Attaching Gorgonians to LR 3/15/08
How do you attach or
cause to attach to the rocks a live gorgonian after introduction to the
reef aquarium?
<Greetings, Mich here. The best way I have found is to
get a piece of rubble rock with a hole that you can put the gorgonian
in. The closer it is to the diameter of the internal woody skeleton the
better. You will have to remove the rind-like skin at the base before
placing it in the hole, otherwise the tissue just decays. You need to
make the cut as clean as possible but be careful not to break the
skeleton itself. The rind-like flesh should begin just outside the hole
in the LR. Use Super Glue (cyanoacrylate) to keep the skeleton inside
the rock. I have found it best to put a ring of cyanoacrylate around the
area between where the skeleton exits the rock as well, as it can help
the gorgonian to attach itself to the LR. I hope this makes sense. Would
be much easier to show you than to tell you.>
Thanks
<Welcome,
Mich>
Briareum Lighting Requirements? – 05/02/07
Hello all!
<<Greetings Mark>>
Feels like I'm writing a lot
lately, this is like the third e-mail in 3 days haha.
<<Hmm, maybe
we should be sending a bill...[grin]>>
Anyway last weekend I
acquired what I believe to be a gorgonian of the Briareum species.
<<I see>>
The LFS dealer told me that they were very hardy and it
was quite cheap so I decided to try it out.
<<The photosynthetic
gorgonians can be quite hardy, yes...and do be aware they are also quite
noxious...you will want to provide adequate chemical filtration
accordingly (carbon/Poly-Filter)>>
Now here’s a problem, I’m reading
all kinds of varying listings of light requirements for this species.
<<Indeed>>
Some sites state they need high intense lighting and some
state they need medium lighting.
<<Mmm, yes...and likely either is
fine as long as direct feeding makes up for what is needed but not
gained through photosynthesis>>
I have two Arcadia marine white 15w
T8's and one Arcadia blue actinic 15w T8, all with extra parabolic
reflectors on my 15g setup.
<<Replacing all three with 10000K bulbs
would serve better...in my opinion>>
I'm housing Favites Brain
Coral, Candy Cane, Protopalythoa, Hydnophora exesa, Hairy Mushrooms and
a recently acquired a small yellow/greenish Montipora fragment a few
months ago which has tripled in mass.
<<An aggressive and toxic mix
for sure...and in such a small tank. All the more reason for the
ancillary chemical filtration I mentioned>>
Most of these I have
kept in my system for years now and are incredibly vibrant in color.
<<You must be doing something right then>>
So I wanted to know if my
lighting can sustain all of these corals, would it be able to sustain my
gorgonian without trouble as well?
<<I think so, yes...if you have
any problems with the gorgonian, I doubt it will be due to the
lighting. >>
The flow department I already got covered; I’m running
an Eheim 1212 Aquaball with a Hydor rotating water
deflector. Non-linear flow as I have read that this species requires.
