Blueberry Sea Fan

[SolarEclipse]

Hi everyone,
I have researched the web and found out everything I could possibly found out about Blueberry Sea Fans, and I would just like one more source of info. If anyone knows anything, tips, etc, please post. Thanks in advance.

 

[Zoos]

From what I understand they are impossible to keep in captivity, someone correct me if I'm wrong. All though I know there have been some recent breakthroughs with some of the non photosynthetic corals and their requirements. Thanks, Felix.

 

[dendro982]

Mine didn't survive, but its relative still hangs on life. I would vote for getting a healthy specimen (without skin, peeling off), a relatively high reflected or dispersed flow (but not bending polyps), almost continuous feeding, variety of foods (not a single source). And placing it in observable area of the tank.

 

[Jens Kallmeyer]

HI

Personally I know of one case of long term success (>1 year) and even growth. Compare this to the hundreds or even thousands of specimen that are imported anually and you get a good estimate of your chances.

Jens

 

[SolarEclipse]

Thank you for all replies. = )

 

[Don-Coraleone]

ive tried a few times with no good results always got covered in algae and died.

 

[rus]

For those of you who have tried how long were you successful before you noticed a decline in health, does anyone have pics of their specimen

-Russ

 

[dtaylor123]

99.88% will die in captivity. I tried one and it eventually perished, it is such a beautiful coral, we all want that golden key that let's them grow in a tank. You have done your homework and therefore know it's a long shot, but maybe you will figure it out. Contact Fauna Marin, they have the food and a method to feed them (I like Fauna Marin, they are a good company), still it's a long shot. I think the answer is like the folks here that have a syringe pump or the right conditions and it take a lot of effort and cash. Please document all you do, because if you are successful, we all will want to know why and how you did it. These corals to me fall into the "it should only be sold to people that have a plan" situation, of course that doesn't exist. I wish you luck and enjoy the beauty while it's alive and I have my fingers crossed for you!

Dan

 

[dendro982]

I tried to find a syringe pump, every auction says, that it can be sold only to medical or authorized personnel, after checking their credentials.

What all of you think about making a thread with descriptions of tank setups, maintenance routines, accidents, conclusions for a cases, when blueberry gorgonian eventually died? At least not to repeat the same over and over again.

Any experience is still experience, and it is valuable. At least for me

 

[Chad Vossen]

i have had mine for 4-6 months now i think. it has grown slightly, then stopped. at first i was feeding frozen cyclopeeze nightly, and thats when it showed growth. i have stopped, and so has the growth. im going through a bad algae problem, still no problems with the blueberry gorg yet. i'll be redoing my reef soon and things should get better. i also feed large amounts of rotifers to the tank once a week.

 

[SolarEclipse]

Okay, well at first about half the polyps fell off, but now it is starting to regrow! I see little polyps springing up everywhere!

 

[dendro982]

SolarEclipse:
Please, can you post photo of your tank, draw flow pattern (even MS Paint in Accessories will work), what pump are you using, describe flow, when it reaches blueberry gorgonian, are polyps bent, temperature, salinity, alkalinity, what salt are you using, with added Mg and Ca or not, what food and how fed, how many times a day, daily amount of food and filtration, capable to handle that? Anything else to pay attention to?

Will really appreciate this information.

 

[SolarEclipse]

I currently don't have a digital camera but as soon as i can post a picture I will. I will do my best to describe flow pattern. First off i have a 14 gallon Biocube, with 150 watts metal halide lighting. I have a Koralia Nano and an old Rio 90 in there. The Koralia nano is at the back top left of the tank, and the Rio 90 is at the back top right of the tank. The Koralia is pointed at the front left corner of the tank, and the Rio 90 is pointed at the fromt right corner, and the return pump from the back of the tank is pointed towards the top of the water on the left side of the tank. The return pump is the stock Biocube pump which is 137 gph ( I will try to find out the brand of the pump later).The flow comes down from the back left and back right of the tank to the front left and front right of the tank then both currents converge in the center creating a cyclone like swirl, the blueberyr fan is on the left center side of this swirl. Yes polyps are bent. Temp fluctuates from 77 to 82 degrees in a day ( I know that that is bad but I can't afford a chiller = ( right now)

Salinity is 1.021-1.022 ( I thought it was higher lol)
Alk is 9 degrees dH
pH is 7.9
Nitrite is 0
Ammonia is 0
Nitrate is 20
Ca is 380- 400
I don't test for Mg or Iodine.
I add Coral Vite by Kent Marine, Lugol's Solution, and Liquid Calcium by Kent Marine.

The food I feed it PhytoPlex by Kent Marine. At first I didn't see the polyps closing when the food went near the polyps, but now I see them closing when the food is near them, so I am assuming that they are eating. I try to feed 2-3 times a week but latley just once a week for the blueberry sea fan.

The filteration is the stock wet/dry trickle filter of the Biocube, as you can tell the from all the feeding my nitrates are a little on the high side.

I just found this interesting, that the parts that are growing it looks like blue silk wrapped around the limbs, with little nubs of blue sticking out.

I hope that this is what you were looking for, and if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask. I would like to share this experience with all of you reef lovers out there. = )

 

[dendro982]

Thank you! Is it possible to make a shot by cell phone?
What other food tank receives (with amount and frequency)?
What salt are you using?

 

[SolarEclipse]

I am getting a new cell phone on sunday with a good camera, so I will try to do it then. Other food is just Omega One Marine Flakes for the fish. The amount of food for the coral I usually add a capfull of the phytoplex. The salt I am using is Kent Marine's Salt.

 

[dtaylor123]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13671575#post13671575 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dendro982
I tried to find a syringe pump, every auction says, that it can be sold only to medical or authorized personnel, after checking their credentials.

What all of you think about making a thread with descriptions of tank setups, maintenance routines, accidents, conclusions for a cases, when blueberry gorgonian eventually died? At least not to repeat the same over and over again.

Any experience is still experience, and it is valuable. At least for me

I think that's a awesome idea! One day I would love to keep all of the exotic non-photosynthetic corals.

 

[dendro982]

SolarEclipse: thanks and I'll be waiting for photos.

Everyone: information about armageddon's blueberry gorgonian can be seen in his tank's thread (I hope he will not mind).

dtaylor123: Don't be shy and start new thread. I could do, but previous experience shows, that in this case will be zero responses
I'll join.

 

[SolarEclipse]

Hey everyone, just to post some pictures. This picture is my first attempt at a blueberry sea fan. It arrived with polyps already falling off, so I assumed it dead, would just like to share some dead photos of it. Still looks really cool eventhough it is dead. I got the new one about a month ago, and will post pictures of that one tomorrow. Enjoy the dead blueberry sea fan, again not the one I have now.

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[dendro982]

I got mine in similar condition, just a little better. Fragging - seemingly - showed some tissue regrowth, but then it was smothered by bryopsis.

I an curious, if it recovered from such state for somebody?

In my humble experience, the good initial health was critical for dendronephthya and irrelevant for Swiftia kofoidi.

 

[RocknReefr]

I know that they LOOOVE food! I thought that they don't like much for light. I believe that they are mostly found in deeper waters. Mine doesn't like current, but loves to eat!