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FAQs about Trachyphylliid Coral Disease/Health, Parasites, Pests 2
Related Articles:
Coral Pests and Disease; pests, predators, diseases and conditions
by Sara Mavinkurve,
Trachyphylliid Corals,
Trachyphyllia Reproduction Report,
Related FAQs: Trachyphyllia Disease 1,
Trachyphyllia Disease 3,
Trachyphyllia Disease 4,
Trachyphyllia Disease 5, & Open
Brain Coral 1, Open Brain Coral 2,
Trachyphylliid Identification,
Trachyphylliid Behavior,
Trachyphylliid Selection,
Trachyphylliid Compatibility,
Trachyphylliid Feeding,
Trachyphylliid Systems,
Trachyphylliid Reproduction, Stony Corals,
Stonies 2, Stonies 3,
LPS Stony Corals, Coral System Set-Up,
Coral System Lighting, Stony Coral
Selection, Coral Placement,
Foods/Feeding/Nutrition,
Disease/Health, Propagation, Stony
Coral Behavior, |  |
Receding Open Brain… Feed Me Seymour – 09/13/07
Hey guys,
Scott here.
<Hi Scott, Mich here.>
I have two open brains
<I wish I had two brains, the one I'm using right now is a little
tired.>
in my 38-gallon tank. They both sit on the bottom in
about 15 inches of water. Lighting is 2x96-watt, including actinic.
Between my hang-on-back filter and my water pump, I turn over my
water about 15 times an hour.
<In theory.>
The brains are
sitting about 10" apart. One is thriving and has grown noticeably
since I got it, the other is receding. The one that is doing well is
clearly a Trach. I'm not clear on what the other one is -- it is
flatter, deeply lobed but the lobes do not touch, and when the flesh
retracts it has spikes coming out of it. It is a yellow/cream color
in the middle, and dark maroon around the edge.
<Hard to tell
without a pic.>
I purchased these two about a month and a half
apart.
<OK.>
Anyway, my LFS advised me they didn't need
anything special in the way of diet, just some DT's, which I use
every week.
<I would offer meaty fresh seafood’s, Mysis shrimp
here.>
They both did well for a while, but about a month ago I
noticed that the one had its flesh receding from the outer edge of
the skeleton. LFS had no particular advice, said it should come
back, and to try moving it out of the water flow a bit, which I did.
No luck.
<Manual feedings may help.>
So I started researching
your site on what to do, and found that I should probably be feeding
it.
<Yes. Sounds like this brain would particularly benefit.>
For the past couple of weeks, I have been trying to feed it at
night. Some nights I use a soda bottle with the bottom cut out, and
a turkey baster to place some Mysis on top of the brain -- this
helps to keep the shrimp and crabs off it.
<Yes.>
Other
nights when I am feeling less ambitious, I throw some rotifers in
the tank about a half hour after the lights go out. The coral still
continues to recede, and is probably almost half gone now. Is there
anything I can do,
<Yes. You will likely have to increase the
frequency and perhaps the quantity of your feedings. These corals
can take in surprisingly large pieces, but I would recommend
anything too large. I would soak any foods provided in Selcon, a
vitamin/HUFA supplement, and suggest diced shrimp, scallops and the
likes be offered.>
or has this particular specimen reached the
end of its road?
<No! Certainly not. With aggressive feeding you
very well may be able to bring this specimen back. Good luck and
happy meals! Mich> Re:
Receding Open Brain… Feed Me Seymour – 09/19/07
<Hi Scott,
Mich with you again.>
Over the past two nights I have offered
frozen mysis and fresh-diced scallops, both soaked in Vita-Chem,
<Glad to read you are using a vitamin supplement. In the future you
may want to consider Selcon as it contains highly unsaturated fatty
acids, that I believe Vita-Chem is missing.>
but it does not seem
to be eating much. I placed the food directly on it with the turkey
baster and left it covered with the soda bottle all night. Would it
stress the coral too much to take it out and put it in a dishpan
filled with aquarium water to feed it, so I can do a better job of
placing the food near its mouths?
<Not at all. I think this is a
good idea. You can read how someone else did something similar here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dendroreprofaqs.htme:
The first couple
on this page start the story, but what you really want to read is
titled: Re: Feeding of Tubastrea.. Follow up to Baby Tubastrea
Timeline 8/7/07>
At the rate it is receding, I may only have a
couple of weeks left.
<I like your idea. It sounds like it is
time to be quite aggressive with your feedings, perhaps offering
multiple times per day. I wish you success here. Mich>
Re: Receding open brain 9/23/07
Hi Mich,
<Hi
Scott!>
Thanks for the Tubastrea link
<Welcome!>
(wow,
that's a pretty elaborate system).
<Yep! Sure is. Now that's
commitment!>
I'm doing something just slightly less
sophisticated. I take the brain out and put in a Cool Whip container
full of aquarium water,
<Simple works!>
and place diced
scallops on top of each mouth with a pair of tweezers. I've had some
initial success -- first two nights, two mouths ate; last night none
ate, but tonight three have eaten.
<Good!>
I haven't caught
it regurgitating,
<Well it will. The mouth functions as both
intake and output! Aren't you glad your mouth doesn't? Heehee!>
so I hope I'm dicing the stuff small enough.
<tiny balls of
finely minced food is best.>
I have been leaving the coral in the
Cool Whip container for 1-1/2 to 2 hours while trying to feed.
