new to gorgonians
- Thread starter jadeguppy
- Start date
gh0st
New member
Pictures of the gorgs in question would help, as the common names can cover a pretty broad range of corals.
The Purple Plume which got stung can probably be saved, but you'll need to cut of any of the dead stick only portions with a clean razor blade, a little bit past the dead area into some healthy tissue, and a gentle reef dip after wouldn't be a bad idea afterwards.
Pretty frequent feedings of Oyster Eggs, Phyto, and for some gorgs, cyclopeeze/brine/etc, as well as good strong but indirect water flow are very benificial.
The Purple Plume which got stung can probably be saved, but you'll need to cut of any of the dead stick only portions with a clean razor blade, a little bit past the dead area into some healthy tissue, and a gentle reef dip after wouldn't be a bad idea afterwards.
Pretty frequent feedings of Oyster Eggs, Phyto, and for some gorgs, cyclopeeze/brine/etc, as well as good strong but indirect water flow are very benificial.
The plume and feather type gorg are photosynthetic so they need good light and flow not feeding. You can try a occassional supplemental feed of small zooplankton (like rotifers, oyster eggs, marine snow). Cyclopeze and brine are too large for these gorgs. I've never actually seen any of these type gorgs close around food though so I'm not really sure if feeding does anything for them.
As for the tissue falling off. I'm thinking that the gorg is probably a gonner. I've had one of these puprle gorgs do this rapid tissue necrosis due to poor shipping. All of the tissue falling off overnight like this is a sign it's dead or well on its way to dead.
If it was stung (and do rics even sting?) the polyps would close up and the tissue would slowly recced from just the stung area. The tissue wouldn't fall off the entire gorg like this.
I'm guessing this gorg suffered during shiping, or was stressed due change in tank, not enough acclimation, etc. I doubt there's anything you can do for it. If by some chance the tissue at the base survives you'll want to trim back all the dead branches as ghost described.
As for the tissue falling off. I'm thinking that the gorg is probably a gonner. I've had one of these puprle gorgs do this rapid tissue necrosis due to poor shipping. All of the tissue falling off overnight like this is a sign it's dead or well on its way to dead.
If it was stung (and do rics even sting?) the polyps would close up and the tissue would slowly recced from just the stung area. The tissue wouldn't fall off the entire gorg like this.
I'm guessing this gorg suffered during shiping, or was stressed due change in tank, not enough acclimation, etc. I doubt there's anything you can do for it. If by some chance the tissue at the base survives you'll want to trim back all the dead branches as ghost described.
