New damaged gorgs-help needed

[natan]

First my apologies 4 posting in a NP forum, while the corals in question may be photosynthetic, i just know gorg people tend to leark here.

Got a pair of gorgonians recently, one is likely a Gorgonia sp. (should be photosynthetic), the other on I cant get even close so I don’t know. Hope it is PS too, for otherwise it likely wont survive. Both specimens have some areas with no tissue, and the unidentified one has large areas with tissue on just one side of its stem (was damaged by lying on its side at the shop). Polyps are extended on both after 2 days, looking happy. Question is shell I leave them as they are and hope for the missing tissue to regrow or do I have to frag off/remove the dead areas?

 

[Jens Kallmeyer]

HI

Hard to tell without pictures. If the tips lost their tissue I would cut it off, everything else I decide case by case. If there are algae on the dead skeletton then you have to cut definitely

Jens

 

[natan]

Thank you. No algae so far. On gorgonia thre are gaps in the tissue cover under 1cm long, and a few damaged tips. On the other stick like one the damaged area is about an inch long in the worst part. on it, where the tissue is still their, its on just one side of a stem, on the other side it was scraped off and possibly damaged by contact with other corals when the specimen was lying (thrown arround actually, as it was unattached and constantly got in the way of the dealer, to the point he was happy to get rid of it for next to nothing) flat on its side in the LFS. Live bits are looking surprisingly good though (when i got it i suspected much more of it was damaged and had doughts anything but a small bit is still alive).

 

[sl-atl]

If the tissue recession is from physical damage as opposed to a microbial infection, then I would just leave them as-is if the surrounding tissue looks healthy, except at the end of branches, which I would cut off since algae can start to grow there. Some gorgonians will regrow over those areas very quickly.

I'd suggest getting an ID quickly, since care requirements can vary even amoung photosynthetic varieties.

Good luck!

 

[dendro982]

I'll second the previous suggestion, worked for me, but not for all species.

 

[natan]

Thank you both. Will try to figure out how to post pictures here fo an ID.

 

[natan]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=259551

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=259552&papass=&sort=1&thecat=

Hope these work.

 

[sl-atl]

From the photos, I can say a couple of things:

1- I have not kept either of these, so take my next statement with a grain of salt.
2- I think you are in the correct forum since morphologically (not the best way to determine) they appear to be Pacific non-photosynthetic gorgonians. I'll take a look at my books when I get home to see if can make a better guess.

Anyone else?

 

[dendro982]

You may take a look at this gorgonians ID page, the closest there is Euplexaura crassa and Menella, which could be of different colors. If on the last photo gorgonian is orange or yellow with red polyps, then it could be Swiftia kofoidi or Swiftia excerta (see links above and below). But, as I understand, on the first photo polyps are not covering all surface of the branch, only two rows at sides.

My general approach in these cases is to frag the healthy parts, but at Ultimate Reef tontikki had recovery for other NPS gorgonian. But it is for you to decide.

Fragging technique is common for all gorgonians, my examples are here.

You are feeding them, right? ( sorry for assumption, but better be safe, then sorry).

HTH

 

[natan]

>You are feeding them, right?

Yuor assumption is correct, i dont at the moment, simply because i dont know what to feed, and how much/often. I do add some "coral fluid" dauly, but that is probably not enough or too small.
They are supposedly Indo, there is hardly any inport from pacific here. Both specimens have polyps all arround the branch, not in 2 rows.

Sadly, Menella may wall be it, looks right to me. NP of cause I rely dont like to bye without researching, and than researching some more first, but this was one impuls bye and the sad exception to that rual. 1 good thing is i didnt pay much, but shouldnt have payed at all for that one.

The other one might be Gorgonia flabellum (ideas on ID, anyone?) or something similar, in which case it is photosinthetic. I did remove a few damaged tips, and am going to take 2 small frags from it where the tissue is damaged in the middle of the branch. If photosinthetic, it may have a chance here.

 

[dendro982]

If I may:
even if end of branch is still alive, try to frag it. It may not grow, but you can try to keep it - just as a big colony.

Food: at this forum is a lot of information about feeding gorgonians, photosynthetic will benefit from food as well.

The high end are Fauna Marin food recipes, but you may use whatever is available for you now, and find the better food later. Not a single kind of food, variety.

Basically, zooplankton and some enriched food of the size to fit the mouth. Phytoplankton also can be used, as an addition to zooplanton.

RotiFeast + PhytoFeast, Rod's food,
Frozen: rotifers, Reef plankton, cyclops, baby brine; oyster eggs - as an addition,
Dry food: Cyclop-eeze likely will be too big, ZoPlan is smaller, GoldenPearls come in different sizes, Hikari First Bites is powder-like, very small.
Bottled food: as an addition to any of above.

What you may have at the home right now:
1. Frozen mysis, Marine Cuisine - small particles after washing them before feeding fish. You may feed the whole tank or target feed by dropper. Do not squirt hard, or polyps may close as defense. There is ZoPlan ans mysis particles inside much larger polyped gorgonian, than yours:

With some magnification you should be able to see results of your efforts.

2. Flake food: crush it by fingers, soak in any enrichment fluid, if you have it - Selcon, Reef Plus - for hour, keeping all refrigerated. Add new saltwater. Then blend in blender and particles settle. The use particles of suitable size for a feeding. Keep it refrigerated, prepared amount will last for a week or longer.
More details on that you can find by search on GAFT predatory gorgonians flake and here, at RC, mcox33 recipe flake food.

Amount of feeding: you see, how much mouths you have to feed.
Frequency of feeding: a couple of times in the morning, same - in the evening. one time a day likely will be not enough. Later you may set continuous feeding.

HTH and good luck!