Guaiagorgia?

[mollymonticello]

I just got a gorgonian, I think it's a Guaiagorgia. Does anyone have experience with these? Is it non-photosynthetic like I think it is?

It wasn't in the best shape when I got it, it had a film of algae and was infested with munnid isopods and mini brittle stars who were eating the algae. I brushed off as much algae as I could, and now it is shedding. But some polyps are coming out now.

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[philter4]

It needs to be fed, it can eat a fairly lg sized food, what I do is use a piece of airline tubing and push cyclops (I use frozen, but cyclopeez mixed with water works) and baby brine through a bird feeding syringe, you can get them at most pet stores, and as I push the food (mix with aquarium water or the polyps close up) I move the airline up and down pushing slowly so the polyps catch the food. I also use the refrigerated arctipods, but they are much more expensive then the frozen. It can be a PITA, but it is worth it as the animal is beautiful when open. They tend to be collected in high flow areas so mine are attached so my power heads flow indirectly over them, they open in the current because that is what brings food.

 

[mollymonticello]

About half of its polyps are out today, all toward the tips of the branches. It is shedding from the top down (kind of like a Pseudopterogorgia does to get algae off), and as that "skin" comes off, the polyps are coming out.

I believe this coral is non-photosynthetic. I have two aquariums, a photosynthetic 55 gallon, and a smaller non-photo 37 gallon connected underneath. I think I'll move it underneath with my other non-photo gorgs.

Dr. Shimek did a really informative presentation on feeding non-photo gorgs, specifically Diodogorgia (which is what I have), and it has really helped me a lot. I have an orange one that is more than a year old and a red one that is a bit younger. The red one is doing fantastic, but the orange one is still recovering from my ignorance from when I first got it.

Basically, he says the key to feeding these gorgs is laminar flow, not turbulent flow. They will catch twice as much food in laminar flow than turbulent flow. The bell shape of the polyps must not be disturbed for them to catch the food. The bell shape of the polyp causes an area of low pressure inside the polyp which pushes the food close to the mouth. Then the tentacles push the food into the mouth. Providing true laminar flow in an average aquarium is nearly impossible, so I put the gorgs close to Koralia powerheads.

He also recommends feeding A LOT of bbs, off the top of my head, I think he said you could feed about a million cysts a day. Personally, I don't feed that much, and I tend to feed more frozen foods like cyclops, cyclopeeze, and nutrimar ova. Foods any smaller than the size of half a bbs is too small for these animals.

I hope the care of this beautiful gorgonian is similar to the Diodogorgia.

 

[dendro982]

Hi! If you don't mind, I would like to ask about Guaiagorgia ID too.

I thought that my coral is the guaiagorgia, but it is different, and the polyps are too small for cyclop eeze or baby brine.
General shape:

Polyps:

Polyps are retractable, swiftia is on the background:

Cross section:

Sources of ID were:
1, 2, photos of polyps, eating.

Euplexaura is very close, but different.

Mine was very prone to bryopsis, growing on the branches, but low light helped. The food is mostly Hikari First Bites, ZoPlan, and (I'm not sure if it eats them) decapsulated brine shrimp eggs. All is of the rotifers size and smaller. Tank gets cyclop eeze too, but visually they are too big.

No shedding. Growth only if soft tissue of the frag touches the base is is glued to (shell).

 

[mollymonticello]

Hello, again, Dendro982, thanks for adding. Yours looks A LOT like mine. So you think it's not a Guaiagorgia or a Euplexaura? I'm not sure.

I've kept mine in my tank with the light, and today when I got home, it was still dark in my tank, and the polyps were closed. But when the lights came on, it opened all the way. I know that's not a clear indication that it is photosynthetic, could be a coincidence, but...I'm not sure.

I'll upload a new pic soon of it all polyped out, it looks great. I'm noticing that the base is completely dead, though. I fed it last night, gave it some rotifers, daphnia, cyclop eeze, and nutrimar ova. I noticed that it was able to catch the ova, but I'm not sure if the polyps were able to consume them. Definitely couldn't eat the daphnia or cyclops. I think it got some rotifers, but my eyes aren't that good. These polyps are definitely a lot smaller than the Diodogorgia I'm used to.

 

[dendro982]

I meant, different from one on your photo, you looks thicker branched. Could be that yours was better fed. Mine was a rescue case

I thought, that it is Guaiagorgia, judging from photos on German website. Sorry, don't have better sources for possible ID, just picking names of similar looking corals here and there online.

 

[mollymonticello]

<img src="http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/6697/img4347ck6.jpg">

<img src="http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/5219/gorgoniancloseupeg7.jpg">

 

[dendro982]

Wow! Gorgeous.
While branching is similar, the branches of your are much thicker then mine. Maybe somebody else posts more info.

Keep us posted, how it will be doing and any tips on its keeping.

 

[fishybuisness]

Bump,

I am curious on how things went, and what youre experiences and observations where regarding this coral.

 

[yslexdia]

I realize I'm a bit late to the party, but that is a BEAUTIFUL colony!