Anyone have a gorgonian dominated reef?

[Justin/TiV]

I bought a gorg today at the LFS, I didn't bring it home yet, wanted to read about them some first. It's yellow with white polyps(red where they extent out). Didn't ask what specific kind it was, but I'm looking to get into these a little bit. That tank above (toms) is what got me interested in them in the first place.

I've read to keep anything that stings away from it...anything else major I should know before I bring it home. I've read they like an incredible amount of flow...almost direct. I've got over 4000 gph on my 128 (6 foot tank)

 

[Gordonious]

Species to species gorgonians can occupy completely different niches. If you have the same species I do it's needs are completely opposite. From what I understand Tom's requires high lighting and doesn't have super picky feeding. The species I keep would cover in algae in high lighting and not make it. Mine are kept in low lighting(most just under actinic) and I feed every day. Supposedly you can get away with feeding every other day and I miss some days, but I try not to. After a day and a half of no food you can tell mine is not happy at all.

I will try to get some photos posted of mine.

Jonathon

 

[Justin/TiV]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8218846#post8218846 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gordonious
Species to species gorgonians can occupy completely different niches. If you have the same species I do it's needs are completely opposite. From what I understand Tom's requires high lighting and doesn't have super picky feeding. The species I keep would cover in algae in high lighting and not make it. Mine are kept in low lighting(most just under actinic) and I feed every day. Supposedly you can get away with feeding every other day and I miss some days, but I try not to. After a day and a half of no food you can tell mine is not happy at all.

I will try to get some photos posted of mine.

Jonathon

thanx...photos would be cool. Also what do you feed. I'm allready feeding oyster eggs daily

 

[Gordonious]

Marine snow is probably there favorite. I also feed live phyto, a jarred product called zooplankton, and when I'm really lazy I put a little zooplex and phytoplex in. I hate using the plex stuff and wouldn't recommend it at all. I have them from a long time ago before I knew better. They have got to be the number one contributor to waist and phosphates in my water.

Jon

I almost took off before posting the pics, it is a good thing you responded quick and got me to look at this again. Sorry I'm really busy. Some photos are on this thread http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=924753

 

[Gordonious]

Most of my photos are under mostly actinic, which gives the blue tint you see. It is best to keep them in low lighting like this. Maybe you have a shaded spot in the tank? Remember where ever you put them, if you decide to bring them home, they will need medium flow as well. And if you have had any algae problems recently I would just forget it. I have never had an algae problem ever and I still get lots of algae growth on my gorgs which causes the polyps to recede and it just makes an unhappy coral.
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Jonathon

 

[Justin/TiV]

thanx for the info...I have some algae on the rocks but my sailfin is attacking it pretty good. I might just put mine in the sand like that for awhile. But I don't have any shady spots...and 3 250w MH's...pretty intense

 

[Gordonious]

yeah... those are a bit higher then the lights I am using, lol. If you are placing your gorg in the substrate make sure the gorg it self is not in the sand, just put the rock, plug, or whatever you have it attached to is in the sand. If the gorg itself is in the substrate it will probably rot.

 

[Justin/TiV]

the one I purchased I believe is the exact same one you have in that pic. Thanx for all the info

 

[Gordonious]

No prob at all. Like I said next time you place an order online or see it at your LFS get some marine snow. I swear it is the favorite. Just make sure to keep it refrigerated.

Jon

 

[Justin/TiV]

isn't marine snow dead plankton. I have cyclopeeze that I feed along with oyester eggs...If I don't have luck...I'll try something else

 

[graveyardworm]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8192901#post8192901 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Paul B


It's a garbage dump biotope :eek1:
Paul

Priceless :lmao:

 

[Gordonious]

I heard that "Marine snow" as ecologist use the term is small inverts poop basically that moves further and further away from shore taking down nutrients. Copepods are good recyclers. The product marine snow I'm not sure, just know the contents look good and they like it.

I have not yet tried cyclopeeze or oyester eggs, but they seem to be VERY popular among people that seem to know what they are doing. I did make some food with cyclopeeze before, but didn't freeze it. I have the freeze dried stuff, so I can't just throw it in the water, it will float.

 

[Justin/TiV]

heres a pic of mine...someone told me it's non photosythetic...so do you spot feed...or just add it to the water columb

 

[Gordonious]

Unless your water is green with phycto or even someone who knows nothing about aquariums can tell you have tons of pods, spot feed. Read my above comments.

Jon

 

[Justin/TiV]

thats what I figured...I spot feed all my corals with a turkey baster, I don't have lots of pods yets...it's a new set up. I'll go with your recomendation and get marine snow to check out. thanx

 

[hebegebe]

I was looking into getting a gorg, but have heard alot of difficulties in keeping them.

Now a friend of mine on another forum "OVAS" Ottawa valley aquarium society. informed me about a small type of star fish...which i cant remember the name of ????

Supposeldy these small starfish clean the algaes of the stalks of the coral, and you get much better odds of success and better polyp extension.....So hopefully i will try that when i actually get one....

maybe check around...hmm if i recall it was called a basket starfish...and were vary small and supposedly reef safe and great for gorg's....

Hope this helps !

 

[hebegebe]

another small point

another small point

Hey just thought about that marine snow, and I have read by others on this board that it is not reccomended....Cant remember who said that...Calfo, Bob or another ? i think it was stated on wwm.com ???

Maybe do some searching about it.....Also didnt mean to cut down anyones stuff, especially those who like using it. Just some friendly advice !

 

[sukie80]

Love the pics - keep them coming.

 

[fantastic4]

tom obrecht, that carpet is SWEET!

 

[speckled trout]

My gorgonian had these starfish. They looked like extremelly small serpent or brittle stars. They constantly cling to the branches. I always assumed their was some sorta symbiotic relationship between the two.

Unfortunately, I ended up losing this coral when my airconditioner went out last summer. Aquarium temps got to 95 over the weekend. I was gone the whole weekend and didn't discover the problem until I returned home and walked into the "blast furnace".