<Good.>
My new question is, how long can I comfortably leave it
outside the aquarium to see if more mouths will feed,
assuming
that room temperature is in the 70's?
<I'd try to keep the
temperature as close to the tank temp as possible. Perhaps there is
a way to support the containers and have them more or less floating
inside the tank so the water temp remains consistent. If you go this
route you will likely have the most success with feeding if the food
is offered after the lights are out.>
Also, I have been reading
the site tonight about laminar water flow, which is exactly what I
have. Do you think this might have contributed to my problem at all?
<If it is a constant direct flow, it could be a problem.>
I wish
I had a picture of the brain, but it is probably not healthy enough
for you to identify anymore.
<Actually, sometime it is easier to
identify when skeletal structures are visible.>
I can't find a
Google image that resembles mine at all.
<Send in a pic and
we'll see if we can figure it out.>
Anyway, I am thinking about
setting up another water pump on the opposite end of the tank so
that the two pumps would be
facing each other, to create more
random flow
<Would be better than have a constant direct flow.
Laminar flow is not bad onto itself. But constant laminar flow can
be a problem.>
-- although I also have a torch, branching hammer,
branching frogspawn, and candy canes that are happy and growing.
<Yikes! This could be your problem! That's a lot of Euphyllia and a
lot of allelopathy! This may very well be the cause of you brains
suffering. I hope you run carbon and change it frequently!>
Thanks Again
<Welcome as always.>
-- these kinds of details
don't always make it into the books,
<Mmm, much of it is in the
books, you just need to put it all together. This can be the
challenge.>
Scott
<Cheers, Mich>
Re: Receding Open Brain… Feed Me Seymour – 09/29/07
Hello
again, Mich,
<Hello again Scott!>
I'm attaching a pic this
time; after reading some more I have some suspicions about the
identity of this thing, but tell me what you think. Maybe if I know
what it is, I'll know if there's anything more I can do for it.
<Is/was a Trachyphyllia.>
Like I said in my first e-mail, it sits
about 9 inches from a trach that's doing great. Every night this one
eats something, but it continues to recede. Will it tend to do worse
before it gets better?
<AYE! This is in far worse shape than I
expected. I am very doubtful that you'll be able to bring this guy
back to health.>
I added a second water pump, perpendicular to
the first. I tried facing them at each other, but it was a little
too turbulent. I did change the carbon cartridge in my HOB filter,
but maybe you can tell me what you mean by "change it frequently"
(it's a Cascade 300, cartridges are about 7" square, half-inch
thick, pumps 300gal/min).
<Once a month, maybe even twice a
month.>
Allelopathy is something I wasn't warned about while
buying all my corals at the same LFS; when I finally asked about it,
the advice I got was that allelopathy is somewhat overrated
<I
would disagree, in fact, I think much the opposite.>
(as far as
getting this info from books, check this out: in Borneman's book,
there's no entry for "allelopathy" in the index).
<Borneman
covers it my friend. Check out page 73, the section on Chemical
Competition. He mentions it through out the text in reference to
specific corals as well.>
Should I step up water changes?
<Likely it wouldn't hurt, but I doubt that it will help this coral.
Though I hope I am wrong, I think this coral is just too far gone.>
If I didn't want to get rid of some of my corals, could I group them
together by type in opposite ends of the tank?
<Could help, but
eventually it will be a matter of survival of the fittest.>
Also,
I have not invested in a protein skimmer, because I have never had
any measurable nitrates/nitrites
in the tank,
<Surprising.>
and have read that over-filtering and -skimming can strip out your
water. I have been advised by two different LFSs that I don't need a
skimmer. Do you guys consider them a given?
<I do. I am currently
running a tank with out any fish and feed minimally and you would be
surprised by the skimmate that is produced. More here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i5/Filtration/Filtration.htm
>
Thanks too much,
<Welcome! Mich>
Scott | 
|
Sick Open Brain... – 08/02/07
Hello Crew,
<Hi Thomas, Mich
with you again. How is that goby of yours and his little pail? Heehee!>
I was given (more like took)
<Heee! I like honesty!>
a bleached
Open Brain. The person who I received it from had given up and the Brain
was the only thing showing any sign of life. The next step was the
dumpster
<Yikes!>
for this guy so I took it home hopping
<The
brain was hopping? Wow! Cool trick!>
to do the right thing. When I
quarantined it there was no sign of color in the outer ridge and the
center had and still has a light fluorescent green glow under the light.
I think it is a Trachyphyllia geoffroyi but it is too bleached to be
positive. I quarantined it for two weeks and could not get it to eat. I
have since moved it to my nano tank in hopes that it would find
something in the water channel to eat. I have noticed that the outer
ring is showing signs of pink coloring building up. This is a slow
progression.
<I hope you have strong lighting on this nano system.
Oh! I see you do!>
I still have not been able to feed it and have
read that this is a must if this guy is to recover.
<Yes.>
I have
used a turkey baster to put the food on the center section.
<This is
a good start.>
The meaty foods I have tried so far are clams, mysis,
and squid all soaked in Selcon.
<Good.>
They all float away and
do not stick to the brain.
