How can I help my open brain coral?

[3rdMoon]

Just before the New Year I bought an orange open brain coral from a LFS near my work. It’d been in their display for several months and just didn’t look very healthy. When they dropped the price (just to try and move it) I decided to buy it cheap and try and nurse it back to health. It’s been in my tank for nearly two months now and it doesn’t really look any better than it did when I got it. I try and spot feed it regularly but there seems to be zero feeding response. All my other trachys and lobos are thriving and growing but the orange brain just sits there looking sad. Sometimes it puffs up a bit (like in the pic) but at least 1/4 of the time it’s deflated and spiky looking.
Temp- 78 +/- 1
Salinity- 1.026
Alk- 8.5
Cal- 420
Mag- 1200
Ph- 8.4 - 8 (day/night)
No3- 5
Po4- .9 (working on that)
PAR- 120
I dose All for Reef every other day. I feed Red Sea Reef Energy AB+ twice a week.
If anyone has any suggestions I’d appreciate the input.

 

[SPR1968]

It could be something as simple as a change of water flow.

I generally have stopped buying large colonies, I’ve not had much success keeping them for long periods and I’m convinced it’s a change in the water flow patterns they’ve been accustomed to which its impossible to replicate. I can grow frags like weeds but.....

I had a brain coral, a large colony when I made an impulse buy, but it gradually faded away over a period of just a few months.

I would bump your magnesium up to around 1300-1350 though, its on the low side there at 1200 although that’s probably not the issue here

 

[nereefpat]

Looks pretty healthy there. Parameters look good to me, aside from high P. BTW, don't bring that down too fast.

For feeding, you might look at night to see if feeder tentacles are out.

Another thing is to make sure it's not getting blasted by too much light. I see your PAR looks reasonable too, if it's taken on the bottom of the tank.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

I am having a similar issue and its likely a flow issue. Place him behind a rock so its more indirect flow.

 

[HuduVudu]

Feed it meaty foods.

 

[DJF]

+1 flow & light.

 

[3rdMoon]

It could be something as simple as a change of water flow.

I generally have stopped buying large colonies, I’ve not had much success keeping them for long periods and I’m convinced it’s a change in the water flow patterns they’ve been accustomed to which its impossible to replicate. I can grow frags like weeds but.....

I had a brain coral, a large colony when I made an impulse buy, but it gradually faded away over a period of just a few months.

I would bump your magnesium up to around 1300-1350 though, its on the low side there at 1200 although that’s probably not the issue here

Initially I placed it in the back corner of the tank which has the lowest flow. After more than a month with no visible improvement I decided to move it where it is now. A slightly higher flow but on the extreme low end of moderate. Should I put it back where it was?

 

[3rdMoon]

Looks pretty healthy there. Parameters look good to me, aside from high P. BTW, don't bring that down too fast.

For feeding, you might look at night to see if feeder tentacles are out.

Another thing is to make sure it's not getting blasted by too much light. I see your PAR looks reasonable too, if it's taken on the bottom of the tank.

I check repeatedly at night. I’ve got a black sun coral that only opens at night (which is when I spot feed it) so I always check my orange brain while I’m at it. Ive yet to see it open up to feed.

I rented a PAR meter from BRS a few weeks ago and mapped the entire tank. It’s got 120 PAR where its sitting now.

 

[SPR1968]

Initially I placed it in the back corner of the tank which has the lowest flow. After more than a month with no visible improvement I decided to move it where it is now. A slightly higher flow but on the extreme low end of moderate. Should I put it back where it was?

I don’t think it’s as simple as that sometimes when their large colonies.

They grown ‘into’ a certain flow of water whilst developing, I can see it in some of my frags, were they grow ‘towards ’ the water flow presumably to get nutrients. If you then move them....

You could try moving it back or around to see if it helps, but you still can’t guarantee the exact flow it’s been used to whilst developing.

 

[3rdMoon]

I don’t think it’s as simple as that sometimes when their large colonies.

They grown ‘into’ a certain flow of water whilst developing, I can see it in some of my frags, were they grow ‘towards ’ the water flow presumably to get nutrients. If you then move them....

You could try moving it back or around to see if it helps, but you still can’t guarantee the exact flow it’s been used to whilst developing.

That’s true I suppose. The fact that I’ve yet to see it open to feed really bothers me. I keep thinking, “Surely it’s eaten SOMETHING over the past two months.” I can’t watch it 24/7. But if the change in flow (since it was harvested) is the issue, then maybe it hasn’t. Which would explain why it looked so sad even at the LFS. Seriously, how long can a coral live without eating?