[bigblue]

Just bought a new brain coral today. Looked great in the store and once acclimated it opened up fully, then about an hour later it shriveled up into its skeleton. The red and green colors are there, but the full body is not. I had two other brains over the last year and strangely enough, they both did the exact same thing one day and never recovered. Eventually died. Have many, many other corals in my 110 gal tank and they are doing fine. My question is this...has anyone ever heard of a coral reacting negatively to some "other" coral in te tanlk like this? My LFS seems to suggest there is a theory that some corals just can't exist in a tank with another. I couldn't begin to tell you what coral might be the culprit. Just looking for RB theroies from all your expertise. Thanks!!!!

[rlcline76]

Hmmm
We're not talking about how they shrivel up in the evening after lights out?
What else do you have in the tank?
What are your water parameters?

[stephaniesquires]

Originally Posted by bigblue

Just bought a new brain coral today. Looked great in the store and once acclimated it opened up fully, then about an hour later it shriveled up into its skeleton. The red and green colors are there, but the full body is not. I had two other brains over the last year and strangely enough, they both did the exact same thing one day and never recovered. Eventually died. Have many, many other corals in my 110 gal tank and they are doing fine. My question is this...has anyone ever heard of a coral reacting negatively to some "other" coral in te tanlk like this? My LFS seems to suggest there is a theory that some corals just can't exist in a tank with another. I couldn't begin to tell you what coral might be the culprit. Just looking for RB theroies from all your expertise. Thanks!!!!

I read somewhere, and now cant find the article, that some corals put off a toxin to keep other living things away from their space. Can't remember which ones put out the defensive toxin though... If you come across any other info I'd like to read it.

[CoralGeeks]

It can take up 2 weeks for a coral to fully open up and acclimate to your tank and lighting. Its very common for them to open and then shrivel up the first few days. After a week, then I would start worrying.

[bigblue]

Ammo - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 20
PH - 8.1
Sal - 1.0245
Temp 79
Calc 480
Phos - 0
Dkh - 8

I have all sorts of corals....many mushrooms, scolymia, elegance, torch, several frogspawn, colt, leathers, cabbage, zooanthids, candy cane, pagodas, favia brain, hammer, ridge, lobo, blastomussi

[Jason L]

I have heard that they like iron to are you anding any to your tank?

[CoralGeeks]

Iron is one of the most over looked additives to a reef tank. But you need to get an iron before you start dosing it, can easily be overdosed.

[bigblue]

No, I haven't added iron. It never even occured to me. I'll have to read up on that a bit before i dive into adding it. Keep those thoughts and ideas coming please!

[e_baer]

It is the leathers. They release toxins and it is considered the chemical warfare for corals. It is only between some leathers and some LPS. Keep them as far away from eachother as possible.

[Jason L]

i add like a half of cap of iron a week thats all..

[graveyardworm]

How are you acclimating the coral, what size tank, lighting, what kind of brain, and where are you placing it?

Most if not all corals utilize chemicals to inhibit and even kill the competition, some are able to physically attack. Activated carbon can reduce the chemical competition, but placement is still important, they all need room to grow.

[WhatReef]

Well im having the same prob my water parameters are the exact same as yours im just wondering if its the nitrates, but the leather toxins i think is right cause during the day my leather its out and full and my brain which used to be huge just shrinks up now at night when the leather closes up shop for the night my brain coral seems to fill up about half way which is normal for night feeding so i think it may be a toxic war, im going to take the leathers out and see what happens

[Jay03GT]

you can also try to run some carbon, it will absorb some of the chemicals that are being released.

[WhatReef]

well thats what i am running right now but it would seem that all my fish seem to be getting ich and i wonder if the toxins have anything to do with that cause they didnt have it before and i check my water last night and everything seems to be normal i think im going to do a 20% water change and see what happens

[WhatReef]

i havnt changed the carbon out in a month or two so maybe il try cleaning out the filters and changing the carbon see if that helps, but im considering taking my finger leather out