Brain Coral, Trachyphyllia questions??

[idreif]

I am new to a reef tank. I have a 35Hex tank with a protein skimmer, fluval 404 canister filter, prizm protein skimmer and 2x55w pc. In the tank is 6 seahorses which i've had for 1 year.

My LFS told me that the brain coral was eay to keep. I have had him for 2 weeks now and he is still "closed up" like a figure 8. I never see him open. I see the small tentacles come out and what looks like a mouth inside. I have been feeding him the filter food Micro Vert. Am i supposed to give him anything else??

I am afraid that I am not keeping it right. ANy advice???

Water params are
o ammonia
o nititre
30 nitrate
1.025 salinity
temp 79
ph 8.2

use ro/di water
:?:

 

[monkeyboy]

For starters you're feeding him the wrong thing. Open brain corals like chunks of meaty seafood, the liquid invert food isn't getting eaten to much of a degree. I would try pieces of fish, shrimp, clam etc once a week when its tentacles are out. Not sure why it's not opening though, could the sea horses sometimes be hanging on it? Just give it time and the occasional feeding and it should be fine. HTH

 

[idreif]

would frozen mysis suffice?? thats what i feed the seahorses(who stay away from it) What do i do..just drop some pieces onto/into it?? once a week??

 

[Anonymous]

idreif you have high nitrate.

 

[Lynn]

I have mine up by the lights and I feed it probably more then necessary but every other night or so I give it brine or mysis (frozen) It's tenticles come out each night. Give yours time, it may just be taking a while to adjust. Try to give it something when its wanting to feed. Also I think your nitrates are a little high? that might be bothering it??

 

[idreif]

i will try giving it some mysis tonite. My nitrates have always been at 20-30. nothing i do brings them down!!

 

[Anonymous]

ideif wrote;
"My nitrates have always been at 20-30. nothing i do brings them down!!"

try ditching the fluval. at least pull out the media[/quote]

 

[idreif]

any suggestions on a type of filter to replace??

 

[Anonymous]

reef aquaria as a generalization uses only a protien skimmer for mechanical filtration, biological filtration is usually performed by live rock, deep sand bed, or plenum. many reefers use activated carbon on occasion to rid water of tannins and dissolved organic matter that the skimmer can't remove. i suspect your fluval is chock full of organic matter that slowly decomposes raising nitrate levels.