Advice about my Gorgonin

[mutts]

So I make a mistake today. I went up to the FS a hour away. I went just to see, get some salt and maybe a star fish. I got those and 20 snails (babies that cost 25 cents each), and I started talking to the guy about his coral tank. Well there was one really pretty coral so I asked about it. He said it was a gorgonin and didn't require light. Yes my light would be fine, and your tank has been set up long enough. Just feed it, and don't let it touch air. So I came home, have it alcalating right now, but I read about them online. Does any one have one of these that they could offer me any info at all?? I did buy Kent Marine ZooPlex and plan on target feeding it everyday. Will this work? Thanks!

[graphixx]

oh man I am sorry but I do not have any good news for you. if its a Gonipora which I assume it is they are so very hard to keep and not much is knows about food and light for these. they like heavy current but most of them do not live very long in captivity. I would assume its a flowerpot gonipora. Sorry, they should not of sold that to you without making sure you knew the difficulty of keeping it/

[mutts]

Great, lol. I guess it will make a good decoration before it dies. I knew it was too nice looking to still be there when it dosn't need lots of light. That was $35 down the drain. But I'm hoping I can help it survive. Thanks, anyone else know anything?

[crawdad]

well you could post a pic so we all can see its beauty.atleast then you could say you got to show it off abit

I havent heard any good about them either,but good luck with it,baby it and hopefully it will last for awhile anyway.

[graphixx]

yeah you gotta post a pic

[jerryc]

Some do make it but Thea are the exception and from whit i gather target
feeding is a good start. Do some research and hope you got one of the healthy ones.
As a rule success is considered if you can keep one for a year but most
go with in 2 or 3 months

[mutts]

Here is what it looked like when I added it into the tank:
http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2kcf8c3e31d5.jpg
Here it is right now
http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2k33e227c77b.jpg

Even in the store it didn't have that many polyps. I still think it is very cool looking. I just now tryed target feeding it. Hopeful by the time I lean all the ins and outs of that he will be okay. I hope it dosn't die. Stupid FS people, lol. Oh yeah you wanna know somthing stupid he didn't even make sure we had the right food, we had to stop by the LFS to get food. Oh well.

[jerryc]

O you shooed be all right with that

Its low light and not to bad to take care of.
someone hear i thank has one

[jerryc]

Green Lace Gorgonian (Pterogorgia citrina)
http://a1272.g.akamai.net/7/1272/1121/20040331211141/www.liveaquaria.com/images/products/large/pw85407green_lace.jpg

Green Lace Gorgonian
Care Level: Moderate
Water Flow:Medium to Strong
Placement: All
Tank Conditions: 72-78°F; sg1.023-1.025; pH8.1-8.4; dKH8-12
Color Form: Green, Gold
Temperament: Peaceful
Ideal Supplements: Iodine, Trace Elements, Calcium, Strontium

Atlantic Ocean, Indo-Pacific, Caribbean

Family: Gorgoniidae
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=23

The Green Lace Gorgonian is also known as a Sea Whip, or the Yellow Sea Blade. Its branches are flattened and blade-like. Members of the Gorgonians, have rigid structures composed of a calcite and a hard protein called gorgonin. They contain a vast number of tiny polyps housed in a flexible net-like skeletal structure composed of gorgonin (protein). The behavior of the majority of Gorgonian sea blades is peaceful, but they should be given adequate space away from neighboring corals or anemones. Underwater epoxy is commonly used to anchor the base to a piece of live rock in the reef aquarium. This Sea fan is photosynthetic and requires a moderate amount of light depending on the amount of filter feeding food that is available. They are moderately difficult to maintain, but make a rewarding addition to the well-established reef system.

In order to inhibit algae and cyanobacteria growth, it is important that this gorgonian is provided with a medium to strong, constant or intermittent water flow. If in the event that it does begin to become covered with algae or cyanobacteria, remove it from the coral immediately, as this will cause rapid tissue deterioration. Algae can be removed gently with the use of a soft brush, and cyanobacteria can be combated by soaking the coral in freshwater of the same temperature for approximately 1 minute. These corals will also benefit from the addition of iodine, calcium, strontium, and other trace elements to the water.

The Green Lace Gorgonian should be fed a few times a week with a filter feeding food. Provide a varied diet of live or frozen baby brine shrimp, Marine Snow, PhytoPlan and other suitable micro foods.

[graphixx]

mutts, I apologize, I thought you were talking about a gonipora flowerpot coral. well the good news is that a gorgonian is not near as hard to keep as a gonipora, the bad thing about a gorgonian if they are put in too much light they get over ran by algae and need to be fed regularly. they are still hard to keep because its difficult to feed them adequately.

[mutts]

Thats good news. I know I have to feed it everyday, and I'm okay with that. Right now it is under my crappy lighting. Single florecent, and a lunar light (ran all the time), so I'm not to worried about the algea and I do have it in a decent flow area also, maybe to high, I'm not really sure. But you can count on the fact I will be back with more questions when they arise! Thank you everyone. I was freaking out when I came home and found out all the wrong information. I have learned my lesson (can't say it won't happen again though), Thanks again guys!

[Fally]

I have one sort of like that. It is orange with red polops. I do not target feed mine, it always grabs what it needs when I feed. It even eats flake food...

[lReef lKeeper]

is this gorgonia still alive mutts ?? if it is you must be doing something right and i have one also, that i would be glad to share info with you about.

[mutts]

nope sad to say my gorgonia was killed when i up graded my lights... the poor little guy fried... he is curently setting out on the back porch until i can hang him on the wall somewhere near the tank... morbid isn't it... i just can't bring myself to toss him.

how long have you had your gorgonia?

[lReef lKeeper]

about one month, but he is doing great. they pretty much have to have a low flow PH pointed right at them.