<<Sounds fine>>
Hope to hear from you soon :)
Best regards,
Mark Forsling
<<Cheers, Eric Russell>>
Deep Sea Yellow Gorgonian - 06/07/06
I was just wondering how
you think a Deep Sea Yellow Gorgonian a.k.a. Orange Finger or Sea Rod
(Diodogorgia sp.) would do in a 75 gallon tank with a 3 inch sand bed, 3
Maxi-Jet 1200 powerheads, and a 300 watt PC lighting? I have an AquaC
Remora Pro skimmer and 2 Emperor 400 filters. Thanks, Jon
<<Mmm...how dedicated are you to keeping this specimen alive? This
creature is non-photosynthetic, meaning you will need to feed it
directly with live phytoplankton. Can be done...but requires diligence
on your part to keep it fed. Sadly, most specimens are doomed to slow
starvation in the average aquarist's tank (if your in to gorgonians, the
photosynthetic Purple Ribbon Gorgonian {Pterogorgia sp.} makes a hardy
tank specimen). The presence of a large, mature refugium would also be
of benefit. Otherwise, what you list sounds fine but do place the
gorgonian where it will receive subdued lighting to help prevent algae
growth. Have a read here for some husbandry tips re this species:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2002/toonen.htm
Regards, EricR
Gorgonian ID and care 12/22/05 I recently purchased a
similar gorgonian. I cant seem to find any info on it. <It is
always better to research an animals needs before purchase! It is
impossible to ID the gorgonian in the picture you sent, and even
more impossible to know if yours is the same. Gorgonian care is
highly variable, except that almost all require strong
current. Brightly colored specimens are generally
non-photosynthetic and require large amounts of often highly
specialized food. Most of these are doomed to waste away and
die. Generally gray and brown specimens (and some purple ones) are
photosynthetic and so require bright light. These specimens still
appreciate food, but are less dependent on it. If you are confident
that your specimen is NOT photosynthetic, I would try to return it
to the dealer. If they will not accept it back, you can attempt to
provide it with adequate food (baby brine shrimp, Cyclops-eeze,
oyster eggs are all reasonable to try). If you think it is
photosynthetic, then bright light and strong current should do the
trick. All gorgonians will also benefit from the presence of
plankton generating refugia. Best Regards. AdamC.> |

|
Leptogorgia questions 10/17/05
Hi to the crew!
<Howdy>
I've
written you before with some questions on a Briareum colony with which I
was working; alas, the times have changed and I am on to a sea whip -
Leptogorgia virgulata! I am doing research to find out more about
concerning its relationship with its symbiotic snail (Neosimnia
uniplicata). I was wondering if you could offer any advice on keeping
sea whips. I am having a hard time finding information in any of my
coral books or online.
<Even "Modern Coral Reef Aquariums" (Fossa and
Nilsen)?>
Y'all have been so helpful in the past!
Set up - a 100
gallon round tank with constant water flow directly from the ocean.
Lights (overhead - no compacts) are synched to the local sunrise/set
times and are pretty natural.
The only thing in the water are the
sea whips (orange, yellow, and a smidgeon of red), and its symbiotic
snail and barnacle. Can't tell you the exact temperature offhand,
as it fluctuates during the day,
<Hopefully not more than a few
degrees F. diurnally>
but I'm at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC
and during the day the water's around 72*F. The coral were just moved in
today, so most of the polyps are still retracted. However, there are a
few branches open nearest the water inflow.
Please help! Thanks so
much!
Sincerely,
Katherine Almquist
<What little I know re the
practical husbandry of gorgonians is posted on WWM. Bob Fenner>
Encrusting gorgonian care - 11/24/03
Hi, I've had a small frag of
encrusting gorgonian (sp?) in my tank for about 2 months. I cannot tell
for sure if it is growing or not. <Depending on light and condition of
the tank, could be a very fast grower but I have noticed mine growing
slower these days. What a pain though. This stuff can move rapidly when
very happy. Watch carefully. Will cover everything in its path and in
some case will even irritate or sting SPS once it touches> The polyps
usually open for the entire photoperiod. <Sounds OK to me> I have it on
the top of my rockwork, where it receives current from two opposing
power heads, and occasional turbulence from a small HOB filter. <Sounds
like one of my setups. Indirect current right?> The guy at the LFS
didn't really tell me anything about it's care ( no surprise huh?),
<Well, no surprise but there are plenty of books, sites, and forum help
out there to be educated that one shouldn’t even have to ask about it
when buying. (Except for the water parameters of the source tank)> And I
know it was my responsibility to know the care of an animal before I
purchased it. <That’s right!!!> When I search on the internet, all I
seem to find is information on regular branch gorg.s. <Don’t get me
started. I see many hits when I use my favorite search engine. C’mon
now.> I do weekly water changes, because I'm not too comfortable dosing
anything just yet. <I wouldn’t dose anything you don’t test for. Save
the money.> I have been feeding DT's in the tank as another source told
me that would be good for it. <Not so sure. I have never directly fed
mine> Do you have the proper name of this creature? <Well, do searches
for it on the internet as there are few variances of encrusting forms of
gorgonian. Some of these so called encrusting forms could even be
misidentified. Check our page:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/seafans.htm> at least that way my
searches could possibly be more fruitful. I really want my gorg to
thrive, and I hope you, or someone else could help me. <High lighting
and various strong flows seem to help them thrive in my experience. No
need to feed phyto.> It seems as if not too many people on the boards
have these things. <'Cause they are a menace when they get loose!!!
