Gorgonian ????'s

meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
OK I have a few Gorgonian questions, I hope someone can answer for me.
1. If a branch of a gorgonian bends (still flowers) will it ever straighten back up?
2. When I received a red gorgonian, it was not attatched to a rock, so I placed it on one...Will it ever attach itself, or do I have to glue it? OR can I just stick it in the sand???
3. I have 2 yellow gorgonians...one flowers full every day (almost), the other seems to partially flower...what I mean is the flowers are tiny, kinda like they are only coming out a little...is this normal? And if not, what can I do?
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
1.) If the branch as broke, but is still hanging on, it needs to be removed. The area could lend to necrosis (a disease where the flesh pretty much fall off the gorgonian, and all you're left with is a dead stick) which can spread, if nothing is done. Just make a clean cut, with a really sharp razor blade. Don't use scissors, you can crush the intards of the gorg with scissors. After you cut the branch off, you'll effectively have 2 gorgonians. The branch should be able to grow/live on it's own.
2.) It will take a very, very long time to attach itself to a rock. Since gorgs like to be in higher flow (note: never direct flow areas), this really isn't an option as the gorg can rub on the live rock and needs to be secured some how. Burying the gorgonian is the sand isn't a good idea either. The buried area of the gorg will suffocate and necrosis will form and possibly spread. The best way is to glue the base of the gorg to a smaller piece of live rock. Underwater, try to find the best way the base of gorg will "fit" to the piece of rock, the better the fit, the better the gorg will stay. After that, bring the base of the gorg just out of the water, blot with a towel to dry. Liberally apply lots of super glue. Connect to the piece of rock, which should have already been dried. Hold till the glue has set, should be about 30-45 seconds. Then lay the gorg flat in the sand in a lower area of flow, till the glue has bonded.
3.) Yellow gorgonians (and red), are non-photosynthenic, and generally do not fair well in our aquariums. They need to be feed daily, as this is their own source of energy. If the one gorg isn't opening up fully, you need to try to nurse him back to health, try feeding 3 times a day. Good foods include Cyclopeeze, mashed up oyster eggs, mashed up Rod's food, photoplakton (that bottle of green stuff every LFS has), and coral foods (like Coral Vibrance). Note even with daily feedings, many of these gorgs do not make it.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Thank you for your answers. I will get some glue for my red gorg. I have been using marine snow, phytoplankton, zooplex, and coralife invert target food (which I squirt directly on the gorgs.)..I use the phyto and zoo 2X a week, and the snow and target 1X a week. I guess I should be feeding them more??? The gorgs are in 2 diff. tanks, both get fed the same.
When I cut the branch off, I am guessing I will also need to glue it to something?
And once a branch bends (not breaks) It will never stand back up?
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/2792997
Thank you for your answers. I will get some glue for my red gorg. I have been using marine snow, phytoplankton, zooplex, and coralife invert target food (which I squirt directly on the gorgs.)..I use the phyto and zoo 2X a week, and the snow and target 1X a week. I guess I should be feeding them more??? The gorgs are in 2 diff. tanks, both get fed the same.
When I cut the branch off, I am guessing I will also need to glue it to something?
And once a branch bends (not breaks) It will never stand back up?
3x a week might be enough. It takes the gorg considerable energy to put out all of its polyps, so if it's not opening, it's starving.
If the branch is really small, you could just stick it into a hole in a rock or attach to a small rock.
What do you mean by 'bends'? Gorgonians, especially the non-photosynthenic grows in wierd shapes. If by bends you mean the branch as lost it's structural ridigity, then yea, it's broke. If it's just a sharp curve or something, that's normal. I'm not sure if the gorg will ever heal itself, if indeed it's broke and you just left it. The skeleton of gorgonians is very 'twig' like. I suppose given enough time, it could repair itself, but with that piece of branch flapping away in the current, constantly tearing at the meaty flesh, necrosis is a real possibility.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
I checked the bent arm, and now I agree that it is broke (even tho it flowers fully) I will cut it off and stick it in a rock and see what happens. I will try feeding 3X a week and see how that goes.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Can gorgonians eat if their flowers are not out???? I want to feed it more, but want to be sure I am feeding at the right time.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Sometimes you can coax them out with some food in the water.
I have had lick with taking a small empty snail shell, filling it with super glue gel and then sticking the gorg into the glue. When everything dries then you can glue the shell to any pc. of rock you want to.
 
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