<Here is the problem. You will need to
stop all circulation in your tank. Allow the food to sit on the center
of this brain. It may need to sit there for quite some time... perhaps
an hour or more. Hopefully you will see several small mouths open...
will look like slits in the center of the coral. Now here's the
challenge... during this time you will need to keep all potential
thieves away... i.e. fish, shrimp, crabs. Much easier said than done.
Plastic Strawberry baskets sometimes work or perhaps cut apart a plastic
two-liter bottle or gallon container.>
This assumption that the food
is supposed to stick may be incorrect on my end.
<Yes. This coral
basically needs to be spoon fed at this point because it has been
terribly compromised. >
I have also been adding Kent Phytoplex and
Zoomax to the water.
<Mmm... not a fan.>
My tank specs are as
follows.
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = <10
Phosphate = 0
Alkaline = 4 meq/l
PH = 8.3
Calcium = 360
SG = 1.024
Temp =
79 F
24-gallon tank
Aqua-c Nano Remora protein skimmer
150
watt MH light
2.5" live sand <Over 3 or under a half is generally
better than this in between amount.>
35lbs of live rock
The tank
is seven months old. I have gone through the FAQ's and read up on open
brains in two corral books <Hmm, cattle paddock?> trying to find out
what procedure I need to follow to bring this guy back to good health.
<See above.>
I asked the LFS if they would take him at first but they
stated that it needed to go in the trash. I don't believe this to be
true.
<Time will ultimately tell.>
If you could give me any
advise and point me in the right direction please. Thanks again for your
help.
<You are most welcome! Mich>
Thomas | 
|
Wellsophyllia Brain Swelling/Compatibility
Hello Again, Happy 4th
of July!
<Hi, Pufferpunk here. Happy 4th to you too!>
I'll make
it short and simple. 75 gal. reef tank. 100 lbs of live rock. 390 watts
of PCs (3 month old bulbs). Ammonia levels are 0, Nitrite 0, Phosphate
0, Nitrates barely detectable. I am aggressively skimming and changing
about 20% of the water every 4-5 days.
I have a Green Wells Brain
<Wellsophyllia>
that is awfully close to some silvertip Xenia. The
brain eats every couple of days ...some Mysis, and Zooplankton. The
Brain has grown excellent and has doubled in size in the past 4 months.
The brain is overall about 7" in diameter. However, today I noticed that
it looks swollen or "puffed up" and I was wondering if this is normal
behavior.
<Mine shrinks & swells daily.>
I also noticed that for
a short time today, the Xenia was closed. I placed them so close because
I was told that the "Chemical Warfare" would not be an issue.
<Agreed>
The Brain is showing no skeleton and aside from being
swollen, it looks very healthy. Are these two species compatible?
<They should be fine. I run Purigen in my sump, just in case.>
I am
supplementing Bio-Cal, Bio-Stront, Tech I, and Tech M.
<Are you
testing for calcium & alkalinity?>
P.S. Am I wasting my money adding
DT's Phytoplankton to a tank with Leathers, Xenia, a Wells Brain and
assorted zoos and shrooms?
<Not at all. There are tiny creatures in
your sand bed that need to eat too. They help keep your tank healthy.>
Just wondering... I am using HOB filters with powerheads and Carbon.
<Sounds like your tank is doing great. I had issues though, with my
brain not receiving enough light from PCs. Eventually, I had to loan
them out to someone that had more light over their tank, until I
upgraded to T5s. Good luck to you. I hope you enjoyed fireworks
somewhere! ~PP>
Please Help. Trachyphyllia 5/16/07
Hello my name is Mike
and I need help with my closed brain coral.
<Hi there Mike, Mich
here with you and your brain.>
I've attached two pictures
<The photos look as thought they were taken several feet
underwater... very blue.>
of it and wanted to know if it was
dead, dying, or ok.
<I think we can eliminate OK.>
And if
there was something wrong is there something I can do to fix it.
<Hmm, I do not discern any tissue in the photo, looks only skeletal
to me, but the photo is so blue it is difficult to tell.>
When I
got him he was bright green in the crevices and now the green has
all but gone away. Also the protruding tissue around the crevices
seems to be peeling away.
<So there is tissue
remaining? Perhaps an iodine dip (5-10 drops of Lugol's per liter)
might help if there is tissue to treat. Some info here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/corldisfaqs.htm >
It happened
after 2 days.
<After 2 days of what? Caring for this coral?>
Please help.
<Trying.>
Thank You.
<You're welcome, Mich> | 
|
Open Brain Troubles 4/26/07
I recently purchased an
open brain coral from the local aquarium store.
<Okay.>
It was
very healthy at first and for the first week was swelling and acting
normally. I was told that every so often I could feed it a piece or two
of silverside feeder fish to help it grow.
<Mmm...is true that this
animal should be fed but I would prefer something other than silversides
or at least something in addition. Go for some Mysis, krill or even
bivalve meat (scallop, clam, mussel).>
After about a week of
acclimation to the tank I fed it two small pieces. It immediately
swelled around each piece and ingested them. The next morning it was
not swollen and I assumed it was due to the digestion of the fish.
I
waited for a few days and it still had not returned to normal. I asked
the store and they told me it may stay shrunk for a week or so and not
to worry. Well things have gotten a lot worse. It had never returned
to normal and now the "skin" has begun to pull away from the skeleton
and it looks like it is dying. Is there any way to save it and what
happened to make it start dying? Was I not supposed to feed it?
