mskillerreef
Member
A few recent pics of my blueberry gorgonian and tank.. The BG has been in my tank for about 3 months now and is doing very well being spotfed two to three times a day... very worth it!
Blueberry gorgonian, happy little guy :)
- Thread starter mskillerreef
- Start date
D
deadly_legend
Guest
very very pretty! lovely tank as well! where did you get the Blueberry gorgonian?
aquatic cat
New Member
I agree with the others about it being pretty but the whole tank is
.
mskillerreef
Member
Thanks guys!! I got from a wholesale connection. Yea I never really planned on doing "spotfeeding" or multiple feedings through the day ever for anything, but I decided to go for it which I'm glad since the feedings only take a second. The polyps literally are always out so when I feed, it gobbles.
coral keeper
Active Member
Beautiful! Looks like its healthy and doing very well! Does the tank have a skimmer or is it skimmerless? My guess is its skimmerless?
life~reefer
Member
Great Job keeping him!
duchessw/a9mm
Member
Man what do I have to do to get my tank to look like that
!!!!
mskillerreef
Member
Gracias! I actually do have a skimmer on it, whihc you can see in the last tank pic on top left. It's a Red Sea prizm. I also put polyfilter in the surface skimming part for extra filtration. It probably takes 2 or 3 months until I have to empty it. WSince the gorg needs stuff that are specifically filtered out, I use Seachem's Fuel to replenish the good stuff.
mskillerreef
Member
Couple more for ya..
mskillerreef
Member
Love that avatar pic, Cranberry-very cool!
Well, i feed quite a few things that all my corals and fish can thrive on, and I gotta believe the foods I spot feed, besides water quality, are to thank for the "actually still living" gorgonian.. Baby brine twice a day every day, either Kent's Zooplex or Marine Snow following the baby brine (I alternate KZ and MS in the am/pm feedings), DT's phyto randomly every few days or so, and I also replenish the water with Seachem Fuel every single day. The water tests show since it's a super stocked tank that the nutrients are being used on a rediculous level. Fuel has really helped my tank bloom! As everyone knows, feeding this much does affect the water quality very much.. But I always know if I might be dosing too many nutrients/food if there is an abnormal amount of algae growing on my glass.
As far as chemicals go, I have to dose Seachem's 8.4 almost every day to keep the pH right. That stuff is magic. Seachem's calcification is good too- I keep my calcium level perfect (esp for the gorg) dosing this only once a week. When my water was tested a couple weeks ago, all was perfect, no nitrates or anything, except the carbonate hardness (KH). To fix this I dose Reef Builder KH buffer twice a week. I always follow the directions on the dosage amount exactly as stated for a twenty gallon.
I've found that the flow is 100% important for this gorgonian. As you can see there are 2 coralia nanos that are on twenty second intervals with a wavemaker. It must have high flow but not exactly direct, but very close! The powerhead kinda behind it hits it so that the flow loops back around to the left, therefor getting the other side of the gorg. It's been perfect for it, so far! When I had the powerhead directly behind and on it, the polyps were too pissed to come out and feed. When i had it one more inch to the right, it didn't give it enough and started thinning almost overnight.
Well, i feed quite a few things that all my corals and fish can thrive on, and I gotta believe the foods I spot feed, besides water quality, are to thank for the "actually still living" gorgonian.. Baby brine twice a day every day, either Kent's Zooplex or Marine Snow following the baby brine (I alternate KZ and MS in the am/pm feedings), DT's phyto randomly every few days or so, and I also replenish the water with Seachem Fuel every single day. The water tests show since it's a super stocked tank that the nutrients are being used on a rediculous level. Fuel has really helped my tank bloom! As everyone knows, feeding this much does affect the water quality very much.. But I always know if I might be dosing too many nutrients/food if there is an abnormal amount of algae growing on my glass.
As far as chemicals go, I have to dose Seachem's 8.4 almost every day to keep the pH right. That stuff is magic. Seachem's calcification is good too- I keep my calcium level perfect (esp for the gorg) dosing this only once a week. When my water was tested a couple weeks ago, all was perfect, no nitrates or anything, except the carbonate hardness (KH). To fix this I dose Reef Builder KH buffer twice a week. I always follow the directions on the dosage amount exactly as stated for a twenty gallon.
I've found that the flow is 100% important for this gorgonian. As you can see there are 2 coralia nanos that are on twenty second intervals with a wavemaker. It must have high flow but not exactly direct, but very close! The powerhead kinda behind it hits it so that the flow loops back around to the left, therefor getting the other side of the gorg. It's been perfect for it, so far! When I had the powerhead directly behind and on it, the polyps were too pissed to come out and feed. When i had it one more inch to the right, it didn't give it enough and started thinning almost overnight.
aquaknight
Active Member
Originally Posted by MsKillerReef
http:///forum/post/3185583
Love that avatar pic, Cranberry-very cool!
Well, i feed quite a few things that all my corals and fish can thrive on, and I gotta believe the foods I spot feed, besides water quality, are to thank for the "actually still living" gorgonian.. Baby brine twice a day every day, either Kent's Zooplex or Marine Snow following the baby brine (I alternate KZ and MS in the am/pm feedings), DT's phyto randomly every few days or so, and I also replenish the water with Seachem Fuel every single day. The water tests show since it's a super stocked tank that the nutrients are being used on a rediculous level. Fuel has really helped my tank bloom! As everyone knows, feeding this much does affect the water quality very much.. But I always know if I might be dosing too many nutrients/food if there is an abnormal amount of algae growing on my glass.
