Please help my sick gorgonian

[something fishy]

I have had a purple gorgonian in my 100g tank for about 12 months that within the last two weeks has suddenly began to die. From a perfectly healthy specimen, there are now lots of bare stalks from which all tissue has receded. Any suggestions on the best attack to save what is left, and stop further degradation. Position is medium current/light, and has been happy for 12 months, although without showing a great deal of growth in that time.

Thanks

 

[Mike02]

Is this a photosynthetic purple ribbon gorgonian? Those need lots of light supplimented with DT's live phytoplankton. If its a non photosynthetic gorgonian, i heard those are hard to keep alive for any length of time, so you did really well. If i had one, i would feed it DTs and baby brine shrimp

 

[reefworm]

Mike is correct that the aposymbiotic varieties - i.e. no zooxanthellae are far more difficult to keep requiring regular and frequent feedings to last. Their nutritional needs may be difficult, if not impracticle for a captive system. The usual give-away is the color of the polyps themselves. If they are white or brightly colored, then they are aposymbiotic and will need to absorb their food directly. As Mike suggests, DT's and marine snow may help, but the bad news is that it may be too late already. As Borneman points out, gorgonians have been known to capture and ingest baby brine [Artemia nauplii]but they are frequenlty not digested and are expelled later. Paticulate matter is what they look for, so the marine snow might be your best hope. You've done well to keep it this long. The photosynthetic [symbiotic]varieties have polyps that are in the brown to beige range of colors. These are easier to keep, but need bright light and lots of flow perpendicular to the branches.

Hope it makes it!

regards,
-rw

[ July 23, 2001: Message edited by: reefworm ]

[ July 23, 2001: Message edited by: reefworm ]

 

[something fishy]

Thanks for advice.

The polyps are actually the same colour as the main tissue along the braches, i.e. a very deep purple.

From here is my best option to cut off the healthiest of the remaining branches as you would to propogate a health animal, thus removing as much "dead wood" as possible, or is the animal likely to be too stressed already and will this only hasten the poor critters demise.