What is it and is it alive?

[ChrisKSB]

I bought this several months ago, don't remember what it was called. It used to have tons of white 'flowers' on it but those have disappeared. Can someone remind me what this is called and how to tell if it is still alive?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Can you post a picture under whites?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Looks almost like a gorgonian or sea fan...?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Australian Spider Sponge, perhaps? If so, the sponge isn’t entirely dead yet, and the white “flowers” would be a zoanthid species that lives in the sponge (there’s some evidence that the relationship may be beneficial rather than harmful as was previously believed).

 

[ChrisKSB]

Looks almost like a gorgonian or sea fan...?

Yes! Now I remember - LFS said gorgonian, that is why we named it gorgonzola...we name things!

 

[ChrisKSB]

I guess I'll assume it is alive? Even though the flowers or whatever they are have disappeared.

 

[Kmst80]

It's a gorgonian and if it had white polyps then it's a non photo synthetic, meaning it lives of planktonic lifeforms.
They shed quite regularly their outer shell to rid themselves from algae. It won't show any polyps in that time.

 

[vetteguy53081]

It is photosynthetic and needs moderate to medium light and water flow and feedings of phytoplankton daily t every other day.
Here is one of mine:

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

It is photosynthetic and needs moderate to medium light and water flow and feedings of phytoplankton daily t every other day.
Here is one of mine:

Why does it need daily feedings if it's photosynthetic?

 

[ChrisKSB]

My tank got SUPER dirty! I just did a complete sand replacement and tank scrub down. Now doing 4ml of AB+ twice per week along with daily fish feeding as well (32 Gallon BioCube). Hopefully it will come back to life with the pretty blossoms!

 

[Kmst80]

It is photosynthetic and needs moderate to medium light and water flow and feedings of phytoplankton daily t every other day.
Here is one of mine:

Are you sure it's photosynthetic? According To Bornemans Book Aquarium Corals he reckons gorgonians containing zooxanthellae(symbiotic) have typically brownish colored polyps. And those without zooxanthellae(aposymbiotic) normally have white or brightly colored polyps.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Are you sure it's photosynthetic? According To Bornemans Book Aquarium Corals he reckons gorgonians containing zooxanthellae(symbiotic) have typically brownish colored polyps. And those without zooxanthellae(aposymbiotic) normally have white or brightly colored polyps.

Mine has white polyps and only emerge with light and flow during afternoon and evening

 

[fishguy242]

absolutely 100% NPS...