Brain Problems. *More problem critters found....sigh*

[ScubaSteve]

If there is skeleton showing, try to keep it clean so you don't get algae growth. It'll heal much faster. Also, if it is starting to bleach make sure you try to feed it once it starts putting the tentacles back out again. The zooxanthellae feed off of the corals metabolic wastes, so if it starts to starve because of low zooxanthellae levels, the zooxanthellae will start to die off bleaching the coral further, which cause the coral to starve more and... you get where I'm going with this. It's a vicious circle and why bleaching can be so hard to recover from. Supplemental feeding will help keep its metabolism up and it will recover faster. DON'T FORCE FEED IT THOUGH!

[zum14]

Originally Posted by reefwars

Feeder tentacles and inflation are great signs and it looks like your on your way to a full recovery beautiful piece btw

Thanks, you should have seen it when I got it from whatcaneyedo. Super nice. I hope it gets there again.

Originally Posted by ScubaSteve

If there is skeleton showing, try to keep it clean so you don't get algae growth. It'll heal much faster. Also, if it is starting to bleach make sure you try to feed it once it starts putting the tentacles back out again. The zooxanthellae feed off of the corals metabolic wastes, so if it starts to starve because of low zooxanthellae levels, the zooxanthellae will start to die off bleaching the coral further, which cause the coral to starve more and... you get where I'm going with this. It's a vicious circle and why bleaching can be so hard to recover from. Supplemental feeding will help keep its metabolism up and it will recover faster. DON'T FORCE FEED IT THOUGH!

I will do that. Thanks very much. How do you force feed it? I sort of just use a large opening turkey baster and let the food casually drop out of it and float across the coral?? Usually it snags it with a tenticle then.

[MrGoodbytes]

It looks like it would be a gorgeous piece when fully coloured up. I agree that lower light and more food would help. Good luck bringing it back and keep us updated .

[ScubaSteve]

Originally Posted by zum14

I will do that. Thanks very much. How do you force feed it? I sort of just use a large opening turkey baster and let the food casually drop out of it and float across the coral?? Usually it snags it with a tenticle then.

What I mean by force feeding it is overfeeding. Once it starts to grab food, only give it little bits at eat feeding until it gets healthy, then start giving it more. It takes energy for it to digest food; if you over feed it, it cannot properly digest it all and ends up spitting it out having now wasted energy and not eaten. That's a bad thing for an already weak coral.

[zum14]

Originally Posted by ScubaSteve

What I mean by force feeding it is overfeeding. Once it starts to grab food, only give it little bits at eat feeding until it gets healthy, then start giving it more. It takes energy for it to digest food; if you over feed it, it cannot properly digest it all and ends up spitting it out having now wasted energy and not eaten. That's a bad thing for an already weak coral.

Ahhh. Ok well that makes sence. I will definitly watch out for that. Thanks again for the help.

[zum14]

So any particular food you can suggest that may be best for feeding it till it gets healthy again?

[ScubaSteve]

I typically feed chopped up mysis or other phosphate/nitrate free sea food (read: fresh!). I'm been wanting to try the new Fauna Marin LPS pellets as I have seen and heard good things (youtube it... corals flip out over it) but I haven't found anyone near by who has them yet.

[zum14]

Well a bit of an update. I have been spot feeding with only my top notch food and raised my lights up to 24" above the tank as it seems the other brain I got from the LFS (long story) isnt taking any food and doesnt seem all puffy and inflated either. So I kept thinking it was lighting (see "lighting question in DIY) , water quality (tested everything again tonight and only things that seemed a little off was my phosphates were at .20 approx and my calcium was a little low at 380 but i am due for my waterchange) , food quality. Something im doing wrong. So during spot feeding a bit of mysis I noticed something very interesting. The piece of LR its near has had the sand pushed out from it. I thought it was just my tigertail moving around a bit as ive seen it in the area. HA! Not with my luck. I just got the two xanthid crabs out. Yaaa. So im totally not sure exactly what it is... I saw these antennae about 4 or so of them 1/2" to 3/4" long flickering. Looked at it and *poof* gone. Instantly I froze, watched. I saw antennae again and a claw come out and grab a small piece of mysis. It seemed a purpleish red color. From what I saw it had a hard dome head. Unfortunatley I dont really have an idea of what the front of this thing looks like all together as I only caught glimpes of it in pieces. I searched eunicid worm and it has the same kind of antennae but no claws. Looked like a crab claw but what i saw from the front quick it was no crab. Anyone have any ideas? Im guessing its going to be a pull the rock he lives in and try for a removal or smash but Id like to make sure hes the problem before I rip into the reef. Sat for an hour watching this area with a camera after and nothing. Ill have it out for feeding time tomorrow and see if I can snatch a pic. *sigh*