[shaywood]

I've had this coral for about 1 month. He looks mightly skinny. Can you tell if he's dying from the ridges? I've been trying to direct feed small pieces of silverside, but I'm not sure he's eating. Sorry for the photo quality.


shawn

[Ninong]

I can't make out anything from the photograph. Is tissue receding from the skeleton?

[BinaryReefer]

It should be on the sand.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by BinaryReefer

It should be on the sand.

Yes, that's a very good point! It should definitely be on the sand.

[Ninong]

Suggested reading: Basic Husbandry for Trachyphyllia

[west]

it would also b a good point to say why it should b on the sand,

i don't know all the reasons so hopefully someone else can help here......
i do know it a solitary animal and doesn't want to compete with other animals around and also open up better away from intense light spreading out to double its size to capture as much light as possible.

[shaywood]

Sorry for the poor pic. I'll try to get a better one later. The coral looks 'bony'. The tissue isn't plump. Just tight against the skeleton.

I'll move to the sand asap.

shawn

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by west

it would also b a good point to say why it should b on the sand,

i don't know all the reasons so hopefully someone else can help here......

It's a lagoonal species that has evolved for life in sand/mud substrates. The conical skeleton is adapted to hold it in position in sediment. Placing it on a rocky substrate can often lead to abraded tissue from daily polyp cycles (expansion and contraction) and it might become unbalanced when inflated and fall from its perch if you put it on the rock structure.

[west]

thanks ninong and just read the link also, thankyou

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by shaywood

I've had this coral for about 1 month. He looks mightly skinny. Can you tell if he's dying from the ridges? I've been trying to direct feed small pieces of silverside, but I'm not sure he's eating. Sorry for the photo quality.


shawn

Shawn, in my experience with this particular coral, you should be able to see feeding tentacles once the food hits the water. If you do not see them, simply baste it with some juices from the silversides (when you thaw those in some tank water). When I kept it I first used some smaller food items like mysis shrimp, or choped krill. Once I saw feeding tentacle emerge I would place food on them.

Anyway, the coral does look stressed, IMHO, could be water quality issues or could be too much curent hitting it, too much light.., you name it.
I too would suggest placing somewhere on the sand bed, could be near rock structure but not directly on it, and perhaps a tad shadier spot for time being.

[FireEater]

It definitely needs feeding. Just make sure when you do that no fish or inverts climb in it to steal the food. It's a slow process, but you must watch it eat to make sure it does and that doesn't get it's food stolen.

Also place it in a low flow area so the food stays on it until it can eat. It might take a few times for it to start responding to direct feeding, but once it does, feeding will be easier for you and the brain.

Patience is the key to saving this brain and keeping it happy.