Help with Coral....

H

harleybmw73

Okay, so we are at a junction in our newly aquired addiction.... What started out as "lets only have fish and live rock" to "oh wow, look at Tri, Mark, and so on's tank" "man we should get just a couple little hardy, easy corals...... Yeah, right... Well we looked around and what we found was a quick affliction to our new torch, hammer head, open brain, star polyp and a couple very small zoa frags (which I wish were bigger, didn't know how much I'd like them). Wonderful, beautiful coral.. However, now 3 different lfs, several different articles via internet at various sites and 2 friends that "have had coral" - have all told us to take care of them differently. I have a $14.00 bottle of phytoplankton (live) that I'm told now that I don't need to use since they don't eat them. We were told the star polyp and the brain eat off the light. Told to target feed the hammer and the torch, then told not to target fed them, but to target feed the brain.... I'm pretty much about to lose my mind and have heard so many variations on how to feed each one (except the zoa, nobodys said squat about those poor little beauties) that I'm at a end of my rope and I'm not really sure how to feed anything.... :roll:

Please help..... I see the brain swell every now and then, but I've never seen a mouth with which to target feed and anything that lands on him, the fish eventually pick off. I'm not sure that I could find the mouth(s) of the hammer or the torch as the tentacles are going all over the place. I'm getting a tad desperate, I really don't want to lose any of them due to my ignorance, I don't want to lose them period... So..... Here I am, at your mercy, I know you guys will know what to do!

Thanks,

Tracy
 
Hi Tracy,

There are many ways you can approach how to setup a tank. Instead of buying corals first, you should always research the corals before buying. When I started my first tank, the lfs took advantage of me because of my ignorance. Over the time, people like Marc, Ashler, Serk, and many other members have help and given me a lot of advice. Here is my advise to you for LPS corals you have. I too started with the hammer, brain, and frogspawn.

Blide has a good post about spending habits. By the time you buy all the junk, you could have gotten the best equipment.

Here is my approach to cost saving. I would get dual Ice Cap 250 watts ballast and run 12k or 14 k (save 40% on electricity). Any corals including SPS will survive under this light. I would also get one 660 ice cap ballast for VHO. Soft corals will love this.

Then I would focus on water parameters such as Nitrate, Ammonia, Nitrate (to me this is beginner level understanding). After you understand the concept, I would then focus on Alk, pH, Ca, and Mg (expert level understand IMO).
Nitrate < 5 ppm
Nitrite < 5 ppm
Ammonia = 0
Mg between 1300 to 1400
Alk between 9 to 11.2
Ca = 450 to 550
pH between 8.1 to 8.4

As for target feeding the corals, I would get phyto from club member such as rwright, Marc, and bward. The phyto you can from the store is most likely dead and may cause ammonia spike and nitrate.

Truely, you only need to add Mg and Kalk into your tank. Anything else you add is a waste of money. Ocassionally, you want to add iodine which is also found in fish food.

You are more then welcome to have Lee and yourself to come see the 560. There are a lot more to learn. I am just replying back to your pm and thank you for your compliments on the 560.
 
What type of brain do you have. Most of the large brains such as lobophyllia, wellsophyllia, etc. will put out feeder tentacles (usually at night). I feed my two lobo's pieces of squid, silverside, etc. by simply touching the pieces of meat to those tentacles. They will then grab it and extend a mouth that is usually not seen out to swallow it. I have seen my Hammer take in small pieces of meat as well. The star polyps just need good light and water flow. They will grow like weeds.
I wouldn't buy anymore phyto from the LFS. Members sell it all the time at $5 for a 2 liter bottle. It is good to use because it feeds stuff in your tank that in turn feeds the corals. Look at getting some cyclopeze. I just recently started using it and can already tell a difference. Everything in the tank seems to like it.
HTH,
 
Well, where to start...

Thanks you guys! We are testing all the parameters with the exception of Mg. Everything looks good and stays pretty stable. We still do our weekly water changes. The pyto from DNA is alive, we have to keep it in the fridge and shake it well, man I wish I knew more about this (but I will). I will start looking for the pyto from other members, $14.00 for a little bottle is alot of money when I can get it for $5.00 per 2 liter... :)

The pic that Mike posted of the brain, doesn't look like that... lol I'm going to get the specific name somewhere. I've never seen him open up like that or any polyps even with the lights off and a flashlight. He just swells.... Hope he's alright.

The lighting we have now, they are pc, I want to say there are 2 - 65 watt bulbs... Lee would know more, this was suppose to be his tank. We have a brand new 58g. reef ready, by Oceanic, thanks to DNA's wonderful sale. Just waiting on Lee to build a stand and canopy now and then we will be getting that going and taking down what we have up now. I'm hoping we can find some T5's for it, otherwise we may have to go with some more pc's for now. Just haven't found anything that I felt we could afford, but keeping my fingers crossed that something will appear...

