Purple Ribbon Gorgonian is losing tissue

[Carmen]

I hope this is the right forum, moderators please move if not. I got this gorgonian about a week ago. I noticed today that it's losing tissue on a couple of blades. I tried to upload a video with no luck so far, I will keep trying. I have given it zooplanktanan a couple of time. I read that it needs iodine, which I don't know the levels of my tank (75 gallons) But the Calcium was 500 and the mag was 1470-1500 on a Salifert test. It puts its feeders out a couple times a day, so I know its active. Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[Tab28]

What are your water perimeters? They like low to mod light. High flow and a bit on cooler side of reef temps.

 

[Carmen]

What are your water perimeters? They like low to mod light. High flow and a bit on cooler side of reef temps.

I just did a water change today and haven't taken any tests yet. Doing that tomorrow. However one thing you said was they like low to mod light and cooler temps. I was told (and thought I read on Foster's and Smith's) that they like a lot of light. My aquarium is set at 80 degrees. It had been 78 but I set it higher because I had read that most corals preferred that.

Anyway, today before I read your post, I decided it was just getting blasted by too much current and perhaps too much light so I moved it to the floor. Still in light and a fairly good current, just not getting whipped around so much. What temperature would make this little guy happy?

 

[Carmen]

Put the temps back to 78 degrees. Hope I can save it. How often or should these be fed? I have Reef Zoo Plankton food. Are you supposed to feed them a couple times a week? Once in a while?

 

[Tab28]

Some gorgonians use photosynthesis some do not. The ones that do are generally the purple ones but do not to the extent of other corals. Why lighting is low to medium and flow is med to high, but not too high, is to prevent algae from growing on the stems. This is a common issue and will kill the gongorian fast. I never spot feed mine only a tank feed once or twice a week. I have had mine for over 7 years and is easily 18" tall had plenty if frags taken from it. It is purple with brown polyps. They are generally easy as long as your perimeters are good, they like good water and water is stable. As for temps 76-80 is what i mean by cool side. 68-82 is high side.

How long have you had it. Water perimeters may answer some issues. What are you feeding it. I was told once gongorians can not touch air either not sure if that is true but i side on caution when i frag mine.

 

[Tab28]

Put the temps back to 78 degrees. Hope I can save it. How often or should these be fed? I have Reef Zoo Plankton food. Are you supposed to feed them a couple times a week? Once in a while?

I feed mine a mixture of foods not just one kind. I see mine eating the coral vibrance, frozen brine soaked in amino acids pretty much anything it Catches and closes up fast on. Can you frag a good stem piece?

 

[tektite]

They can take a little while to adjust to new tank conditions. Don't put it in very high flow, they do like a decent amount of flow though. Don't cut off the stems that lost flesh! When it starts growing back, it will regrow flesh over them far faster than if it just grew out new branches. I have had no problem with them in high light, the main thing like any coral is adapt it to higher light gradually. When it is doing good in the tank it should have its polyps out almost all the time during the day, unless its going through a shedding phase for a day or two.

 

[Carmen]

Thanks for the input tektite and Tab28. The polyps are out all the time. I thought it was starving or something. It's in a good spot as far as flow and the water is cooler now. A dumb question, but the Brine shrimp...it just catches it in the water column, right? Thanks for the tip on not trimming the damaged stems. I was thinking about doing that. If things go downhill, I may frag. But I will wait awhile.

 

[Tab28]

Yes the particles just float by and the polyps will grab them. As long as the brine is small enough. I turn pumps off except a low flow PH just to keep the powder foods moving slowly. The fish do not eat the powder foods but will grab the brine so the gongorian will compete for brine. The powders work better. The polyps will still grab the dust like food the same way.

 

[shred5]

I hope this is the right forum, moderators please move if not. I got this gorgonian about a week ago. I noticed today that it's losing tissue on a couple of blades. I tried to upload a video with no luck so far, I will keep trying. I have given it zooplanktanan a couple of time. I read that it needs iodine, which I don't know the levels of my tank (75 gallons) But the Calcium was 500 and the mag was 1470-1500 on a Salifert test. It puts its feeders out a couple times a day, so I know its active. Has anyone else had this problem?

The purple ribbon Gorgonia is one of the harder too keep photosynthetic Gorgonians.. They easily get over grown by algae and slime algae and most of the time shed a waxy layer to get rid of the algae. Producing this waxy substance takes energy though. They are photosynthetic gorgonia but still benefit from feedings or over time they can start to deteriorate. Another thing that makes them deteriorate is if they get stung, they really dont like touching or rubbing on anything.