brains

[fishguyxd]

What type is a good one to start out with for a first time
looking for somethhing with some color ,and what are there feeding requirerments?

[sumpfinfishe]

I would say the best type of brain to purchase is a healthy brain.
This type of coral can ship really well or really bad. Being a larger tissue mass stoney coral it is in some ways similar to anemone, once they foul in the slightest way or aquire to much stress in shipping then tend to die within very short periods.

As for an easier brain to keep, I would suggest an open brain and one that is of a singular color. I have seen over the years many brains willow away in tanks that were of the the multi colored variety. I'm sure most of the losses were due to shipping and handeling and poor tank conditions, however IMO it's been the multi colored and closed varieties that have given others the most trouble.

cheers, Rich

[Willow]

What type is a good one to start out with for a first time
looking for somethhing with some color ,and what are there feeding requirerments?

the red brains require less light over the green ones, all brains like moderate to lower flow areas and should be placed on a sandbed. i feed my brains once a week with a small amount of mysis squirted at their mouths.

you may want to consider a donut coral (Scolymia), they are very easy to care for and very forgiving or as rich suggested an open brain (Trachyphyllia), also fairly easy to care for under the right conditions.

[Murminator]

I have a favia and a open brain and I find the favia is a lot more finiky. The favia was in poor health when I got it though and I nursed it back.

[OCDP]

For you brain feeders.. do you wait until lights out and the tentacles are out? Becuase if not, how does the brain take in the food? I want to feed mine, but in such a small tank I don't want to be blowing mysis all over the tank trying to feed it!
Scott

[sumpfinfishe]

Scott,

I have the most success feeding my brains during the day. First I will shut off the sump and feed the fish, this causes the brains and donuts to swell as they can usually tell when I dump in frozen foods. After the fish are all happy and bloated I will remove the light hood for 10-15 minutes-thus allowing the brains and donuts to believe that it's nightime. I then place small chunks of frozen brine or mysis into the awaiting feeders of these corals. Feeding the fish and other critters ahead of time helps the corals in a huge way, as when they are full they are less likely to steal food from the much slower feeding corals.

cheers, Rich

[fortheloveofcrabs]

I don't have any brain's, wait a minute, that came out wrong... I don't have a brain CORAL... But I do have a few other LPS and I feed them at night once they have 'opened up' with a turkey baster. Originally though I used to feed my fish by spraying my LPS with mysis/brine/krill/whatever I was feeding to get them (the LPS) to kind of figure out that soups on, my fish and shrimp would eat what (all of the food) bounced off the corals. I would wait about five minutes or so, and presto, after a little while of this routine, the corals would open up. I would then feed them. The only problem with this, I found anyway, was that my cleaner shrimp was doing too good a job and cleaning out my corals before they could digest what they had caught... So now I wait until night fall, when the little bugger is sleeping and doesn't even know I'm watching... Mawhahahaha!!!! I feed about two - three times a week or so, depending.

Hope this helps!

-Pauli

[OCDP]

Thanks a bunch Rich and Pauli. I will give it a shot !

[fishguyxd]

thanks for all the info guys

[BCWolfen]

the red brains require less light over the green ones, all brains like moderate to lower flow areas and should be placed on a sandbed.

I'm just curious as to why on the sandbed? They do not like to be mounted on the rockwork? I just got a green brain and have him sitting on a small outcropping near the bottom, hes just a short move away from the sand if I need to move him there.

[Willow]

I'm just curious as to why on the sandbed? They do not like to be mounted on the rockwork? I just got a green brain and have him sitting on a small outcropping near the bottom, hes just a short move away from the sand if I need to move him there.

some brains like Trachyphyllia like to inflate themselves quite large, sometimes to clean themselves or move to a better area sorta by hovering. they can easily pierce their bodies or undersides on the live rock. if a brain gets damaged it is very difficult to bring back.

[sumpfinfishe]

Gerald,

As Willow mentioned they require moderate to low flow this is because this coral is usually found on sandbeds in lagoons or shallow reefs.

I have a large open green brain and a few donut's all of which are on my sandbed, they seem to prefer more space, lower flow, and moderate light.

If your's doesn't look too happy then you can alway's lower it to the sand, however if you have the room it wouldn't hurt to place it there IMO. I might also mention that brains and other large tissue corals and clams found on the sandbed do like sandy areas to an extent. If they are constantly inflating all the time to expel sand they won't be happy either, as the coral can actually die of exhausting too much energy to clean itself.

[Funky_Fish14]

My brain(red open brain) has its skeleton placed into a small slot/cave in the side/top of a flat rock, and its a smooth rock. The tissue inflates around the edges of the cave. It has been happy in there for a long time. Its always well expanded and will often have its feeder tentacles our during the day aswell as at night, while my acans only put theirs out at night. It eats very quickly and willingly.

Chris

[BCWolfen]

Thats really interesting. He's been happy sitting on his ledge and is inflating and extending tentacles. But I do have plenty of room on the sand so I will lower him down there. :biggrin: