lps help

[cfortin]

Alright I just recently added a lobo brain- red and I cant seem to keep it happy. This is my second one with no luck. I see the skeleton showing worse every week. If there is any one that could help let me know. I feed every three days and I am adding calcium, i dont know mabye its affecting the alkalinity too much or what. please help.
Thanks Chad

 

[dustin_P74]

what are your parameters and what kind of lights do you have and where is it placed

 

[cfortin]

no nitrates, no nitrites, water at 79.5, and ph of 8.49
i have two blue compacts with MH, unk. what size

 

[cfortin]

its placed in the middle of the tank on a ledge with moderate waterflow

 

[dustin_P74]

id put it on the sand bed. what kind of tank mates does it have

 

[Bifferwine]

Brains like to inflate and deflate. If it's placed on the rocks, there's a good chance it could hurt itself or tear its flesh when it blows up, and this injury could be fatal. It's better on the sand with no rocks nearby so that it doesn't rip itself open.

 

[cfortin]

alright ill try it on the sand any suggestions of additives or not for the lps to help in growing

 

[Bifferwine]

You know, when I got my brain, he started peeling off his skeleton too. Same with Doc's brain, that I noticed in a recent pic. I've had mine for a year, and it hasn't gotten any worse, but it hasn't gotten any better either. But it still acts normal. Give it some time on the sand before you throw in the towel with this one. It shouldn't need any special additives. Is your calcium okay (between 400 and 500)?? Are any fish or inverts nipping at it?

 

[ccCapt]

What are your calcium, alkalinity and magnesium levels?

 

[yote]

And salinity?

 

[dustin_P74]

and dont add what you dont test for

 

[JAG107]

Your brain won't improve its condition until you post a pic of it ;)
Biff has it right--put it on the sand, also they don't do so well under super intense light ( I think you said PC w/MH? Do you know what wattage and color temp the bulb is?)
I have my trachy in a 3gal picotope under a 9w 50/50 PC light and it's doing well. How is the color of it, is it getting whiter? If so, it might be too close to the light IMHO. Good luck, let's see a pic!

 

[cfortin]

soory guys Ive been at work for a couple of days. I will post a pic as soon as I get home

 

[Stupidsreef]

Your water param's need to be:

Calk 420---500
Alk 9---11
Mag 1300---1350

Lobo brain's don't need high WHITE (to your eyes) lighting. More of the blue or purple color lighting and not much of that. The need a medium flow rate of water. To much flow and they won't inflated & deflate like Biff said. They do best on the sand, under a overhang of a rock. Like somewhat shadowed. They will eat frozen foods like brine or mysid if you target feed them. But using a turkey baster if to close will cause then to close up and not get the food. They are a somewhat harder coral to care for.