Growth is crazy! Gorgonian growing super fast!

[MoreReefPlease]

I purchased an aqua cultured purple gorgonian from @LiveAquaria just about a month ago and this specimen has almost grown by a third of it's total size!

LiveAquaria® CCGC Aquacultured Purple Gorgonia Coral: Saltwater Aquarium Corals for Marine Reef Aquariums

This is the first gorgonian I've kept and the first in my 40b. I don't think it will be the last! I've very pleased with how well it's doing. I wish I had some pictures from the week it arrived but it's put on multiple branches and new risers from the plug on the month I've had it. You can see in some of the pictures where it is growing new branches that are white and then get covered in their protein to start forming polyp's.

Pictures are from my phone so sorry about the quality!

 

[DeniseAndy]

Pretty. When they are happy, they grow nicely. Keep algae at bay and good nutrients in the water (feedings are appreciated) and it will do great. Lots flow is loved by them too.

 

[DaneGer21]

Awesome, keep it up!

That’s one coral I’ve never had.

 

[andrewkw]

Won't be long before you've got a big colony. Here is one I've had for 5 or 6 years :

 

[MoreReefPlease]

I don't know if it's really the cause or not, but I think growth took off when I stopped using a filter sock. Also, my water is clearer and I have less algae.

Pretty. When they are happy, they grow nicely. Keep algae at bay and good nutrients in the water (feedings are appreciated) and it will do great. Lots flow is loved by them too.

Thanks! I have two gyres in my tiny tank but they're both only running 25% power. They pulse every 6 seconds ramping from 0-100% (of the 25%).

The corals really seem to like the flow from the gyres over my Vortech as it's a bit more random and laminar than a standard propeller driven unit.

I don't know if it's a coincidence or not but it seems like growth really picked up the last two weeks that I've decided to not run with a filter sock. I've been using a filter cup with a small amount of floss just to quiet it more than filter anything.

 

[MoreReefPlease]

Won't be long before you've got a big colony. Here is one I've had for 5 or 6 years :

Oh wow those are gorgeous!

 

[muzikalmatt]

Nice! I've had a purple brush gorgonian for a while but it hasn't grown much. It appears healthy and has great polyp extension but the growth of the actual skeleton has been minimal. Interesting that you saw better growth after removing your mechanical filtration. I may have to try that for a little while and see what happens.

 

[AcroNem]

I don't know if it's really the cause or not, but I think growth took off when I stopped using a filter sock. Also, my water is clearer and I have less algae.


Thanks! I have two gyres in my tiny tank but they're both only running 25% power. They pulse every 6 seconds ramping from 0-100% (of the 25%).

The corals really seem to like the flow from the gyres over my Vortech as it's a bit more random and laminar than a standard propeller driven unit.

I don't know if it's a coincidence or not but it seems like growth really picked up the last two weeks that I've decided to not run with a filter sock. I've been using a filter cup with a small amount of floss just to quiet it more than filter anything.

Not a coincidence. Even though they are photosynthetic, they are still pretty reliant on feedings to grow well. I read a paper once that found photosynthetic Gorgonians still consumed an average of near 11 (ish) "food particles" per polyp per day. They can do just fine without it, but they benefit very much from additional food, as you seemed to have done by removing your socks and allowing particulates back into the system.

 

[MoreReefPlease]

Not a coincidence. Even though they are photosynthetic, they are still pretty reliant on feedings to grow well. I read a paper once that found photosynthetic Gorgonians still consumed an average of near 11 (ish) "food particles" per polyp per day. They can do just fine without it, but they benefit very much from additional food, as you seemed to have done by removing your socks and allowing particulates back into the system.

I'm a big believer in the new Easymasstick. I stick it in the glass for all fish and when they feed on it it dissolves into small particles that all the filter feeders eat.

I still feed phytoplan as well and reef roids but I'm cutting back on RR and premade mush and moving to a more natural approach like Rods Food and Oyster Feast with occasional Masstick feedings with fish roe. I'm also currently setting up brine shrimp hatcheries that I'll feed spirulina too.

 

[danieyella]

I'm a big believer in the new Easymasstick. I stick it in the glass for all fish and when they feed on it it dissolves into small particles that all the filter feeders eat.

I still feed phytoplan as well and reef roids but I'm cutting back on RR and premade mush and moving to a more natural approach like Rods Food and Oyster Feast with occasional Masstick feedings with fish roe. I'm also currently setting up brine shrimp hatcheries that I'll feed spirulina too.

1. I love using easymasstick as well, usually about 2x a week I'll break one up and place it in a couple spots on the glass for the fish.

2. I inadvertently started doing the same thing. I use easybooster for my phyto on a doser as well as easysps which my zoas and nps seem to appreciate as well, and I use a lot of oyster feast and aqua eggs lately instead of powder based coral foods and frozen mush. Everything seems to be appreciating it, and I feel like my nutrients have stayed more stable this way as well.

 

[danieyella]

Also, that gorg is beautiful. I just added a yellow - literally about an hour ago, I hope I can have half the success you're seeing!

 

[AcroNem]

Also, that gorg is beautiful. I just added a yellow - literally about an hour ago, I hope I can have half the success you're seeing!

If it's D. nodulifera definitely feed it much more often, I hope you have success as well