Non Photosynth. Gorgonian Shrinking

[LeslieS]

Hi Guys,

My red non photosynthetic gorgonian is starting to get really thin in places. I have been feeding it phyto at night. Any other suggestions?

 

[bad coffee]

Are you target feeding it or just dosing the tank?

B

 

[Domboski]

Feed it baby brine shrmp as well. If it is the gorg I am thinking of it will benefit from target feeding as BC mentioned but try feeding BBS and cyclopeeze.

 

[crox99]

Try cyclopeeze at night when the polyps are fully extended.

 

[crox99]

;-k

 

[inline6]

I read that these gorgorians are very difficult to keep.
Alot of the time their dietary requirements are not met nor are they really understood.

Are you feeding live phyto or dead?

 

[LeslieS]

I know that non photos are hard to keep, but this is one of the easier of the difficult. I bought it from Sea Life and they rated it as hardy. Sea Life is pretty reputable and cares about the ocean. I have had good luck with what they have told me so far.

Big Red was OK for the first 5 months. Just this month started looking anorexic in a few places. I have been trying to keep the tank cleaner. I should have know something would protest.

Thanks for the heads up on the cycolpeze and the baby brine. I will add them to his night time feedings. I have just been dosing the tank with phyto.

I should have figured out the target feeding myself.

Doh!!

 

[digitalreefer]

Leslie... try putting a cut soda bottle over it and putting the food in the bottle so it gets a chance to eat before it all gets blown away by the current.

 

[Deanos]

Leslie: you must get your hands on Coral Magazine (Dec 2006/Jan 2007). There are several articles on gorgonians, including feeding of non-synthetic gorgs. The soda bottle trick will not likely work. Here's an excerpt of an article by Daniel Knop:

The strength of the current must also be appropriate for the polyps of a specific coral, as the physiology of any given coral is fine-tuned to a specific current strength. A coral polyp that must quickly capture food from fast-moving water is built differently than a polyp in a calm water area. Whether or not the polyps of a non-zooxanthellate gorgonian will open in the aquarium will depend largely on whether or not current with the right strength and speed have been provided.

There's more, but I'm too tired to type anymore :sleepy:

 

[LeslieS]

Eric, he lives under the bridge in the middle of my tank and is glued to the side of a rock. No soda bottle is going to fit. The only way to target feed him is to put the food in front of the powerhead that is blowing on him...Oh well....back to being an overfeeder

Thanks Deanos - I'll get a copy asap. I really like the octocorals so I am anxious to learn more about them. I did recently change the flow so that he was getting a direct hit. He was polyping up a lot more so I thought it was better, but that may be the culprit. I'll get the magazine, but in the meantime, I will change the tank back to how it was (feeding and flow) and then only change one variable at a time until I figure out what works best.

 

[digitalreefer]

:irked: Maybe turn the powerhead off for a minute and turkey baster him... damn him for living under the bridge! :tongue1:

 

[Deanos]

If the gorg was polyping more under high flow, leave it be.

 

[Pedro]

I suggest you get the kent sea squirt. It's nice for target feeding. It extends deep into the tank, and the tip is finer than a turkey baster so food doesn't waste. Target feed it cyclops and some leftovers from frozen food. I see my photosynthetic gorgs swallow food all the time. definately cutoff as much flow as you can. The big soda bottle works, but that's a pain. Good luck with it!

 

[Domboski]

I know that non photos are hard to keep, but this is one of the easier of the difficult. I bought it from Sea Life and they rated it as hardy. Sea Life is pretty reputable and cares about the ocean. I have had good luck with what they have told me so far.

Big Red was OK for the first 5 months. Just this month started looking anorexic in a few places. I have been trying to keep the tank cleaner. I should have know something would protest.

Thanks for the heads up on the cycolpeze and the baby brine. I will add them to his night time feedings. I have just been dosing the tank with phyto.

I should have figured out the target feeding myself.

Doh!!

That is the Gorg I was thinking of. I had it with my Dwarf Seahorses for a longtime and it thrived. The only thing I put in the tank was BBS and sometimes the cyclopeeze. I eventually gave it away because it got too big for the 2.5 gallon.

 

[Domboski]

Red Finger Gorgonian (Diodogorgia nodulifera)
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=605

 

[Domboski]

Out of all of their Gorgonians (sealifeflorida.com that is), the easiest to keep in my experience is the spiny orange sea rod. I have had this sucker for almost two years with no spot feeding at all but it is in the same system that I feed sharks frozen fish so it may be pulling organics from the water column.

 

[LeslieS]

Yup, that's the one.

 

[LeslieS]

Update.

He seems to be doing better. I moved the power head so that he is not getting hit directly with flow and added live phyto to my feeding routine.

Also, I ordered the back issue of Coral magazine - Great suggestion Dean! The magazine is great so I also ordered a subscription.

 

[Deanos]