<A
few question from me first; what type of lighting was the animal in at
the store and what type of lighting are you providing now? How turbid id
the flow the animal is in...and...what are your water parameters?>
Thanks
<Welcome.>
Kevin
<Adam J.> Hitchhiking
Polyps On Trachyphyllia Skeletal Base...Remove Or Not? – 04/11/07
Dear Crew,
<<George>>
Have had an open brain Trachyphyllia for
several weeks now. Feeding daily finely minced fresh raw shrimp, clam,
and oyster. Keeping Alk and Ca2+ levels up without any hitches. No
real problems. But, I have just noticed 3-4 baby polyps, maybe an
eighth the size of an eraser head. Seems to me to be a zoanthid or
palythoa or similar polyp.
<<Likely, yes>>
They are attached
just underneath on the side of its base (and are barely visible under
Actinic, but fluoresces bright green-yellow when the 460nm night LEDs
are on). I thought I heard/read someone posting like this before, but
can't seem to find it again.
<<Indeed, there is a very
good possibility someone has gone down this road before here...but it
doesn't ring any bells with me>>
How should (or, should I not)
remove these?
<<Well George, normally I would be inclined to say
"leave them be" until they pose an obvious problem...but, what will
become "obvious" will likely be tissue recession of the brain coral in
the vicinity of the polyps. Unfortunately, this indicates the
"beginning of the end" for these corals in most captive systems. I
recommend you use something like an old carpenter's chisel and carefully
"shave" these polyps off the Trachyphyllia's base. Gently "touch" the
coral to make it recede before removing it from the water (doing so
helps prevent tearing the heavy water-filled flesh). Handle the coral
gingerly so as not to damage the tissue of the brain coral on its own
sharp skeletal structure, and be careful not to gouge the skeleton (or
yourself!) too deeply with the chisel. Once you've removed the polyps
give the spot a scrub with a small stiff bristle-brush, give the coral a
dunk and swirl in a container of clean tank water (to be disposed of
afterwards), and return the coral to the display tank>>
Best
Regards!
George
<<Be chatting. EricR>> Re:
Hitchhiking Polyps On Trachyphyllia Skeletal Base...Remove Or Not? -
4/12/07
04/12/07
Hi Eric,
<<Hello George>>
Thank
you!!
<<Quite welcome>>
I think that once I have a rested mind
and am focused in another day or so, I'll follow your suggestions and
repost if I run into any issues, but I think I can handle this OK.
<<Ahh, excellent>>
Am I correct to assume that regardless of how
easily/badly the 'surgery' goes that a local swab-like application of
iodine or dip is in order?
<<Mmm, no...scraping the polyps from the
brain coral’s exterior skeletal base won’t require treating/disinfecting
the site afterwards. However, swabbing the site with a strong iodine
solution for a minute or two before rinsing the coral prior to replacing
in the tank may kill/prevent the regeneration of any missed bits of
polyp tissue left on the skeleton>>
I don't have Lugol's handy, but
I do have OTC surgical iodine and can look up recommended dilution for
use in such a case.
<<The swabbing won’t require any
dilution. The iodine you have will work just fine, and this “surgical”
iodine may well be Lugol’s Solution (also known as Iodine
Potassium-Iodide; Iodine, Strong solution; and Aqueous Iodine
Solution)>>
Thanks again for the fast advice. The forum is probably
more valuable to me than anything (and thankfully makes lunchtime at the
office more interesting and useful!) ;)
Best Regards
George
<<Happy to assist. Eric Russell>> Green open brain coral
(Trachyphyllia), hlth. 3/11/07
Ok,
<Hello
Jason.>
I have a thiry <thirty> five gallon tank and am currently
changing into a reef setup from FOWLR. I have taken an green open brain
(Trachyphyllia) <Trachyphyllia> from my mom's nano cube where it has
steadily declined to the point that over 1/3 of the skeleton is showing.
<Not good. I would assume that it is placed on the sand.?>
It is my
mission to save this coral!!
<Admirable. And it can be done.>
It has been in my tank for about a two weeks and will puff during the
day. I have yet to see any tentacles <tentacles> when I attempt to feed
it (and haven't ever seen any when it was in the nano either). Is it too
late to save this coral??
<No. Try adding a little bit of food
before feeding. They seem to be able to sense the protein. Shortly
after the tentacles should emerge. If they don‘t try target feeding a
little bit of food. I had to do this for several days before I saw
tentacles on mine.>
What is the best plan of action from here?
<Please see above.>
My water parameters are all excellent,
<Please define excellent.>
adequite <adequate> lighting,
intermediate flow (in that part of the tank), and there is nothing to
harm it in my aquarium (fish, other coral, etc), so I am hoping that I
<I> can bring it back. I want to know what the best feeding stategy
<strategy.> would be (and what exactly I could buy from the LFS as far
as food mixtures, or can I spot feed it with frozen fish food).
<Mysis, Blood Worms, etc. soaked in Selcon.> Finally, can I use a
toothbrush to keep
the algae from growing in the abandoned part of
the skeleton?
<I would not do this. Place it in the tank in an area
where the algae cannot get light, and it will start to die off. After
the die off, you can begin to re-acclimate it to the light. I have used
this method to clear mine of algae. Using a toothbrush will cause you
to have to move it too often. It needs to be left alone for a
while. Also adding Iodine to the tank will help. Please remember that
regular water changes are a must here. 10% once a week. You need the
influx of new chemical nutrients here to help. Add the I to the
replacement water. For more information see here,
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachyphlliidae.htm.> (and on the
remaining coral?) I need help fast to keep this guy alive! Thanks in
advance!
