Trachyphyllia (sp)

[joker577]

In recent months I've noticed a downsizing of my open brain to being open all the time to hardly being open at all. All my levels are and have been in check, I run 2x250 14000k MH for 11 hours each day and it seems the brain only puffs out a little after they go back off...it seems weird to me since it was opening before in the light.
This picture was a few months back:

Here it is now:

sometimes it doesn't even get like that until the lights go back out...what could it possibly be!

 

[Coral Ranch]

hi joker
is he still feeding? Do you have anything that may be nipping at it.My coralbeauty nipped at mine.

 

[jezzeaepi]

Try moving it under one of your rock ledges. They dont like a lot of direct light and 11 hours of MH is a TON. Most run theres 8-9 hours a day. Also, try feeding it every few nights. If its not putting out tentacles just keep trying every day till it does.

 

[burning2nd]

to much light?

i wouldnt feed the tank in attempt to make it open...

you could be burning it. change in flow? after the rescape?

 

[jezzeaepi]

to much light?

i wouldnt feed the tank in attempt to make it open...

you could be burning it. change in flow? after the rescape?

When the coral is not getting enough food often it will have a deflated apperance. Feed it atleast twice a week and you will have a happy trachy.

 

[joker577]

It does seem deflated but its just weird since before it was doing fine with a 12 hour photoperiod, I feed the tank rods food/mysis/ cyclopeeze/and dt's dried phyto in a mix every night so I don't see how it's not getting fed!

 

[dnjan]

Most people target-feed open brains (as opposed to just relying on tank feeding).

 

[jezzeaepi]

Aye you really have to target feed them. Made that mistake with a beautiful specimen of my own. I target fed him twice a week, then stopped for a few months and it just slowly withered away =\ I should have stuck to my own advice.

 

[morgan]

i disagree with the lighting comment both of my trachys are in the top 6inchs of the tank placed on rocks with good flow they are alomost directly under the 400watt mh and open nicely atleast once a day if not every day feeding is important with any coral but especially lps
i have to say that my new wave pumps have made alot of my lps open very nicely and they seem to enjoy the wavey action alot

 

[lundy24]

I agree with too much light. How long have you had it in the tank? I have a red/green brain that bleached under 150W at the bottum of my tank. It also stopped inflating. Moved it under an overhang and fed it weekly and it recovered in a couple of months. You might give that a try as others have suggested

 

[morgan]

here is a cropped pic from my tank a couple of corals have moved but i have not moved my trachys for over 6months and u can clearly see the bright green on is only inches from the water surface and there is another one located below it, when i kept these on the sand bed they never did good if u must keep it on the sand cut a piece of pvc to keep it off the sand so it can expand fully
spot feeding brine and mysis is very benifical

again trachys love light and good water flow can be the key to getting them to expand fully