~Paul>
Azooxanthellate gorgonian... another statistic 10/22/03
Greetings from Denver, Anthony, I don't know what's wrong with this
gorgonian. Last month, it looked great (see pic), after moving to
the new system, it looks terrible, with stringy algae like stuff. It
saddens me to watch it die, is there anything I can do to save it?
Looking forward to seeing you in Denver next month! Thanks,
Stormbringer <not much to say mate. They all "look good" for some
weeks... even a few months after import. And almost all of these
non-photosynthetic gorgonians are dead within 6 months of
collection. They should not have been collected, offered, or
purchased IMO. It died like every one I've every seen has...
attrition and giving up the fight to encroaching algae. We do not
know or cannot provide what they eat (nanoplankton and smaller in
some cases). Bottles phyto foods with at least some species (this
one I believe) are a joke. Yikes... sorry to be so grim, but it is
what it is. The red, orange and yellow sea fans are well-deserving
of their reputation in captivity. My advice is to never buy another
unless you can set up a species tank for it. On a better note... I
am very eager to see you and meet the Denver gang next month! Sure
to be a great time. Anthony> |
 |  |
Blue polyp gorgonian (Azooxanthellate species) 10/20/03
I have a
blue polyp gorgonian (Acalycigorgia sp.). I have been feeding the same
food that I my Tubastrea. Its Cyclop-Eeze and it seems to be really
helping my animals.
<it is a fine food>
I was feeding Selcon
soaked Mysis until about 2 months ago when
I heard of Cyclop-Eeze.
<the Selcon is tremendously nutritious... please resume>
I do not
have a refugium. I do know that a refugium
will greatly increase the
health of my gorgonian.
<more than you know, my friend>
Hopefully
soon I will be using
one. My question is will this gorgonian have a
problem if it is lifted out of the water?
<why bother... do play it
safe and bag and move under water if it needs to be moved>
It has
grown a couple of inches in height and when I do a water
change it is
getting too close to being exposed to air? Can this gorgonian tolerate
air or will it die if exposed?
<Hmmm... I'm not completely certain. I
suspect it will be fine. But is may be a good excuse to propagate it
(cut off the growing tip and superglue into a hole in another rock).
Best regards, Anthony>
Gorgonians
me again - just bought
a gorgeous blue green Gorgonian octocorallian from
work yesterday, I
put it in the direct path of a powerhead, so it has
plenty of
circulation and movement, but there seems to be a lighting
dispute -
one of my co workers recommended low light conditions (which I
thought to be ridiculous, because I know they contain zooxanthellae) but
I
read your article and I agree with you. What exactly are their
light
conditions? thanks Again, Chris
>>
Hmmm, really depends
on the question of whether the species in question is photosynthetic or
not (yep, some have endosymbiotic algae, other's don't). I suspect that
you have one of the two more popular Pseudopterygorgia (from the
tropical west Atlantic), that photosynthates... requiring moderate to
bright lighting, brisk circulation... which most all forms/species will
tolerate...but do confirm the species
Bob Fenner
Acropora
and Sea Fan questions
Hi all! Thanks as always for a great
site.
<our pleasure>
I don't know where I'd be without my daily
dose of WWM.
<out of the Institution, perhaps?>
My first question
is really more just curiosity than a problem (I hope). I've noticed that
my Acropora polyps are almost always out during the day. They close
after the lights have been out for a while or after a feeding.
<feeding particulates that is... they prefer nanoplankton and feeding by
absorption instead (some). Thus... no need or irritation by the turbidly
of plankton at night or your feeding>
I'm puzzled because the
Acroporas that I've see in the display tanks at my local pet stores are
always closed.