As far as chemicals go, I have to dose Seachem's 8.4 almost every day to keep the pH right. That stuff is magic. Seachem's calcification is good too- I keep my calcium level perfect (esp for the gorg) dosing this only once a week. When my water was tested a couple weeks ago, all was perfect, no nitrates or anything, except the carbonate hardness (KH). To fix this I dose Reef Builder KH buffer twice a week. I always follow the directions on the dosage amount exactly as stated for a twenty gallon.
I've found that the flow is 100% important for this gorgonian. As you can see there are 2 coralia nanos that are on twenty second intervals with a wavemaker. It must have high flow but not exactly direct, but very close! The powerhead kinda behind it hits it so that the flow loops back around to the left, therefor getting the other side of the gorg. It's been perfect for it, so far! When I had the powerhead directly behind and on it, the polyps were too pissed to come out and feed. When i had it one more inch to the right, it didn't give it enough and started thinning almost overnight.
What would you say is maybe the different factor, that's leading to the success of the blueberry gorgonian, that hasn't necessarily worked for your yellow gorg? (the one in the bottom left of the FTS with necrosis all over...)
http:///forum/post/3185583
Love that avatar pic, Cranberry-very cool!
Well, i feed quite a few things that all my corals and fish can thrive on, and I gotta believe the foods I spot feed, besides water quality, are to thank for the "actually still living" gorgonian.. Baby brine twice a day every day, either Kent's Zooplex or Marine Snow following the baby brine (I alternate KZ and MS in the am/pm feedings), DT's phyto randomly every few days or so, and I also replenish the water with Seachem Fuel every single day. The water tests show since it's a super stocked tank that the nutrients are being used on a rediculous level. Fuel has really helped my tank bloom! As everyone knows, feeding this much does affect the water quality very much.. But I always know if I might be dosing too many nutrients/food if there is an abnormal amount of algae growing on my glass.
As far as chemicals go, I have to dose Seachem's 8.4 almost every day to keep the pH right. That stuff is magic. Seachem's calcification is good too- I keep my calcium level perfect (esp for the gorg) dosing this only once a week. When my water was tested a couple weeks ago, all was perfect, no nitrates or anything, except the carbonate hardness (KH). To fix this I dose Reef Builder KH buffer twice a week. I always follow the directions on the dosage amount exactly as stated for a twenty gallon.
I've found that the flow is 100% important for this gorgonian. As you can see there are 2 coralia nanos that are on twenty second intervals with a wavemaker. It must have high flow but not exactly direct, but very close! The powerhead kinda behind it hits it so that the flow loops back around to the left, therefor getting the other side of the gorg. It's been perfect for it, so far! When I had the powerhead directly behind and on it, the polyps were too pissed to come out and feed. When i had it one more inch to the right, it didn't give it enough and started thinning almost overnight.
What would you say is maybe the different factor, that's leading to the success of the blueberry gorgonian, that hasn't necessarily worked for your yellow gorg? (the one in the bottom left of the FTS with necrosis all over...)
reefkprz
Active Member
not to sound cynical, but 3 months is hardly a success. I can see your doing the best you can for it. I dont however think it is going to pan out in the long run. I hope I am wrong.
The longest success stories I have seen with those particular gorgonians are in species specific tanks with constant phyto drips. and even then they tend to die, often from algal growth and theoreticly starvation. unfortunatly it seems keeping ample food in the tank in your average reef is nearly impossible, your being in the light may eventually become a problem with algal growth. even with spot feeding it only seems to slow the demise not halt it. I would have to point out that if your having trouble with your other gorgonian (which is easier to keep alive) I think your going to run into trouble in the long run.
best of luck keeping that beautiful gorgonian alive
The longest success stories I have seen with those particular gorgonians are in species specific tanks with constant phyto drips. and even then they tend to die, often from algal growth and theoreticly starvation. unfortunatly it seems keeping ample food in the tank in your average reef is nearly impossible, your being in the light may eventually become a problem with algal growth. even with spot feeding it only seems to slow the demise not halt it. I would have to point out that if your having trouble with your other gorgonian (which is easier to keep alive) I think your going to run into trouble in the long run.
best of luck keeping that beautiful gorgonian alive
cranberry
Active Member
There are many things that we are in the infancy stage of keeping successfully longterm. But, every step forward is a success. Not many people can get them to 3 months and have them looking the way the OP's does. Even if it died tomorrow, there is stuff to learn from this.
One gorgs poor condition doesn't necessarily doom another. There could be many reasons why that one is failing, some of which could have happened prior to purchase.... just saying.
One gorgs poor condition doesn't necessarily doom another. There could be many reasons why that one is failing, some of which could have happened prior to purchase.... just saying.
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/3185605
What would you say is maybe the different factor, that's leading to the success of the blueberry gorgonian, that hasn't necessarily worked for your yellow gorg? (the one in the bottom left of the FTS with necrosis all over...)
Honestly I thought that was a red and a yellow gorg right next to one another, a little intertwined!
http:///forum/post/3185605
What would you say is maybe the different factor, that's leading to the success of the blueberry gorgonian, that hasn't necessarily worked for your yellow gorg? (the one in the bottom left of the FTS with necrosis all over...)
Honestly I thought that was a red and a yellow gorg right next to one another, a little intertwined!
meowzer
Moderator
Originally Posted by novahobbies
http:///forum/post/3185699
Honestly I thought that was a red and a yellow gorg right next to one another, a little intertwined!
Me too
Beautiful tank Mskiller
http:///forum/post/3185699
Honestly I thought that was a red and a yellow gorg right next to one another, a little intertwined!
Me too
Beautiful tank Mskiller