<You are welcome. Brandon.> Re: green open brain
coral (Trachyphyllia) 3/16/2007
Thanks for the response
about the Trachyphyllia!!
<You are welcome! I take it that you got
it to eat.>
You stated that I should place the coral where it will
not get light to kill off the algae, but I am wondering how long (as in
days) can I leave the coral in the shade without hurting it even more?
<It should be fine as long as you can get it to feed. Feed it a little
more than usual, about once every other day. Do remember to use some
Iodine supplementation. Just don't overdo it. I left mine in the shade
until the algae died off.>
Also, what is a good schedule as far as
re-acclimating it to direct light? Thanks again, you guys are a life
saver.
<Use a piece of cardboard to create the shade, and remove it
in gradually increasing thirty minute periods. Increase thirty minutes
a day until you reach 8-10 hours. Brandon.> Re: green open
brain coral (Trachyphyllia), fdg. 3/16/2007
Update
on the Trachyphyllia. So I have relocated the brain coral to back of
tank (in sand bed still) and made an arch of rock to make shade. I have
tried to feed the last couple days
<Cnidarians take time to
acclimate to such moving...>
with no site of tentacles (even if I
prime with juice before the feeding). Where should I be placing the
foodstuff, i.e. where would the tentacles come out from.
<The
grooved areas...>
The only thing that I have seen are very small
tentacle like things, but they are coming from the underside (rock-like
side, near the sand-line). So is this where I need to place the food?
<Possibly... if feeding a mash, I encourage you to place a bowl, cover
over the animal for ten, fifteen minutes...>
These tentacles are
small and do not look like they could do much?
<May be "it" for now>
I have revamped my supplement addition (especially iodine), but promise
not to overdo it.
<Mmmm, you have read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachyphlliidae.htm
and the linked
files above? Please (re)do so. Bob Fenner>
Coral bleaching? (Trachyphyllia) 2/20/07
<Hi, J & S. GrahamT
here.>
Thank you for all your help.
<Welcome.>
Bought a
brain coral about 3 weeks ago. This white area was present in just
the lower left about 1 inch. It has progressed and now I am worried.
<See your picture, but I don't see the "white area".>
This coral
is about 16in down from 80w power compact light.
<You do realize
that that is the threshold for light penetration through the water,
right? >
Nitrates 10, nitrites 0, ca 420, pH 8.2, phos 0, kH
143ppm. I feed the coral Mysis early am or night and he eats well
with good polyp extension every time.
<Not everyday, I hope. (
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachyfdgfaqs.htm ) >
There is no
other stuff next to him. Tankmates:
1 yellow tang, 2 striped
damsels, 1 firefish goby, 1 false clown, 1 coral banded shrimp, 1
Condy anemone who stays under a rock 12in away (and does
not
move.)
<Would venture a few diff. hypotheses. PC lights may be
in need of changing, starving the symbiotic algae. The Condy *may*
be sending some chemicals his way that are affecting his health. The
Trach. may be responding to the difference in lighting from where it
was collected, stored in the interim, and placed in your
home-system. Which brings me to my last thought. Shipping stresses
in general. This is still a new coral in your system, and has been
moved around quite a bit in the past few weeks/months. Use the
Google tool here on WWM searching for anemones and corals, light
requirements, bleaching, etc.
-GrahamT>
Thanks -JL | 
|
Trachyphyllia hlth. 2/6/07
Hello to the wonderful crew a Wet
Web Media,
<Brandon... so soon?>
One of these days when I am
experienced enough I am going to ask you guys if I can help out.
<I
look forward to this time>
Good god I hate being a newbie. I am
also slightly retarded in my selections of coral. I have apparently put
two types of Favia, Favites in the same tank.
<Mmm, if there's room,
likely no problem>
I can move them if I have to. This will cost
some money, but fortunately I am in a position at the moment that cost
is not an option. By the way, (I know that I should have posted all of
the
original texts with this) I have found a place to put the
Tangs.
<"The" tangs... we have a bunch to recall... not even
including WWM... w/o prev. corr....>
I have a person that has
adequate room, tank space for them. Please understand that I acquired
these creatures in the purchase of an aquarium. I did not want to
sentence these guys to an early death. So I tried to the best of my
abilities to keep them happy. I cannot purchase another tank (Read wife
here. She was okay right up until the MH retro purchase.) I have
around five thousand USD into my fish. That is saltwater and fresh. I
feel that this is a large enough commitment. My problem is that I have
too much trust in people that seem to have a good deal of knowledge.
<Trust yourself... accumulated knowledge...>
I purchased a
Trachyphyllia from an LFS, and I have had some issues. There is a
section that is missing tissue. About 1/8 the overall coral. I am
feeding when it will take food. If it will not I let the fishes eat the
food. The coral has green algae growing on the exposed areas of the
skeleton. Just regular green algae. I am very concerned. There are a
number of things that could have caused the tissue loss.
<Yes>
I am wondering though, can the coral recover from the tissue loss and
the green algae, or should I chalk this up to inverticideal stupidity.
