Advice for keeping a Blueberry Gorg??

[ladybug5234]

I have a beautiful Blueberry Gorgonian on hold at the LFS and I wanted to know if there is any particular advice from any keepers of this coral out there. I know from personal experience (I tried a small one recently) that they are very difficult to keep. I plan on feeding Dr. G's live phyto and frozen cyclopeeze. I also plan on making some type of feeding tube with airline tubing and a funnel, so that I can better feed it. Any advice on how often they need to be fed? Best water flow placement? Light placement? I know I can get all this info on google (and I have), but I am looking to get specific info from keepers of the Blueberry, not generic stuff written by websites. Thanks in advance!

 

[dendro982]

Take a look at this thread . I had it, lost it in bryopsis outbreak, but there are links, that I was able to find and a perspective way to keep it: 24 hrs continuous feeding.

Continuous feeding could be made by using peristaltic pump, syringe pump (less expensive, but I don't know which of 2 kinds of the syringe pumps is usable), two centrifugal tubes with holes at the bottom, creating double wall container with frozen mix, thawing above the pump (like the idea!), bottle with airline to not allow food settle on the bottom, and air pump on timer, dosing food.

I can find links to original posts of the people, who use them, if necessary.
HTH

 

[ladybug5234]

Thanks for the info. I had already looked at it, but I appreciate the help nonetheless. It gets more interesting even, than me trying to make sure I can feed it. Now its a plight for it making it to my home alive. I picked it up today and the LFS is 2 hrs. away from my home. I had planned on going right home, but I am delayed overnight. So it is now sitting in the bag. Hopefully it will make it. All polyps were open when I picked it up and the LFS owner says he was feeing it cyclopeeze, which I also picked up. Wish me luck!

 

[Jens Kallmeyer]

HI Ladybug

Blueberries have a notoriously bad track record. Even when they are open and appear to be feeding, they usually slowly (or rapidly) fade away. In those cases where there was some long-term success there was no apparent reason why these particular specimen survived while most others do not. A constant supply of fine food plus very good water quality and good water movement seems to be the key.
Good luck

Jens