed at night, until fully acclimated to tank. On reefs corals open at night cause reef eatting fish cannot see the meaty tissue to eat. Plus currents pulse and coral gets used to ecosystem/biotope.

As coral understands your feeding schedule, currents and the fact no reef eatting butterfly's while open up at different schedualled feedings.

 

[Seyoz]

If you feed weekly verses more often, chances are Brains gonna close while digestion, then as opening up to feed will inflate tissue extending feeding tencles... If feeding to much might not filter feed as often...

Not as inflated, and reallying on algae in meaty skin tissue.
Algae called Zoothanella, a symbiotic algae that creates simple sugar that feeds coral by coral pulling sugar from photosynthetic algae in skin membrane.. very similar to clam in many aspects...

 

[Seyoz]

If major color fade, or loss of more vibrant( red into brown), (red to white) loss is called Bleaching....Temperature more than 2-4° raise in temp, topping off, water change of more than 2° instant zoothanella loss.

If brighter color brain, bottom and slightly shaded. Slowly move into light over week time...If coming from brighter still lower placement.

 

[tmtmtm]

Thanks for your reply Seyoz. So should I stop dosing and stop feeding for now and let it recover on its own? I'm aware changing 1/3 of water might improve its condition?

 

[Seyoz]

And last tip, if you bum coral! Drop rock on Coral! Or if inflated and bumps into hard surface this coral will look as yours does. When tissue damage between meaty tissue of polyp and calcium skeleton can definetly make look like second picture.

If any of the above doesn't set well, chances are your still learning and don't be to hard on yourself.

Best bet if tissue damage, keep nitrates, ammonia and phosphate low as possible and daily doses of iodine help tissue damage..
Phosphate limitation keeps calcium skeleton exposed to stay algae free. If algae invades tissue damage will slowly kill living tissue left!

 

[Seyoz]

Don't adjust anything now, way to late. Let it take course overnight. Could dose iodine in corner of tank... Make sure if he inflated doesn't hurt himself on nearby Rockwork.

 

[Seyoz]

Could gently wave slimecoat off of damaged areas.

 

[Seyoz]

But get water test. So you can go back through text and identify your situation better so freaking out tonight.

 

[tmtmtm]

Thanks Seyoz! Hope it heals..

 

[tmtmtm]

Should I do a water change tonight?

 

[Seyoz]

Good morning, is everything alright? What happened went to sleep hour later.

 

[tmtmtm]

Things are the same. At night, it inflates with mouth slightly opened. In the morning, it deflates showing skeletons and with a bigger opened mouth. I guess I can not do anything at the moment except changing 10% water every day.

 

[tmtmtm]

i have also placed it in a septa (few days ago) to help prevent sea cucumber/fishes from bothering it and provide a more "quiet" less flow environment..not sure if that helps or not.