<It can recover... I take it (for one) that this colony is placed on the
substrate... and for two, that you've read the postings on WWM re this
species>
I am hoping that with regular (two to three times a week)
feedings that I can reverse this. I love these little critters, and
caring for them/watching them makes me think about my own mortality
less,
<Interesting point>
every time that I lose one, I feel a
great personal loss. I recently lost two Discus to a bad product that
was supposed to lower Ph, and I felt horrible. To heck with the cost,
($150 USD apiece.) I accidentally killed two fish that were so used to
humans that they would let me pet/move them around the tank with no
stress. I cried like a baby when they died. This taught me a very
important lesson, and I have tried to research specimens, and not use
chemicals when I can. I took someone's advice and now I am in
trouble. I do not think that this is allelopathy based on previous
responses, and other information that I have found on your wonderful
site.
I think that I may have touched this coral improperly, or
photo-shocked it.
I am really hoping that it can recover. Thank you
for all of your help.
Just a thought but perhaps, we should not
pretend to be god,
<Though indeed we are each others?>
and take
all of the money that we spend on aquaria, and instead spend it on
visiting real "God made" reefs. Perhaps the reason that we do this is
because we love to create like God.
<Mmm... more likely transference
from a fear of death...>
Again Thank you all so very much for your
tireless effort, I would like to help. Please let me know if I can,
Brandon R. Foster.
<Study my friend... and in the meanwhile, draw
contentment from the realization that you're doing your best. BobF>
Small Crabs Embedded in a Rose Trachyphyllia 2/1/07
Hi,
<Greetings Sai, Mich here.>
I just purchased a rose Trachyphyllia.
<A beauty.>
I noticed two small dark spots, 2-3 mm. Upon closer
inspection at night with a flashlight, it appears that the spots each
house a tiny crab!
<Cool!>
During the day, the coral tissue doe
not fully expand to cover up the spots.
<OK, but the
tissue does expand?.>
The coral is otherwise happy, with feeding
tentacles fully out at night and feeding.
<Very good.>
Any suggestions, should I dig them out?
<No. Would most likely do
more harm than good. As long as the flesh of the coral seems intact I
would allow this relationship to continue. Most likely both the crab
and the coral do or did benefit in someway.>
Thanks,
<You're welcome, -Mich>
Sai
Black Slime and Sick Trachyphyllia Geoffroyi 8/7/06
Thanks
in advance for your help.
<Welcome in real time>
My problem
in my 55 gallon is two fold: black slime algae and a
sick Trachyphyllia geoffroyi.
I have been battling black slime
for about 2 months now and have done everything I know short
of
using some sort of chemical. My water parameters are as follows:
Ammonia and nitrites are at 0
Salinity at 1.025
Temp ranges
from 79 to 82
Nitrates range from 10 to 25
About 3 weeks
ago, I added the largest hang on refugium I had room for (only 2.5
gal) and started
with 2 lbs of Chaeto which seems to be growing
well. I have not
noticed any drop in nitrates.
<Good...
takes a while... weeks to a few months to really "kick in">
I
changed my actinic bulbs 3 days ago (they were 6 months old) but the
slime still seems to be multiplying.
<Can be a real bug-a-boo>
I use RO water and Tropic Marine reef salt and do a 3 to 5 gallon
water change weekly.
I have about 40 lbs live rock, 2 inches of
live sand, a sump/trickle filter (with bioballs),
<Oh... I would
ix-nay on the bioballs nay... Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/bioballfaqs.htm
and the linked files
above>
and skimmer.
My inhabitants are
3 chromis
1
small yellow wrasse
1 black and white ocellaris
1 flame
angel
1 scarlet skunk cleaner
1 peppermint
various
snails and hermits
<... how big is this system?>
I have
reduced feeding and now alternate feeding small amounts of frozen or
flake on alternate days occasionally skipping a day.
I am really
getting discouraged. My Trachyphyllia geoffroyi has been slowing
declining and fading in color, and now has several black spots on
the skeleton that are visible when it is all shrunken up (which is
has been doing a lot more lately).
<Yes... looks like Cyano
growing on some portions of the exposed septa... very bad>
I
have read your FAQs but nothing sounds like my case. The coral is
on the bottom away from other corals and nothing has been picking on
it. My ocellaris hosts it, however,
<Mmm, the likely original
source of tissue loss, septal exposure here>
and I am wondering
if his sleeping in/wiggling on it may be the cause.
<Initially,
yes>
I have some Lugol's Iodine and wonder if an iodine
dip might be helpful.
<I'd add this directly to the water...
weekly, with water changes>
I usually do not dose iodine
because of the weekly water changes.
<Mmm, best to do
immediately following>
I have recently reduced my lighting
schedule to 8 hours actinic and 6 hours MH trying to get rid of the
slime.
I have read that leaving the lights off for 3 days with
get rid of the slime, but I am afraid it would mean the end for my
Trachyphyllia geoffroyi.
<Maybe so... there are other
avenues...>
I would greatly appreciate any advice you can give
me.
I am attaching 2 photos of the Trachyphyllia geoffroyi.