The brain - right this second, is about twice his normal size and puffed... Hmmmm, I'll got look for polyps...

Tracy
 
@harleybmw73 wrote:
Well said:
What type of test kit are you using? I usually recommend salifert. As long as you get your parameters right, you should do very well. The next thing you should focus on is a deep sand bed in a fuge/sump. This should help reduce nitrates if you have any.
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We bought a saltwater test kit and a master reef test kit from lfs that we've been doing. No strips, all drops and tubes. We use a refractometer for the salt. In the tank and in the sump, we have a little over 3" of live sand. It is a wet/dry, but Lee took out half the bio-balls and replaced them with live rock and also added macro algea to the sump using light difusser to keep it in place. I think it's a mix of the cheato and some that looks like grape.
 
Tracy,
You can feed the brain coral. As Mike mentioned, watch for his feeder tentacles. They will protrude along its perimeter.

I took a 2 liter bottle and cut it off about 4 or 5 inches from the top. I take the bottle and put over the brain and push the cut ends into the sand a little bit. I then take small bits of raw shrimp and drop them into the top of the bottle. The bottle keeps the flow from blowing the food off and the Tomato Clowns from stealing the food. After a while, one of the brains mouths will appear and start ingesting the food. Once it is eating, I remove the bottle. I do that about once every 3 days.

Just one thing... always pick a time that the brain is inflated about half way. You dont' want to touch the brain with the plastic bottle because it is very delicate (especially when it is fully inflated.) If you cant get the bottle around the brain without touching it, wait and try again later.
 
@harleybmw73 wrote:
We bought a saltwater test kit and a master reef test kit from lfs that we've been doing. No strips said:
When you get a chance, start researching RDSB (remote deep sand bed). I think you need about 6" where the bacteria can denitrify. I don't have a specific link but it should be on the forum somewhere.
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Just posted in the wrong place... Ugggg, going to pull my head out as soon as I get a chance... :)

Like the other post said, I'm 90% sure it's a Wellsophyllia Radiata.. And I just read that it should be placed directly on the sandbed. I have it on a large flat rock I put in for him... Should I move him?

I think I will try the 2 lt bottle approach to feeding him, with the fish we have, he'd never have a chance to eat, they are voracious eaters and grab the food off of this poor brain... I just wonder if the 2 lt. bottle cut will be big around enough for him....


Thanks,

Tracy
 
You won't see it bloom out like the pic until you have fed it. At first you will see just the very ends of the tentacles sticking out just a little bit. Not even necessarily all the way around. Maybe even as little as 1/2" or so. However, as soon as it senses food it will come on out and you will be amazed! I was the first time I fed my lobo.
Here's a pic of a Trachyphillia with just a few partially out.
 
@Reefmike wrote:
You won't see it bloom out like the pic until you have fed it. At first you will see just the very ends of the tentacles sticking out just a little bit. Not even necessarily all the way around. Maybe even as little as 1/2" or so. However said:
Hey Mike-

Thanks for your help! I just saw the post you put up, looking to trade your top off for one of these, we got him at pet-o-rama off Marsh in Carrollton, they may still have one. I did finally see his little tenticles, I shot a little phytoplankton on him and then dusted him with fine silversides I chopped up pretty fine. I think I'm going to try the idea of using a 2 liter bottle cut, though I think I may have to get a 3 liter - he's pretty big. Do you think I should put him directly on the sandbed? I read somewhere today that they do best on the sand. Lee and I are making our weekly rounds to the lfs tomorrow, I'll look for another like him when we go and let you know if I find one reasonably priced.


Thanks,

Tracy
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Tracy,
My brain does best on the sand. Move him early in the morning while he is still drawn up. Once he is on the sand, make sure you keep the sand off of him. I don't know if it is true or not, but I have read on reef central that they can ingest the sand if it is on top of them while they are feeding.

BTW... on the phyto... keep in mind that you have to use more of the "home brew" than what you would use of the store bought. The phyto you buy at the lfs is much more concentrated. Whoever you buy it from should be able to give you an idea of how much to use.
 
Great! Thank you so much Paul, I'll go move him now! The live phyto from the lfs, I'm just using a 1/2 a capful, not very much at all every other day.

Also, last night I turned off the lights and stalked my lovely brain with a flashlight for what turned out to be a couple hours.... Finally saw, most definately, his tentacles and I think his mouth, though he may have had two... Got some very small chunks of squid and shrimp and used a syringe to gently put some on him. I'm sure he ate them, everyone else was asleep. Very cool coral!!!!!

Tracy
 
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