<varies by species, water quality, water flow, etc>
The pictures I've seen are usually too small to distinguish the
polyps. What is the normal behavior supposed to be?
<varies>
Do
I have anything to worry about?
<nope>
I've attached a picture
so that you can see what my coral typically looks like.
<a handsome
coral>
I hope it's not too big,
<if only I had a dollar for every
time I had to say that [fill in your own joke here]>
was the smallest
I could make it without losing the detail.
<[follow up joke inserted
HERE]>
I feed them a variety of meaty foods that I blend in a
hand-held blender until very fine.
<a nice effort but likely little
help. They do not eat phyto... and prepared meaty foods are grossly too
large. They need nano-sized zooplankton. A fishless upstream refugium
would be a much bigger help>
I feed the tiny suspended food to my
small polyped corals
and sea fan,
<yes... better for the sea fan
indeed>
and the larger crumbs that settle on the bottom of the bowl I
feed to my sun coral.
<good strategy>
My sun coral, by the way, is
doing very well and
growing fast.
<excellent. Do look in archives
for the old article in Aquarium Frontiers by Joe Yaiullo on asexual
planulation of this coral. Fantastic!>
My second question is about my
sea fan. There is some Cyanobacteria growing on the fan -- but no where
else in the tank,
<yes... needs more random turbulent flow here...
they have evolved by design to trap particles!>
fortunately. How can
I safely remove it?
<just better flow bud... tweak your outlets but
no laminar action here. Have two effluents converge above it perhaps>
The Cyano is beginning to smother the fan, but otherwise the fan
seems to be doing very well, even growing. I've included a picture of
the fan. You can see the dark areas where the Cyano is growing. I have
a 75 gallon tank with lots of live rock and about 3 inches of live
sand. I keep a protein skimmer and a small carbon filter running all of
the time. My protein skimmer is a Turboflotor 1000 multi. The cup is
filled about once a week (is that enough?).
<not really... (hence
the Cyano). This is a skimmer with a good design that needs pampering
and tweaking. There are even companies that sell modified Turboflotors.
Browse the archives here and the message boards for modification tips
and tricks.>
For lighting, I have a 384 watt PC with two 10000K and
two actinic bulbs. My water parameters are:
>pH = 8.3
>dKH = 9.3
>Calcium = ~400
>Ammonia = 0
>Nitrite = 0
>Nitrate = 10
Thanks, Patrick
<best regards, Anthony>
Re: Gorgonian
Anthony, Thanks for helping me convince the world that it needs to
revolve around...uh...Me!
<heehee...>
No, but, really a flare
nozzle on the water input bulkhead
should provide some tumbling
motion 'eh? Powerhead maybe?
<agreed>
I just
got back from the LFS, the fish dude there sold this (see attachments)
as a hardy, "branching star polyp", looks like a gorgonian of some sort
to me, what do ya think?
<yup... looks like the knobby gorgonian
Eunicea from the image (tough to be sure)>
He also said to put it at
the bottom of the tank with moderate water flow around
<hmmm...
moderate light is OK... but this coral needs moderate to strong water
flow like most coral>
As always, thanks!
<kind regards, Anthony!>
Encrusting
gorgonian "problem" 3/10/03
I purchased what my LFS calls an
encrusting gorgonian 5 days ago.
<Briareum is now the genus that
encompasses both Pacific Starpolyp and one of the two common Atlantic
"gorgonians" (the other is Erythropodium)>
It very closely resembles
star polyps. Problem is, it's retracted it's polyps and it's base has
turned from light pink to an off-white color. I can see bumps all over
the base, as if it is trying to extends it's polyps. The rest of the
tank is in hale condition. Water params are very good. How long can I
expect it to remain dormant?
<without knowing anything about your
water quality and other physical parameters (light, weekly carbon use,
none at all, water clarity, etc) I can only speculate. The most common
cause of poor polyps extension here is lack of dynamic water flow. These
corals need very strong water movement, but it must not be laminar (no
power head blasting it! <G>). Please do read the articles on water flow
in the WetWebMedia.Com archives for more insight>
Is it dying/dead?
