Gorgonian not opening

[MombasaLionfish]

My friend just got a gorgonian a few weeks ago and it is not opening it is starting to get covered in algae. Please help.

 

[SPR1968]

I think we may need a few pictures of the coral here so we can help out if we can ?

 

[MombasaLionfish]

Sorry it is taking a while I will get one as soon as I can.

 

[LuizW13]

My initial guess would be that the lack of flow to the gorgonian is contributing to the algae growth on it, but i don't have any gorgonians (yet) so, i can't really comment on it too much.

 

[Mikedawg]

+1 above; the rods especially need significant flow to keep algae, etc. at bay.

 

[Gareth elliott]

What type of gorg? If has a genus, some of these can put on a pair of netrite gloves and remove the by very lightly thumb and index finger along it. The smooth skin varieties anyway, as a stopgap measure.
Usually the culprit is cyano,
And solving why there is the algae will be the final solution.

All varieties will accept sps flow levels, even briaraium ime will have more open days in high flow.

 

[MombasaLionfish]

 

[MombasaLionfish]

+1 above; the rods especially need significant flow to keep algae, etc. at bay.

This is a seahorse tank so not much flow.

 

[JustAnt]

Some are not photosynthetic and need to be fed

 

[Gareth elliott]

That looks like Diodogorgia nodulifera which is nps. Its going to need flow. If your powerheads are dc an slowly ramp up over a few days.
Food, it might be ok with the constant feedings that sea horses require anyway. What species of sea horse?
When we kept them it was always plastic decor(this was also the 90’s lol).

 

[MombasaLionfish]

Some are not photosynthetic and need to be fed

She has reef roids and pods.

That looks like Diodogorgia nodulifera which is nps. Its going to need flow. If your powerheads are dc an slowly ramp up over a few days.
Food, it might be ok with the constant feedings that sea horses require anyway. What species of sea horse?
When we kept them it was always plastic decor(this was also the 90’s lol).

No seahorses yet but seahorses need low flow right?

 

[Gareth elliott]

A way to do this is a series of small wide flow ph near each gorg. So the center is low flow but the corals get their needs.

The exception to this is dwarf sea horses. Imo these are best reared in a sterile environment(dead rock, plastic ornaments). They are small enough that Hydras can cause harm. I have never encountered a way to avoid introducing them even, dips and qt.

 

[JustAnt]

She has reef roids and pods.

Try feeding phytofeast

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

My friend just got a gorgonian a few weeks ago and it is not opening it is starting to get covered in algae. Please help.

I've had some that if for whatever reason kept outside of water , I think air effects them to the point they never open. Somewhere along the chain from ocean to end user this might of happened. Bummer

 

[Hemmdog]

I've had some that if for whatever reason kept outside of water , I think air effects them to the point they never open. Somewhere along the chain from ocean to end user this might of happened. Bummer

+1

 

[MombasaLionfish]

Try feeding phytofeast

Ok

 

[MombasaLionfish]

I've had some that if for whatever reason kept outside of water , I think air effects them to the point they never open. Somewhere along the chain from ocean to end user this might of happened. Bummer

I hope that did not happen. She ordered it online.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I remember now, 5mo. Ago I had a leak in my filter canister, I loss 50% water in DT and exposed some gorgonians, they never opened again

 

[MombasaLionfish]

I remember now, 5mo. Ago I had a leak in my filter canister, I loss 50% water in DT and exposed some gorgonians, they never opened again

Oh no.

 

[lion king]

Many spot on points above, that's a nps gorg that needs substantial flow and pretty much at least a few feeding a day. All gorgs needs a decent amount of flow, in the wild seahorses live among the gorgs, so the flow the gorgs need would be acceptable to the seahorses. I know the seahorses need to feed a few times a day, so in the long run a nps gorg may work. There are also photo gorgs that are easy to care for, but the flow would also apply to those. I've gotten gorgs in the same shipment, where one would never open and eventually lose tissue and die. I can still see the pores of the polyps, so all is not loss.

Increase the flow and feed the tank about 3 times a day or remove into container and feed about 3 times a day. Some good foods are Reef Nutrition phyto feast, roti feast and oyster feast; as well as some of the powdered coral foods.