open brain coral: not opening during the day, all of sudden

[chrisdan]

I recently set up a 90 gallon tank. I have 100 pounds of live rock and 90 pounds live sand. On one peice of the live rock there is an open brain coral, which lived through the cycle. I just recently purchased an open brain coral which looked fine in the store and in my tank for a few days. Yesterday when I went home I noticed neither brain coral had opened up for the day, and last night neither had extented their tentacles. All my water quality is great and I am giving all the vitamins and trace elements needed for the corals in the tank. I can't understand how in 24 hours both brain corals are not doing well. Please help me with any feedback you might have.

[matrixnyc]

How is the water flow? Maybe you have to high of a water flow and the may not open due to that.

where is it located in your tank? do you have photos

Has anything changed or been added in the tank recently

[chrisdan]

How is the water flow? Maybe you have to high of a water flow and the may not open due to that.

where is it located in your tank? do you have photos

Has anything changed or been added in the tank recently I have two hagen power heads model 802, one on each side of the tank. The coral that came on the live rock is in the middle of the tank, and the other one I just bought is placed on a rock about 2 inches off the substrate. I also purchased a gonipora at the same time I got the brain coral, that is on the other side of the tank doing well. I also just started to put the kent marine tech 1 solution in the tank, and that is when I noticed the next day the corals had not opened. Is that a possible reason they are not opening. List of other vitamins put in the tank: Essential elements, Coral vite, Micro vert, B-ionic calcium and alkalinity.

[phistio]

i likely suspect a bit of chemical warfare...

run some chemi-pure for two days...see what happens...

also, what types of things a surrounding the brains? LR, DSB, other corals, etc.???

[chrisdan]

How is the water flow? Maybe you have to high of a water flow and the may not open due to that.

where is it located in your tank? do you have photos

Has anything changed or been added in the tank recently I have two hagen 802 powerheads, one on each side of the tank. The coral that came on the rock is in the middle of the tank, and the one I recently bought is about 2 inches off the substrate on a rock. I also bought a gonipora at the same time i bought the brain coral, that is on the other side of the tank doing well. I also just started to put kent marine tech 1 solution into the tank, and the next day they did not open up. I also put Coral-vite, Micro vert, Essential elements, B-ionic calcium and alkalinity into the tank. thanks for your help, but I have no pics.

[Mark Anderberg]

Chris,
You say you recently set-up your 90. Recently as in 2 weeks, 2 months? Though IME open brain corals are fairly easy to maintain, they may be reacting to unstable water chemistry. If your tank is just recently cycled, the stability of your biologic environment may be in question. I would begin by establishing and maintaing water stability and back off on dosing a multitiude of things into the tank. Good things happen slowly, bad things quickly.

Best Regards
MDA