<not likely... you'll know it... it decays quickly>
Are they pretty
hardy corals.
<very much so. In fact, they are considered a nuisance
and a weed by many because they grow fast and over take rocks and kill
corals. Still, I admit they are quite beautiful if kept in check (keep a
rubble "campfire" around them)>
The LFS seems to think that they are
hardy and hard to kill.
<agreed>
Please advice. Best, Balachandran
Chandrasekaran
<with kind regards, Anthony>
Dying or
Stressed encrusting gorgonian? 3/19/03
Dear WWM Crew:
<cheers,
my friend>
Last week I wrote to Anthony regarding a newly purchased
encrusting
gorgonian. He suggested that I install an additional
powerhead to obviate laminar water flow and run activated carbon to
ameliorate the lighting conditions/intensity.
Despite following his
advice, the gorgonian's polyps remain retracted.
<have patience my
friend... some coral even take a couple months (Lobophytum are notorious
for example)>
It appears to be trying to extends it's polyps as there
are bumps all over the surface.
<ahhh... good sign. Slowly but
surely>
Today, I noticed that my red Lobophyllia started showing
signs of
die-off and I instantly moved the gorgonian to the QT tank
and did a 40% water change. The rest of the tank look a little
lackadaisical.
<wow! Ahhh... I must say you need to be careful of
such knee-jerk reactions. The tank overall may have a problem, but the
gorgonian is not likely the cause. The gorg will be further stressed for
having to deal with yet another lighting scheme in such a short period
since purchase>
Question: What does a dying/decaying gorgonian look
like?
<unmistakable... rotting, dissolving and foul smelling>
Please advice and thanks in advance. Best, Balachandran Chandrasekaran
<sudden or frequent moves of coral under any circumstance can kill newly
acquired coral, my friend. Simply have more patience than one week for
polyps extension.... even one month in a new tank. The move from QT to
the display reset the clock so to speak. And now that its back, you
still may not see polyp extension soon. If the tank overall looks pale,
test all parameters and do a larger water change to be safe and buy time
(25-50%). Best regards, Anthony>
Yellow finger gorgonian
7/18/03
Crew, First of all, Kudos to Bob and Anthony for the
great Invertebrates book, I have read it cover to cover many times.
<yikes... maybe we will too one day <G>. Thanks kindly :) >
OK, I
purchased a 6-7" yellow finger gorgonian coral at the local LFS (their
not much to speak of compared to the So. Cal stores, but I'm stuck here
in the Midwest)
<Arghhh... a very challenging species. Not for the
traditional home reef aquarium. Needs laminar flow and heavy daily
feedings... really for experts only. I myself will not even bother to
keep them. Most die within months of not weeks.>
After getting home
with this cheap purchase, I look up the requirements for this type of
coral (Bob would not be happy with me for this hindsight) and see they
require several of weekly feedings of newly hatched brine shrimp or
similar food.
<yes... quiet a challenge. Do employ a large fishless
refugium to help with feedings of plankton ASAP>
I have a small 29g
with about 25lbs of LR, 3 small Damsels (1-1.5") and a huge copepod
population.
<excellent on the latter>
It's been setup for almost a
year, and I have well established populations of coralline algae,
Caulerpa, and various encrusting filter feeders. My lighting/filtration
and skimming are vast overkill (I used to work for Bob).
<no concerns
about lighting here... your gorgonian is aposymbiotic>
Do you think I
will still need to supplement for this guy (I have no other live coral
in the tank)?
<you'd be lucky with feedings only 3-5 times weekly...
very sorry to say>
Also, the base (3/4-1") of this coral had no
visible substrate attached, but there were no breaks in the membrane.
<alas... too common, but reassuring on the latter part>
Thanks for
your help, Randy R.
<wishing you the best. Anthony>
Another Statistic? Red Gorgonian 8/17/03
I bought a red
gorgonian. From what it looks like, it is Diodogorgia nodulifera.
