Purple Sea Fan - Gorgonia Flabellum or Gorgonia Ventalina - What Do They Want?

[Ben Pedersen]

I have been keeping photosynthesizing purple sea fans for a little more than 6 months. I feed them Reef Roids, spirulina powder, and chlorella powder 4 times a day automatically. They receive a lot of light and a lot of wave action. They seem to be very healthy with polyp extension and good color but they have only grown 1/8 of an inch in 6 months. Other reef keepers have had the same experience. In the wild, these sea fans grow very fast. However, in captivity they grow very slowly. What are we missing? What do they need to grow? Anyone have any ideas?

I have 3 medium and a couple of small pieces all from a large fan I fragged. They heal so quickly (1 or 2 days). Why cant hey grow faster..

 

[JustAnotherNanoTank]

Well, I know for sure we’re missing the trillions of gallons of stability the oceans have. And probably something else that it filters out of the ocean that we’ll never know.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I have same issue with NPS softies, have notice if I over feed, the polyps retract some and they do slow starvation cycle. May try flood feed. Once or twice a day, preferably 11pm then 5am flood tank with food. How much, you'll have to determine that. See if helps.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Well, I know for sure we’re missing the trillions of gallons of stability the oceans have. And probably something else that it filters out of the ocean that we’ll never know.

It doesn't seem to be a stability issue. I know that the skeleton of sea fans is calcite based not aragonite based. There is a specific amino acid that enables them to produce calcite in a aragonite predominate sea.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

I have same issue with NPS softies, have notice if I over feed, the polyps retract some and they do slow starvation cycle. May try flood feed. Once or twice a day, preferably 11pm then 5am flood tank with food. How much, you'll have to determine that. See if helps.

I flood the tank with food 4 times a day including 11PM and 7AM. I have also spot feed them. They do grow, just very slowly. I bet the missing ingredient is the same thing that would enable carnation corals to thrive.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I flood the tank with food 4 times a day including 11PM and 7AM. I have also spot feed them. They do grow, just very slowly. I bet the missing ingredient is the same thing that would enable carnation corals to thrive.

Yellow finger gorgonians, finicky too. I actually add in flour form, crickets, locust, anchovies, raw egg, and of course reef roids and similar.

Just got 1 hour ago

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Lost this to chiller problems

 

[hart24601]

Interesting, I had a few species years ago of the purple photosynthetic guys and they grew really well, I gave frags away to my friends who still have them. When I had them I did do a small amount of carbon dosing, not for nutrient reduction but to boost the food chain from the bottom up which seems to benefit some organisms but never thought about it potentially helping gorgs.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Interesting, I had a few species years ago of the purple photosynthetic guys and they grew really well, I gave frags away to my friends who still have them. When I had them I did do a small amount of carbon dosing, not for nutrient reduction but to boost the food chain from the bottom up which seems to benefit some organisms but never thought about it potentially helping gorgs.

Mine are also the purple variety. They seem to grow very slowly.... They do frag well. I also add vinegar as a carbon source.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Interesting, I had a few species years ago of the purple photosynthetic guys and they grew really well, I gave frags away to my friends who still have them. When I had them I did do a small amount of carbon dosing, not for nutrient reduction but to boost the food chain from the bottom up which seems to benefit some organisms but never thought about it potentially helping gorgs.

I wish I could find a yellow one... The ones you see when diving in the Caribbean.

 

[sick1166]

Have several purple doing great never fed anything but fish food
Guess I'll try something new

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Do you have any photos?

Have several purple doing great never fed anything but fish food
Guess I'll try something new

 

[shred5]

Mine are also the purple variety. They seem to grow very slowly.... They do frag well. I also add vinegar as a carbon source.

Agreed on they can grow slowly. I did know someone who was getting frags off his all the time though.
Might be a food issue.

Out of all the photosynthetic gorgonia it is the hardest to keep..
To me it feels more like a NPS and it also get covered with algae really easy.
Flow is very important and flow needs to go through them..

Bacteria may be a key because they have small polyps. I always add bacteria to my tanks and most of the time I add a carbon source. I feel allot of coral feed on bacteria..

I would try rotifers or even BBS. BBS may actually be to big though but rotifers might be right.

I actually did loose mine last year in a tank transfer and need to find a new one. It was not in the best shape when I got it and never stopped struggling. I had one before for years.

Right now I have around 7 different gorgonia.