Open brain on a hunger strike

trilinearmipmap · #1 01-25-2005, 05:20 AM

3 days ago I received an open brain, Trachyphyllia radiata.

It is in a mixed LPS/softie tank.

All the other LPS (bubble, octobubble, torch, frogspawn, sun coral etc) get fed mysis every few days and they are doing great.

This open brain will not eat. When I put mysis on it the mysis does not stick to the coral and then when I turn the circulation pump on 10 minutes later the mysis blows off the coral.

All my water numbers are fine except lately the pH is up a ways (8.7) since the addition of my kalkreactor, none of the other corals or fish seem to mind this.

Hypotheses for the brain's behaviour include:

1. Shock/adjustment to shipping, cold exposure during shipping. I did my standard 1 hour acclimation for this coral.

2. Light shock -- he is on the sandbed 24" below a bank of T5 lights, could this be too much for him?

3. pH problems -- but then why are all the other corals fine.

Any suggestions or input would be appreciated, I am not used to an LPS that does not want to eat.

marie · #2 01-25-2005, 05:30 AM

Are you feeding it when the lights are on or off. Open brains put out tentacles at night to capture prey, that is when it should be fed

EmilyB · #3 01-25-2005, 06:27 AM

Relax and let it settle in. I don't think I fed my open brain directly ever...
but I have fish.

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #4 01-25-2005, 06:59 AM

My red open brain feeds best either late at night or first thing in the morning, while its tentacles are still out.

It also didn't eat for the first week or more. Now it will catch & eat mysis daily if I was to target feed it.

3 days is not very long, so don't worry.

Anthony

danny zubot · #5 01-25-2005, 02:19 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think food should stick to the fleshy parts of an open brain. They aren't made of the same composition as anemones. Their tenticles on the other hand were designed to grab food particles from the water column. Further more, after shipment or any other kinds of stress corals can temperariliy loose their protective slime coating, thus loosing whatever stickiness the coral may or may not have. Just my 2 cents.

Dabbler · #6 01-25-2005, 02:32 PM

Well just to let you know my brain is also on an ackins diet he may get something once a week (and thats not my choice it's his) He eats when he wants to I guess

trilinearmipmap · #7 01-25-2005, 05:31 PM

Thanks for the reassurance, I will give it a week and try night feeding. I had a peek last night and no tentacles came out.