<ughh... beautiful, but destined to die unless you have an advanced
species-specific display set up for it. Culturing rotifers, unicellular
algae, etc. Aged tank and DSB (over 2-3 years) with mature fishless
refugium, etc?>
The person at store said that if I have fish in the
tank, I will not need to feed the gorgonian.
<misinformation or a
flat out lie>
Yet, other say that this one needs to be fed even if
the fish are in the tank. So... my question is please tell me how and
what to feed it.
<these are some of the most difficult cnidarians to
keep alive in captivity. The point may be moot... yours will die in a
community fish tank in less than a year unless than a year (mere months
perhaps) of starvation. Let me strongly suggest you return this creature
for a photosynthetic species instead (brown, grey, etc... like
Erythropodium) or do some fast research on how to set up a species tank
to keep this unfortunate animal alive. I personally feel very few should
be collected and that none should be offered for casual sale to new
aquarists.>
Also, I've placed this one in the sand, a bit in a shade,
medium water flow, is that fine?
<they are indifferent to light if
you can protect them from encroaching algae... but they do need
extremely strong water flow. Give a strong laminar source from a far
distance (no close powerheads please). Best of luck>
Thanks, Luke
<Anthony>
Another Statistic? Red Gorgonian II - 8/17/03
Anthony, thank you for your advice. Here's my follow-up.
> I bought a
red gorgonian. From what it looks like, it is Diodogorgia nodulifera.
> <ughh... beautiful, but destined to die unless you have an advanced
species-specific display set up for it. Culturing rotifers, unicellular
algae, etc. Aged tank and DSB (over 2-3 years) with mature fishless
refugium, etc?>
Is that all it eats?
<worse... science and the
hobby do not exactly know what these creatures eat. Many theories and
some limited data on the subject (bacteria, colloidal matter, flocci,
nanoplankton too... none of which you or I have in necessary quantities
in our aquariums). Rotifers and green water seem to help. But this is a
large part of the reason why many folks feel it is unethical for the
casual collection and sale of these creatures (aposymbiotic corals).
They are almost entirely doomed to die of starvation in average
community tanks>
Will not assimilate left over fish food?
<not a
prayer. Literally impossible once you see/understand their polyp
structure and known stimuli. Its like a squirrel looking a 2-story nut>
By the way, where can I find info on culturing unicellular algae or
rotifers.
<Florida Aqua Farms, and Inland Aquatics would be good
places to start with>
Not sure what is the refugium for, should the
gorgonian be in the refugium???
<my goodness... your LFS would have
done you and them (future long-term business) a greater service to sell
you a refugium kit rather than a gorgonian that will be dead in 6
months. The concept of a refugium is simple, yet lengthy enough to not
be able to be fairly described in a brief e-mail. We dedicated about 100
of 400 pages in our new book, Reef Invertebrates, just to refugiums,
plants & algae, and live substrates. Let me suggest that you use the
google search tool on our home page
http://www.wetwebmedia.com to do a search of our site for articles
and FAQs on "refugiums". Much to be enjoyed/learned there>
How about
feeding it with commercial products such as: Phytoplex, Zooplex etc. by
Kent Marine?
<A complete waste of money in my opinion. The particle
size is too big for most phytoplankton feeders. DTs is a better choice
if you must use a bottled supplement. The point may be moot...
yours will die in a community fish tank in less than a year unless than
a year (mere months perhaps) of starvation.>
Are you saying that this
Cnidarian should not be kept with fish?
<My apologies... I was not
clear on the last point. The gorgonian can fare very well in a fish tank
(and will likely benefit at least a small amount by their presence.. or
rather, presents in the form of fecal matter). However, most fish tanks
are community tanks that do not get fed live rotifers, do not have
inline and gated fishless refugiums, etc... and as such, an aposymbiotic
gorgonian will die in short order in this environment. Unfortunately,
they are slow to starve and actually can look quite good for several
months before (likely) losing a "sudden" battle with encroaching
microalgae, if not becoming necrotic and dying outright. Let me suggest
that you please research the needs of any fish or invertebrate before
you buy them. LFS advice does not constitute objective research ;)
Before you buy another coral, please buy a good book like Eric
Borneman's "AQUARIUM CORALS". For all other invertebrates there is our
"Reef Invertebrates" (Calfo and Fenner). It will be a worthwhile
long-term investment in your success, my friend. Best of luck. Anthony>
Keeping His (Corky Sea) Finger Where It Belongs!
