Agh, open brain coral dying (or dead), help please!

[allabout]

I bought an open brain coral from Diver's Den, delivered and into the tank on 5/30. It seemed fine, the color wasn't exactly the same as the picture but it puffed right up and was extending feeding tentacles at night. I fed it twice with frozen mysis and marine cuisine plus whatever it might have gotten when I feed my fish. Just yesterday I noticed it didn't look puffy at all and there seemed to be less green color. Then today I came downstairs and my peppermint shrimp was on it. It looks bad, I can definitely see skeleton. Is it too late?

Here's some pictures:

The first is obviously from the LA website, the 2nd when I first put it in my tank and the other 2 are from today. Any advice on what I should do??

Everything else in the tank seems fine, I have several other LPS corals including acans I got in the same shipment. I'll check water params right now and update but wanted to see if there was any quick advice.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

Sounds like your shrimp started eating it

 

[allabout]

I didn't think a peppermint shrimp would eat a healthy coral, is that not the case? This was the first time I've seen it do that (although it could obviously bother it at night) so I figured it was because it was dying or dead. I guess I should at minimum put the shrimp in the sump?

 

[allabout]

Ok here's the water parameters:
PH 8.2
Spec Gravity 1.0245
Temp: 79
Free and total ammonia: 0
Nitrates and Nitrites: 0


I don't know, anyone had a shrimp kill a brain coral before? Can this be saved still?

 

[ritter6788]

It can be saved. I recommend moving it to a low light, low flow area and feed it as often as you can. Low flow right now is very important. If the shrimp keeps picking at it you can make a cover for it to keep the shrimp away while it heals. Something like an egg crate enclosure or strawberry basket to let some water pass through but keep the shrimp out. I don't think the shrimp killed the coral but it won't recover if it's being picked at.

The odds are probably against a recovery but I think this will give it the best chance.

Good luck!

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

What lighting do you have?

 

[allabout]

Thanks for the advice, I really hope it can come back around. I have t5 lighting, 6 bulbs.

 

[cparka23]

I've had peppermint shrimp eat healthy acans and blastos. At first, I couldn't figure out why 4 frags died. Then, I caught them in the act. I also found others' accounts of peps eating corals here and there. Needless to say, I never kept peppermints afterwards and things are fine.

 

[ritter6788]

After looking at your pic on the computer and not my phone the coral doesn't look that bad, just retracted. Those things can inflate or deflate for no apparent reason to us. I'd still shade it a bit for now and shield it from the shrimp if it keeps picking at it. It may just be adjusting to your lights.

 

[allabout]

Well I've made a little cage for the coral out of eggcrate and moved it to a quieter corner of the tank, right up front. I'll be keeping an eye on it. And the other eye on the shrimp! If anything else looks upset the pep shrimp is going to the sump. Hopefully the coral can come back, its the first open brain I've ever had and I really like it!

 

[Trex]

What fish do you have? Dwarf angels love to eat those.

 

[allabout]

What fish do you have? Dwarf angels love to eat those.

No angels, I have 2 ocellaris clowns, 2 reef chromis, a McCosker's flasher wrasse, a scooter blennie and a firefish. Then I have the peppermint shrimp, a coral banded shrimp, 2 sallie lightfoots, lots of hermits and snails. I really wouldn't doubt if it was the pep. shrimp. He's always seemed a little on the edge for me. Whenever I put anything new in the tank he's the first one there, he's quite bold. The coral looks about the same this morning, no worse which is good at least.

 

[Degener8]

My plate coral will deflate for no real reason some times. When this happens it produces a little slime coat that floats away. My peppermints will scurry over and chow on some of that.. so that is a possibility.

I have damaged my plate coral before also. It was real bad about a month ago had about 1/4 of an inch of recession running toward the middle of the plate along the skeletal blades.

I moved him a bit to a low flow/low light corner in the tank and fed him daily . Today he looks as if nothing ever happened. His flesh is covering the entire skeleton again and when he retracts you can see the damaged fins but can see the thin skin coat over them still..

Don't give up the corals we keep often are more resilient than we think.

 

[dmatt88]

If it were me id get it to lower light first. Then id do a hefty water change, add charcoal n leave it alone. Sometimes messin with it causes more harm. It can b saved.

........what, me worry?

 

[allabout]

Yeah he should be getting less light now with the eggcrate over him. I'm not sure his feeders are coming out, I didn't see them last night but that was after I just moved him and messed with him a bit. I'll check tonight and feed (hopefully).

 

[allabout]

Well, it seems like the coral is doing much better today. Yesterday it looked about the same but today it looks much fatter and happier. It's not 100% but doing a whole lot better. At least now I think there's a good chance for recovery. I guess I'm going to move the shrimp to the sump if I can catch him because I don't want the corals to live under egg crates forever haha. Thanks to everyone who offered advice!

 

[k2parkstar]

It may have just been adjusting to your lighting on water params. I'd give it another day in the egg crate enclosure, and then just keep an eye on it. You may not have to move the pep shrimp at all.

 

[allabout]

Just for the record I ended up taking the egg crate off and it was fine for a few days. Then yesterday in the morning I saw the shrimp on him again and he looked really rough. So the shrimp is now in the sump and I'm a believer for sure that peppermint shrimps will pick on corals.