Feeding a Blueberry Gorgonian?
- Thread starter liquidglass
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Kolognekoral
New member
Erik,
the tank is nothing too unusual, more a typical reef with a few gorgonians, corals and fish. I will attempt to get an update and foto, but haven't heard anything back, yet.
the tank is nothing too unusual, more a typical reef with a few gorgonians, corals and fish. I will attempt to get an update and foto, but haven't heard anything back, yet.
Kolognekoral
New member
From another aquarist, who was refering to a comment made in a related report, the presence of burrowing gobies seems to be of immense benefit for maintaining filter feeders. The assumption is that their constant digging activity sets a great deal of fine food material free. Now, this may sound similar to the 'stirring the sand' theory, but the fish are doing this constantly and this difference may be key. Constant, small feedings.
Kolognekoral
New member
I see no reason not to expect it to keep a few days. Of course, refrigeration after it is mixed with water will keep it longer, but the mix is dry until then. I believe bacteria is possibly beneficial and not a real problem, unless it clogs something! What are you hoping to do?
PSam
Active member
I wanted to make a simple food that could be dosed / available for the coral 24/7 with my LM3 for the time being, without having to refill everyday. Your 'recipe' posted seems like it would keep for a few days without any problem (mixed in water for dosing). I also have a whole array of FM foods, etc, so was also looking in to something else for daily feeding, but not available 24/7. Since you're in Cologne, maybe you can / wouldn't mind helping... ? 
I was trying to decipher Jens' slides, numbers 45 to 48, in this link. From what I get, and please correct anything I've mis-interpreted, there is a "day feed" and a night feed - the day feeding consists of the nighttime food (which we make below), but with addition of your normal fish feeding + fresh hatched artemia.
The night / coral food = Ultra Clam, Min F & S, ultralife, some vitamins? (multisanostol? some iron vitamin?), cyclops, Dt's oyster egg, 100 micron krill mash of sorts and ultra booster.
Mix it all up, let it sit in the fridge overnight.
In the meantime, mix up some UltraPac with Water, MinS, and again this vitamin (multisanostol).
This mix is to be added to the first mixture (clam, min f+s, etc), and all quickly frozen.
Did I get the gist of it?
I was trying to decipher Jens' slides, numbers 45 to 48, in this link. From what I get, and please correct anything I've mis-interpreted, there is a "day feed" and a night feed - the day feeding consists of the nighttime food (which we make below), but with addition of your normal fish feeding + fresh hatched artemia.
The night / coral food = Ultra Clam, Min F & S, ultralife, some vitamins? (multisanostol? some iron vitamin?), cyclops, Dt's oyster egg, 100 micron krill mash of sorts and ultra booster.
Mix it all up, let it sit in the fridge overnight.
In the meantime, mix up some UltraPac with Water, MinS, and again this vitamin (multisanostol).
This mix is to be added to the first mixture (clam, min f+s, etc), and all quickly frozen.
Did I get the gist of it?
Kolognekoral
New member
Yup, you are pretty good at decoding! I would add to it, that the day food contains essentially whatever one would like to provide for the fish. Jens is using artemia, krill, etc. What I particularly like about his method is the frozen dosing. He is letting a tube of the frozen mixture slowly melt and be pulled into the tank to give a slow feed over a few hours. I could see creating a feeding tube system with a circulation pump (or added in-line) that can be re-loaded 2-4 times per day with a frozen mixture. In theory, one could adapt this further to include non-frozen foods. The real trick would be to create a vacation feeding system which would allow one to load for a full week or more. I hate relying on friends to take care of things when I'm away. Something stupid ALWAYS happens.
PSam
Active member
I really like the cube idea as well - drop in a cube on the way to the office, drop one in after work, another before bed. Even if on vacation it does make it simpler for care taker (read: Bro-in-law that re-filled top off container with saltwater) to drop the appropriate amount in with out 'too much' worry on my part...
... at least until someone creates the '7 day non-photosynthetic vacation tabs', like the ones shaped like shells or treasure chests for freshwater...
... at least until someone creates the '7 day non-photosynthetic vacation tabs', like the ones shaped like shells or treasure chests for freshwater...
Kolognekoral
New member
A quick up-date, as I just received the book Soft Corals and Sea Fans. The genus Acalycigorgia, to which the blueberry gorgonia is typically classified, is a synonym for Acanthogorgia. Unfortunately, the book does not delve down to the species level. An interesting note on this genus; many of the current named species are extremely similar in sclerite structure, which may mean they are all variants of a single super-species. As so little work is being done in this area, we may never hear the end of the story!
redmangrove
New member
What are your thought on the book so far?
Kolognekoral
New member
As I have found no other book that covers these animals, it is the best available, but really scratches the surface. Written in laymans terms with good diagrams and fotos of the genera, it certainly gives one an excellent basic reference. It does not cover Atlantic species or the eastern Pacific, only central-west Pacific, Indic to the Red Sea.
As there are habitat references, one does get an idea what kind of conditions suite the various genera. Also, the beginning chapters discuss the various characteristics that define genera, which I found very interesting.
What most aquarists will miss is 'how to' references, as this is not a cultural publication for the hobbyist, more intended as a reference to allocate genus and lay-down a foundation of understanding. I would recommend it to the serious aquarist, but not the casual hobbyist, unless they are simply fascinated by marine science. I think most of us on this forum would certainly benefit from it! After all, we hunger for information.
As there are habitat references, one does get an idea what kind of conditions suite the various genera. Also, the beginning chapters discuss the various characteristics that define genera, which I found very interesting.
What most aquarists will miss is 'how to' references, as this is not a cultural publication for the hobbyist, more intended as a reference to allocate genus and lay-down a foundation of understanding. I would recommend it to the serious aquarist, but not the casual hobbyist, unless they are simply fascinated by marine science. I think most of us on this forum would certainly benefit from it! After all, we hunger for information.
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