Hello.
<Hi
there! Scott F. here today!>
I've searched your site, but couldn't
find what I'm looking for. I also posted my question to
reefcentral.com... got lots of 'views', but no takers.
<Differences
of opinions...? Among reefers...? Nah! LOL>
So here's my
question... today I acquired an unmounted Briareum asbestinum, which I
understand is also known as an encrusting gorgonian or corky sea finger.
Right now, I've got it sitting in a small rock inside a shot glass at
the bottom of my tank. Can I use super glue gel on it to attach it where
I want or should I leave it where it is for a while. If the latter, then
for how long?
<If it were me, I would secure the specimen where you
want it with the super glue gel. Yes, they will encrust on their own,
but it's hard to say how long it will take. Once they encrust, though,
they do grow really quickly, and they can be quite toxic to other
corals...Place it carefully, and allow distance for future expansion>
Any addition info. re: placement in tank would be most welcome, too.
From what I've read, it seems to be highly photosynthetic, so in the top
3rd of the tank seems appropriate. But I've also read it prefers to
latch on to substrate, which I would think would normally be near the
bottom, unless one lived near a subduction zone.
<I've mounted this
species midway up the rock structure in strong current and pretty bright
light, and it's grown like crazy! They are pretty adaptable animals...>
Basic specs: 24" high 65 gal. w/440 watts VHO. Here's a pic. Thanks a
lot. Warren
<Glad to be of service, Warren! I'm sure that you'll
enjoy this species no matter how you mount it! Regards, Scott F>
Buried Gorgonian depth 9/30/03
Hello Gorgonian Guru (Steve Pro ?
Anthony Calfo?)
<you rang, sir...[Lurch voice here]>
I have a
purple Gorgonian (I believe a candelabra) that I buried about 2 inches
deep in my sand bed, up to where the polyps start. Will covering its two
inch base of purple flesh in sand harm this guy? Thanks, SLC
<Yowzah... it will indeed be a problem. Gorgonians occur on hard
substrates and are not accustomed to being buried in the sand. Buried
tissue will be stifled and become necrotic. Please do remove promptly.
If you desire this specimen on the bottom... cable tie or glue it to a
larger rock that can be partially buried. Best regards, Anthony>
Re: buried Gorgonian depth II 10/3/03
To Anthony Calfo :
Yowzah is right ... the 2" of buried Gorgo-flesh has become putrid and
necrotic, like most current Hollywood movies.
<Arghhh... to the
necrosis, that is... not the LALAland movie comparison. That we already
knew>
This border of decay seems firmly affixed at the previous
burial line and is not advancing north
<a good sign>
towards the
Land Of Good Purple And Polyps.
<Minnesota?>
Anything special I
should do to help my otherwise healthy Candelabra?
<definitely go
pro-active and cut away tissue just slightly above the highest affected
point (+1/2") and all below. Leave only the woody gorgonian stem -
reason being, infections can quickly become systemic on gorgonians>
I
have removed this dead stuff with a Sonic Care toothbrush (no reef
should be without one)
<agreed... but save the floss for making
bikini beach-wear>
but anything else I can do (that you say to do ) I
will do...
<Hmmm.... you wouldn't happen to know where the love of my
life is? Getting older but not necessarily wiser.>
And howdy-do to
you, too ....
<and the horse I rode in on?>
Thanks for the
steady-stream-of-invert-life-saving advice you have given me, SLC
<it's true... I switched to Invertebrate Sympathizer from being
Republican - it wasn't a far stretch. Best regards, Anthony>