Opinions on Food for a Blueberry Gorgonian?

[ArtsyAxolotl]

I've heard it's quite difficult to keep a Blueberry Gorgonian but I want to give it a try. I read a topic on another forum by someone who was successful in keeping one healthy for 10 months before having to give their tank away. They haven't been active since 2009, though, so I can't ask them directly.

This person says they spotfed the coral 2-3 times a day using baby brine shrimp, Kent Zooplex, Marine Snow, and DT Phyto. I'd be totally ok with spot feeding multiple times a day but I'm curious about the specific things that need to be fed to it.

I'm getting a lot of conflicting info on whether or not those foods are good.. Are any of those foods worth investing in or are there other brands that would be better? Right now I'm waiting on some BBS to hatch for it's food tomorrow but I want to get the other foods asap.

Or, you know, if anyone has a better suggestion for feeding a BB gorgonian than the four things listed above, please share! I want to make sure I'm giving this guy the best care possible

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

Haven't tried a blueberry but all of my gorgonians' polpys go nuts when I add @Reef Nutrition Oyster Feast to my tank...

I personally am a fan of all the RN products, easy to use and very clean.

 

[leahfiish]

@Maddlesrain

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

Ooo, never heard of that brand. I'll look into it! I've heard one of the biggest problems with keeping blueberry gorgs is that they eat very tiny food. Looks like Oyster Feast has really small particles so it might be perfect!

I still wonder if that other person's success was due to what the gorgonian was being fed, or simply the fact that it was eating at all.

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

ROE is another one I feed daily, broadcast fed right in front of a Gyre to spread it throughout the tank.

You might also like their Roti-Feast if you are going to target feed. It has a small particle size and a better nutritional value than brine shrimp.

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

Can't hurt to give it a variety of foods to make sure it's getting something it can eat. Are ROE and Roti-feast also by Reef Nutrition? I'm going to stop by my LFS on the way home from work to see if they have any of those.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Yes, R-O-E and Rotifeast are both made by Reef Nutrition. I use Oysterfeast in my tank for SPS.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

There is no evidence of anyone keeping a blueberry gorg long term.

I don't no usually nay say, but that is my favorite coral ever and I spent several years looking for information.

They grow on long slopes and the flow and amount of food and dissolved minerals is immense.
Their study and that of other NPS sea fans is directly responsible for the advent of the gyre pumps we have today

Carbon dosing , good phyto, and you can try nutrimar ova. There are several other types of foods available but likely not wort mentioning or purchasing

Honestly , just enjoy it while it lasts.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

that is my favorite coral ever

They are pretty...

@ArtsyAxolotl look into the dosing pump inside a mini fridge that some people have done. They put their coral foods and the doser inside a fridge, and plumb a line from the return thru the fridge with a venturi, that way the food says cold until is dosed directly into the return water flow. Heavy filtration is needed as you are adding food to the tank every few, and maybe every hour this way. I think the goal is clean, nutrient rich water... if that exists.

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

Thanks so much guys for the information and the tips. As always, there's so much more to it than you realize. Even after researching it I'm still learning more from you guys. I love this coral so much, I want to try to keep one, at least for a little while. I'll look into that setup and try some different foods with mine. Like SaltyFilmFolks said, I'll just enjoy it while it lasts and try to feed it the best can.

 

[Reef Nutrition]

I've heard it's quite difficult to keep a Blueberry Gorgonian but I want to give it a try. I read a topic on another forum by someone who was successful in keeping one healthy for 10 months before having to give their tank away. They haven't been active since 2009, though, so I can't ask them directly.

This person says they spotfed the coral 2-3 times a day using baby brine shrimp, Kent Zooplex, Marine Snow, and DT Phyto. I'd be totally ok with spot feeding multiple times a day but I'm curious about the specific things that need to be fed to it.

I'm getting a lot of conflicting info on whether or not those foods are good.. Are any of those foods worth investing in or are there other brands that would be better? Right now I'm waiting on some BBS to hatch for it's food tomorrow but I want to get the other foods asap.

Or, you know, if anyone has a better suggestion for feeding a BB gorgonian than the four things listed above, please share! I want to make sure I'm giving this guy the best care possible

Big thanks to everyone chiming in about our feeds! @ArtsyAxolotl, here is a paper by the California Academy of Science http://www.bioflux.com.ro/docs/2017.1049-1063.pdf. It details the feeding regime of a sea fan (Muricella sp.).
They used a lot of our feeds for this animal.

The paper is very detailed.

Hope this helps!
Chad

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Big thanks to everyone chiming in about our feeds! @ArtsyAxolotl, here is a paper by the California Academy of Science http://www.bioflux.com.ro/docs/2017.1049-1063.pdf. It details the feeding regime of a sea fan (Muricella sp.).
They used a lot of our feeds for this animals.

The paper is very detailed.

Hope this helps!
Chad

Dang Chad, I should have tagged you first!

Those are Just the common fans correct?


And yea, I fully intend to move just so I can build the gyre tank.

I tell the mrs I just want a larger garage.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

They are pretty...

@ArtsyAxolotl look into the dosing pump inside a mini fridge that some people have done. They put their coral foods and the doser inside a fridge, and plumb a line from the return thru the fridge with a venturi, that way the food says cold until is dosed directly into the return water flow. Heavy filtration is needed as you are adding food to the tank every few, and maybe every hour this way. I think the goal is clean, nutrient rich water... if that exists.

Most aquarium with that set up are doing things like a remote reverse under gravel filter and massive carbon dosing.

The dosing is for the nitrifying bacteria to break down the waste, but also many of the gorgs being studied also laser to feed on Bactria and it's still being researched that the animal Actively harvests its own bacterial colonies for food.

 

[Reef Nutrition]

Dang Chad, I should have tagged you first!

Those are Just the common fans correct?


And yea, I fully intend to move just so I can build the gyre tank.

I tell the mrs I just want a larger garage.

It's the sea fan that the H. bargibanti seahorses live in. Not sure how common they are.

 

[alex.mccann99]

I have had NPS Gorgonians before, only have the photosynthetic ones now. Bulk Reef Supply Reef Chili works great. It's pretty cheap and worked well for me.

 

[DRW0212]

I have a blueberry gorgonian going on about a year and a half now, I spot feed reef roids every other day & feed the tank a mix of brine and mysis twice daily.

 

[leahfiish]

I have a blueberry gorgonian going on about a year and a half now, I spot feed reef roids every other day & feed the tank a mix of brine and mysis twice daily.

Can you share some pictures?

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

Hm, weird, my inbox stopped giving me alerts about the thread. I'd love to see pics of your gorgonian DRW02102!

 

[Rip Van Winkle]

... look into the dosing pump inside a mini fridge that some people have done. They put their coral foods and the doser inside a fridge, and plumb a line from the return thru the fridge with a venturi, that way the food says cold until is dosed directly into the return water flow. Heavy filtration is needed as you are adding food to the tank every few, and maybe every hour this way. I think the goal is clean, nutrient rich water... if that exists.

Found the YT about the dosing pumps in the mini-fridge: (not the original one that I've seen, this is another one but basically the same idea)

 

[Reef Nutrition]

Found the YT about the dosing pumps in the mini-fridge: (not the original one that I've seen, this is another one but basically the same idea)

When applying a feeding system like this with our products, you really need to be on top of tank maintenance and have excellent filtration. This is some serious feeding and not for amateurs. Our products are very concentrated, so a mistake or laziness can result in overfeeding. This person's system is WOW!

Chad