Thanks again,
Angela Collison
<Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nutrientcontrol.htm
and here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm
and the linked
files above... and consider (seriously) removing your bioballs,
possibly modifying the wet-dry. Fix the environment here and the
Cyano will be gone, your Brain/s recovered. Bob Fenner> |
|
Trachyphyllia worries 6/13/06
Dear crew,
<Andrea>
Very sorry to bother you, but I need a bit of professional advice. Last
week I was away on work business, when I retuned home it became apparent
that my area received somewhat of a heat wave, and my reef tank was
running in its low 30,s!!!!! After the initial blind panic and setting
up the
chiller I began to assess the damage which I might add was
not good but thankfully not as bad as it could have been.
My tank is
now running at 26 and my only concerns are the two Trachyphyllia, one
red one green that are situated on the fine substrate. They are not at
their best colour wise, the red specimen seems to have retained most of
its zooxanthellae, however the greener specimen, looks some what
fleshy. (this
particular specimen has never had the intense green
fluorescents of a Stichodactyla anemone, like some Trachyphyllia).
Anyway my point being, should I leave them both exactly where they are
or move them to the miracle mud sump where they is less light intensity
and
more cover of Caulerpa, and Chaetomorpha?
Best wishes
Andrea
<That they did not perish is telling... I would not move
these specimens... in all likelihood they will recover, re-color in your
good care. Bob Fenner>
Brain Coral/Bleaching
4/14/06
Hi! <Hello.> I always seem to be able to find the
answers to my questions on your website. It is very informative! However
today my question is simple. If an open brain coral is eating great,
expanding most of the time and growing well could it turning from a
pinkish-red to white be a sign that it is getting too much light? My
tank gets direct sunlight from a patio door for about three hours every
day. This placement of the tank was very purposeful to save electric and
simulate as close to the wild as possible for my corals. All my light
loving corals are thriving. Could too much light be killing my open
brain? Or will it just fade to a pinkish-white and thrive being a
different color? Will moving the coral to a darker location restore the
original color or is it too late? thanks for listening. <Bleaching
generally refers to loss of zooxanthellae (symbiotic algae) which the
coral needs to survive. Since these corals require moderate to high
levels of lighting, it may be suffering from lack of light. You didn't
mention what type of lighting you have so I cannot comment
further. James (Salty Dog)>
Neuroscientist or Reef Aquarist?
- 03/29/06
Hello,
<Hi Dan, Adam J. with you this
fine-afternoon.>
I bought a "rare" Trachyphyllia from the pet store
about 2 weeks ago.
<Okay.>
It has a dark purple rim, with a
pinkish blue center. I haven't been able to find a picture of one like
it so I assume it is a bit rare... Anyways All of my tank parameters are
good, my lighting is 440 watts VHO on a 75 gal, and I feed it mysis
every couple of nights. It has been getting better, but there is an area
near the rim where a piece of its skeleton has broke off and it is just
laying sideways in the tissue. I can see it in the tissue because the
area is bleached and it looks like it is slowly dying there. It is a
thin piece about the size and shape of a dime. My question is, should I
let it handle the problem itself or maybe try to make a small incision
with a razor and remove the broken piece of skeleton.
<If the “dead”
area does not appear to be spreading I would leave it be for
now….continue to provide optimal water quality and keep nutrients low, I
have seen many a brain perish because the owner allowed algae to
colonize exposed skeletal areas.>
Thanks, Dan
<Adam J.>
Trachyphyllia health question 3/10/06
I've been
reading, reading, reading (Aquarium Corals, Book of Coral Propagation,
and this great site!), and I've come to a dead end. I'm
learning a
hard lesson about not quarantining corals...
<... no fun>
Last
week I received an order of corals, including three acropora frags.
They were shedding quite a bit of mucus from the stress of the trip. I
placed them in the bottom of the tank to acclimate, near my two open
brains.
One of my brains has been having issues ever since -
mucus, and this deposit of white stuff on the brain. I've long since
moved the Acros to their final positions.
From what I've read I'm
sure this is the result of the noxious mucus of the Acro, but haven't
found anything on what, if anything, should be done about it.
<Time
going by, some addition of iodine/ide/ate...>
Any
insight/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks much, your
fan, Kimberly
<Bob Fenner> Open brain unwanted growth 11/6/05
Hello.
<Hi there>
I hope you can help with this one as you have in
the past. I have a green open brain coral that has grown green hair
algae that has exposed some of its skeleton.
<Mmmm, what came first,
the chicken/algae or the egg/damage, conditions that induced this?>
I
have removed it frequently but seems to grow back worse. Others have
suggested that I use a Dremel and drill out the algae like a tooth
cavity.
<Mmm, better to seek out what is "too much" or "too little"
here and change the circumstances in the system to favor the
Trachyphyllia>
Before taking such a drastic measure I wanted to
consult the pros. Your wisdom is eagerly anticipated by my coral and I.
Thank you for your time
<Do a read over of our area covering the
species/family:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachyphlliidae.htm and the linked files
above... hopefully "something/s" will "jump out" at you re husbandry...
that will shift the balance to the health of the specimen and away from
the algae. Cheers, Bob Fenner> Trachyphyllia Confusion -
11/06/05
Hi Crew,
<<Hello Agnes>>
I need your experience
and knowledge.
<<I shall try to help.>>
I have two Trachyphyllia
corals, one is a red and the other a green. They were placed about the
same height in my tank so the light and water movement was nearly
identical. My tank is a 110 gal. with a below tank refugium of about 25
or 30 gallons. The
ammonia and nitrites are zero and nitrates are
below 40 <<Yikes!>>, I know the nitrates need to be less and am working
on it diligently.
