Feeding gorgonian - what? and how?

[Mihai]

Hi,

I bit the bullet and I decided to try my hand at two gorgonians. Most likely non-photosynthetic ones (at least the yellow/red one, see pics). I know that I have to feed them and I'm ready for it (daily if required). I know that in theory I need to feed it phytoplankton and zooplankton about 10-100um in size. In practice I'm not sure what products would be good for providing this sizes and are nutritious at the same time. I read the articles on gorgonians in the advanced aquarist, but there is no reference to actual products providing the food they need.

I'm thinking of a combination of cyclopeze, golden pearls, DT live phytoplankton and ESV dried plankton. How much? Anything else?

The second question regards the method of delivery: I normally target-feed my corals. But since the gorgonians like strong flows it's practically impossible to target feed... should I just put the food in the tank and let the gorgonians pick them up?

Thanks for the time and help,
Mihai

 

[Anonymous]

I don't what the second one is--the first is Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata and IS photosynthetic, as you said. It is actually quite hardy once established. You can and should feed it as you mentioned, and keep it under bright light. You'll soon see it stick out brown polyps if happy.

Good luck!

 

[Mihai]

You can and should feed it as you mentioned, and keep it under bright light.

Hmmm.... did I also mention that I don't quite know what's the product that provides the right type of food and I don't know how to deliver it?
If not, I'm mentioning it .

Thanks for the id, I thought that this might be the case. I don't think that the second one is photosynthentic at all. The red stuff on it are some pretty big red polyps.

 

[Mihai]

Come on guys... please, I need to go buy stuff... what?

Thanks,
M.

 

[Anonymous]

This article has some good information.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/ ... toonen.htm

I have not known anyone who has had good luck with those orange/red non-photosynthetic gorgs, so I can't offer any advice based on my experience.

If it were me and I just ended up with the orange gorgonian, I would try a variety of the smallest food available, gently blown at the orange gorg with a turkey baster. Two foods I would rotate between would be phytoplankton and very finely blended raw seafood mixed with tankwater. I think cyclopeeze would be too big, but it is worth a try I suppose. Again, I don't know for sure what your particular non photosythetic gorg lives on, apparently there can be great variation based on polyp size and other variables, but those two foods are where I would start. Maybe the very smallest golden pearls would work.

That purple gorg is a good hardy coral, I don't ever intentionally feed mine and they do just fine, growing enough that it needs to be fragged occasionally. Sometimes when I watch it I can see a polyp grab something, so I guess he is feeding from something in the water column, I do feed my tank a few times a day with a variety of foods. If you see that it is not expanding it's polyps, try a little more current.

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't have a clue what to feed the red one. We feed P. bipinnata a mixture of Golden Pearls and Tahitian Blend, a zoo- and phytoplankton substitute. That's what I would try on the red one, with maybe some baby brine shrimp, small ghost shrimp, frozen mysis...whatever you can get your hands on. Good luck.

 

[Mihai]

Thanks for the info. I'll do my best.
M.

 

[djheywood]

Mihai -

I have three gorgonians currently. I can't help you with the species ID, but my longest one I have had for approx 6 months. I can say i do not notice any new growth, but it is loaded with polyps just like the day I bought it. It is a maroon color with bright yellow polyps. I feed daily in a 110 gallon tank approx 1/2 teaspoon of the smallest size golden pearls (5-50 microns) Once in a while I feed cyclopeeze and the 50-100 micron golden pearls, but the 5-50 seem to get the best polyp response. I have seen the polyps grap the cyclopeeze also. I think the key is to feed heavily, the only problem is it is a big load on the tank. I think my tank has a slight orange look to it now, but I made the decision to do what I need to to keep the gorgs alive. I tried a purple one like yours, but it died after about 2 weeks. I clipped a small piece off that was still OK, and it is hanging in there. I also have a yellow gorg with red spots but white polyps. It seems to be doing fine, but I never see it completely open like the yellow one. We shall see how it does long term. Hope this helps, I am by no means an expert, but at least 6 months is some indication that it is doing OK.

Mine are in full flow, and I shut down the over flow but leave on my closed loop then just dump the pearls in. I let things mix for about 15 minutes then turn the pumps back on.Also my gorgs really open up at night, you may want to try feeding late at night when the polyps are out. In time they will 'learn' to open during the light cycle.

Good luck.

Brian

 

[Anonymous]

I think the red one may be Swiftia exserta. I would try the zooplankton over the phyto. You should be able to see if its taking the cyclopeeze; if it doesn't maybe try something smaller.

The photosynthetic one should do fine with good lighting and water movement.

 

[Rob Top]

For the second time I am keeping a yellow non-pho one in my tank. I lost the first when I lost just about everything a couple years back when involved in a horid move. I used then and now, Liquid Life photoplankton. It's about $20 a bottle, you keep it frozen, and it has a pump to dispense it. I feed my 240 2 pumps worth 5 times a week. I have a power head on one side that points towards it and I pump the stuff into the flow of the power head. In 1 weeks time it attached to the rock I wanted it on, and I get a feeding responce from it after every feeding. Not just the polyps extending, but closing down i=on food particicels. I believe it is the best product for feeding them. Further more it provides a food sorce for the zoo plankton already living in the tank.

 

[Mihai]

Yes, it is Swiftia exserta. It's same as:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... pCatId=601

Yesterday it didn't take any of the cyclopeeze, it might have taken some DT phytoplankton. However, I didn't see it closing its polyps (or really expanding them for that matter). I'm not sure if I can find any golden pearls locally - I'll check. What I can get (in addition to DT and cyclopeeze) is Marine Snow. I heard that it's an OK product. I'll try it on. I'll also try the mashed food. It's good that some of you got good results with these guys, I'll try really hard to keep them in good shape.

Thanks again for the advice,
Mihai

 

[Anonymous]

don't waste your money on the marine snow. Spend the money and have the golden pearls shipped.

B

 

[Mihai]

don't waste your money on the marine snow. Spend the money and have the golden pearls shipped.

B

Too late :-(. I already got it. After getting home my eyes poped out when I saw the nutrition information: 0.1% protein (and less of other things). It's likely that a liquid product that doesn't spoil when shelved has very little nutritional value, but I didn't realize that it's that low. I'll go after the online golden pearls.

In the mean time both gornogians seem to have the polyps wide open most of the time; I hope they get enough to eat.

All the best,
M.