Who Gives A Fish Forums

I've got a red and green open brain that's starting to look a bit rough in some areas. He's still got full color in most of his tissue, around 98%, but that other 2% is starting to pale and I've even spotted some white skeleton today. Despite this, he still fully inflates during the day. I've kept LPS for nearly 10 years without any issues - I've rarely tested the water or anything, and they've always done great. Recently, I've started testing regularly and doing water changes to keep my SPS thriving, which they are. This particular coral I got about three weeks ago. Should I dip him, and if so, what's the best option?

I'm no expert, but I've come across instances where tissue recession in these corals can be caused by lack of feeding - might be worth exploring that angle before considering a dip.

I've seen plenty of mixed reefs in aquariums, but in nature, it's not exactly common. You're focusing on the SPS, which is great, but maybe that's affecting your LPS - they need nutrient-rich water, which might be getting depleted.

I'd suggest giving the coral a dip in Revive or a similar product to see how it reacts. It's possible that your SPS corals are hogging all the light, so try relocating the brain corals to a spot with more subdued lighting for a week or so and monitor their response.

To better understand what's going on with your brain coral, could you share more details about your tank and the coral's environment? What are the light levels like where it's situated, and what's the flow like in that area?

Also, what are your big 3 test levels (ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate) and nutrient levels looking like? Have you considered the possibility of stings from nearby LPS or a pest, or maybe even a parasite or a bite from a fish or invert?

Is the recession happening in the middle of the colony or more towards the margins, where the tissue might be touching the sand bed?

I'm not convinced it's too much light, my 150 cube is lit by a single Kessil 360 Tuna Blue pendant. I've only got 6 fish, all under 3" except for a yellow tang, so nutrient levels are pretty low. The brain coral is placed in the sand bed about 3-4" away from my plate coral. I tried feeding it tonight, but nothing. My parameters are: Calcium 420, ALK 9, nitrate 5, magnesium 1350. I'm starting to think maybe it's actually not enough light? It's been 7-8 months since I last added any corals and the tank has just been running on autopilot.

Here's the updated pic from last night - the recession has gotten a bit worse since then.

I dipped him this morning in Revive, and so far today, not much inflation - actually seems to have receded a bit more. Moved him to a spot with less flow, and toned down the lighting some. Any other thoughts or ideas?

Have you taken a closer look around the base of the coral to see if there's anything going on that might be contributing to its condition?

To be honest, everything seems pretty standard from my end.