<<5ppm or less>>
I keep the sg at 1.024 to
1.025.
<<Very good>>>
I have an RO/DI unit on order which should
have been here yesterday
and didn't make it yet. I have well water so
no chlorine, it is a deep well and has less minerals than some but can
still have enough to cause problems.
<<And possibly trace amounts of
pesticides, heavy metals, nitrates, etc..>>
That's the reason for the
RO/DI unit. Several days ago I noticed that the green coral was not
opening very much, it has done so beautifully until then. But my red
coral is opening just as much as ever, maybe even more so.
<<You
don't mention your lighting or "where" in the tank these corals are
placed. Tis possible they are getting too much light, though honestly I
would have thought the red brain to be mal-affected first if this were
the case.>>
What is the difference between these two besides the
color which can cause one to look so poorly, it may even be dying?
<<It may be that the one was in a more weakened state when acquired. For
certain the high nitrate levels are not doing any of them good.>>
I'm
doing water changes as often as I can and really watching the pH, sg,
temp and nitrates.
<<Good, keep it up.>>
I appreciate your help as
always. Thank you.
Agnes
<<All things being equal, I think your
nitrates are probably at issue here (have you tested your well water
re?), hopefully the RO unit will arrive soon. I would also recommend
employing some Polyfilter in a canister filter if possible...and have a
read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachydisfaqs.htm. Regards, EricR>>
Trachyphyllia Confusion 2 - 11/06/05
Thank you for your reply.
This seemed like a good way to answer your questions and give you more
information.
<<Italicized is from previous correspondence, hope
it's not too confusing! Marina>>
"Trachyphyllia
Confusion - 11/06/05
Hi Crew,
<<Hello Agnes>>
I need
your experience and knowledge.
<<I shall try to help.>>
I have two
Trachyphyllia corals, one is a red and the other a green. They were
placed about the same height in my tank so the light and water movement
was nearly identical. My tank is a 110 gal. with a below tank refugium
of about 25 or 30 gallons. The ammonia and nitrites are zero and
nitrates are below 40
<<Yikes!>>
I know the nitrates need to be
less and am working on it diligently.
<<5ppm or less>>
I keep the
sg at 1.024 to 1.025.
<<Very good>>>
I have an RO/DI unit on order
which should have been here yesterday and didn't make it yet. I have
well water so no chlorine, it is a deep well and has less minerals than
some but can still have enough to cause problems.
<<And possibly
trace amounts of pesticides, heavy metals, nitrates, etc..>>
That's
the reason for the RO/DI unit. Several days ago I noticed that the green
coral was not opening very much, it has done so beautifully until then.
But my red coral is opening just as much as ever, maybe even more so.
<<You don't mention your lighting or "where" in the tank these corals
are placed. Tis possible they are getting too much light, though
honestly I would have thought the red brain to be mal-affected first if
this were the case.>>"
[You are right, I forgot to mention the
lighting. I have a fixture with 2 150W, 20000K, bulbs and 4 actinic blue
lamps.
<<Mmm, could be too much light for the brain corals depending
on their placement in the water column.>>
I turn the blue lamps on
about 2 hours before and off about 2 hours after the MH bulbs, and the
MH are on for about 8 hours a day.
<<For overall health/natural
lighting, I would shoot for a MH photo-period of 10-12 hours.>>
My
corals were about at the middle of the tank.
<<Better at/towards the
bottom. Though they may be bright in color, most brain corals don't
require such intense lighting as you describe though many can/will
adapt, some of the "reds" will actually turn brown and/or decline from
such intense lighting.>>]
What is the difference between these two
besides the color which can cause one to look so poorly, it may even be
dieing?
<<It may be that the one was in a more weakened state when
acquired. For certain the high nitrate levels are not doing any of them
good.>>
[I got the green brain first and it was doing
beautifully, it would open at least 4 times it's closed size. I've had
the green brain for about 6 months.
<<OK...you have me thinking it
is the nitrates again...but these corals also need to be fed...feeding
once or twice a week with finely minced meaty foods is recommended.>>
I got the red brain about 4 months ago and it never has opened anywhere
near as fully as the green brain but it was doing better lately. And now
it looks great!]
I'm doing water changes as often as I can and
really watching the pH, sg, temp and nitrates.
<<Good, keep it up.>>
I appreciate your help as always. Thank you.
Agnes
<<All things
being equal, I think your nitrates are probably at issue here (have you
tested your well water re?), hopefully the RO unit will arrive soon. I
would also recommend employing some Polyfilter in a canister filter if
possible...and have a read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trachydisfaqs.htm. Regards, EricR>>
[Yes, my well water tested zero nitrates and very close to 7 pH.
<<Be sure to buffer your makeup/salt mix water to bring up the pH.>>
Thank you again for your help. It sounds like the red brain is actually
more delicate of the two so I am at even more of a loss as to why my
green brain is looking so poorly. I had not added anything to my tank
before this happened. I have since added some new live rock that just
finished curing. Maybe the extra rock will help with the nitrates.
<<Maybe...but you need to determine the source of the problem and
address that as well.>>
I hope so, my green brain is still hanging
in there, it opened weakly today so it is trying. As always I am amazed
at the amount of help you offer folks. Agnes
<<Very happy to assist,
EricR>>] |
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