Brain coral

[revbeason]

I have a 55 gal reef tank that has been established for a little over 1 year. I have (had!) a nice brain coral that apparently separated from it's base. It seems that the calcium level in my tank was way too low. I have resolved that issue by changing to Kent salt and keeping a very close eye on calcium levels. My question is this -- the brain coarl is still alive but has NO stablilty and just floats wherever the currents take it! Will it develop another base and is there anything I can do in the mean time to help stabalize it? I tried putting it in a piece of pvc but it would still come out and just float around. Thanks for any and all advice!

BTW I am new to this site so any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[basiab]

I have no idea if it can live but an easy way to stabalize it would be to put some screen around it to hold it in place. There is plastic 1/4 inch screen you can get at home depot. Or if it is small there are the baskets berries come in that you could tie down around it.

 

[revbeason]

Thanks. I will give that a try. SOmetimes it is about 4" in dia and other times it is about the size of a golf ball! It has been hanging in there for about 3 months now. I guess time will tell. Thank you for the advice. I will let you know what happens.

 

[molodets]

If you have no idea, or you are just assuming, or your are not sure but...
PLEASE DON'T PUT YOUR UNNEEDED 2 CENTs in!!! If you know, answer.
Hope everyone reads this in this forum!!
This hoby is extremely delicate, so please only the right answers, that is if you read (did reaserch), or have
experience in what you advice.

Don't mean to offend anyone.

 

[Ziggy]

Are you sure is brain coral????how is this possible???can you post pic of it???

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

Brain coral can expand pretty large but the base is not usually the size of a golfball if it extends to about 4". I've had 4 recently and it extends probably 1" from the skeleton max. When they engulf to their skeleton which is normally about ~1" smaller than the width extended. In my experience of course.

As noted by ziggy, a picture will help narrow down to make sure this is a brain coral.

 

[molodets]

+1

 

[basiab]

I had a brain coral that was 3 inches of skeleten and 6 inches when inflated. Now that I changed lighting it only extends to 4 inches. So it depends.
No offense taken mo, just read what I said not what you think I said.

 

[revbeason]

Thanks all. I will post some pics when I get home (at work now). The LFS sold it as a brain coral and it was fine for well voer 6 months. It began to separate from it's skelton and that process took about 1 month. The base or skelton is actually sitting on my desk at home! I will include pictures of it as well. Thanks for all the help.