Unresolved ID! some type of gorgonian

Discussion in 'ID This!' started by chelseagrin, Feb 15, 2014.

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  1. chelseagrin

    chelseagrin Fire Goby

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    Hey guys, just got an 8 piece CUC package from reefs2go and they couldnt get me the emeralds that i wanted so they replaced them with this cool looking gorg. no idea what kind it is though. photosynthetic? non-photo? no idea :confused:

    whatever it is it is doing quite well, it was entirely open 10 minutes after being put in the tank! even sooner than the shrooms that they sent me. ;D

    my apologies for the crappy cell pics

    [​IMG]
     
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  3. Va Reef

    Va Reef Giant Squid

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    White polyps typically indicate non-photosynthetic, however, purple tissue is typical of photosynthetic. I'll get back to you on an ID.

    Good luck with it, if it is NPS, I would've asked for something else IMO.

    Going with ellisella sp., common name pacific sea whip, which is non photosynthetic and considered VERY hard to keep, even among other NPS gorgs which are already a step below impossible.
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2014
  4. chelseagrin

    chelseagrin Fire Goby

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    damn... well it seems to be doing good for now! what makes it so difficult? feeding it? will i have to target feed?
     
  5. Va Reef

    Va Reef Giant Squid

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    I'm not sure if you're familiar with the care needs of NPS gorgonians, so I'll just give a "in-general" of why they're difficult.

    NPS means they can't produce their own food, so they need to be fed, like a majority of animals. However unlike, lets say fish, they need to be fed many times, if not constantly throughout the day. (Most NPS gorgonian do much better with constant feeding). On top of this, they are VERY sensitive to water chemistry changes, and even slight elevations in nitrate or phosphate levels, some people say more than delicate acropora. Low light is generally better, because high light makes it easier for algae to grow, and this almost always kills the gorgonian. Immense amounts of indirect/random flow are also a must.
    Unless continuous feeding and pristine water quality can be provided, they should be left in the ocean and are typically a losing battle.

    typically, they can look good for up to 6 months (the larger colonies) but they are actually starving away, similar to sand sifting star fish or mandarins in too small of a tank.
     
  6. chelseagrin

    chelseagrin Fire Goby

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    well, if you have the species correct then that kind of sucks haha.

    ill just have to try my best, although it doesnt make much sense because if they are super sensitive to water chemistry why would it be completely open? my water is not the best. definitely not fit for any harder corals but this thing is totally open and has not closed at all.
     
  7. Va Reef

    Va Reef Giant Squid

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    Oh I could definitely be wrong, unfortunately gorgonians aren't sought after like most hard corals, so not many have 100% positive ID's. However, purple tissue with white polyps has only yielded two results, and the other result, purple sea whip, is clearly not what you have. (they have flat branches, common names are such a pain in the butt)

    it's probably hungry/starving. IF it is ellisella sp.
     
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  9. oldfishkeeper

    oldfishkeeper Giant Squid

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    whichever it is, it's very pretty!
     
  10. Slassco

    Slassco Flamingo Tongue

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    I am about 97.3% sure you've got a Blueberry Gorgonia frag. VA Reef nailed its care right on the head. There have been a lot of these popping up in my area and online. Long term survival is usually slim.

    I have one a friend got shipped to him. I target feed it reef roids, phytoplankton, rotifiers, and reef bugs. It is non-photosynthetic so light will not provide nutrition. I suggest following VA Reefs guide closely and recommend feeding it 2-3 times daily small amounts when you see the polyps are open. You will actually see the polyps close around the food as they eat. It takes a lot of care and maintenance to keep alive.

    Here's mine I've had about 5 months now
     

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  11. Va Reef

    Va Reef Giant Squid

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    Have to disagree with the ID, blueberry gorgs typically have either blue or yellow/red flesh, and white to blue polyps that are much bigger/chunkier than your average gorgonian.

    2-3 times daily isn't enough for most blue berry gorgs. somewhere in the ball park of 20 (at a minimum) feedings a day will keep it alive for longer than a year(success is considered 1.5-2 years of keeping this coral alive). Remember some specimens can take up to 6 months to start to look like they're declining.
     
  12. chelseagrin

    chelseagrin Fire Goby

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    ... soooo who wants to buy this from me?? haha :D