Success with non-photosynthetics

[sharuq1]

Can you please post a pic of your new seafan? Where did you find it?

[BlueAbyss]

Your sea fan should be open and feeding constantly, ideally. Hopefully this works out for you... can't wait to see pics!

[Snaz]

Originally Posted by Myka

Here's one of the nicest non-photo tanks I've ever seen: http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16186

Wow is that ever fantastic. I see a coral in those pictures I have! I thought it was random leather I picked up scavenging an LFS display tank but I see now it is clearly a Dendronephthea / Carnation coral. I'm going to have a closer look tonight.

[danny zubot]

Your sea fan should be open and feeding constantly, ideally. Hopefully this works out for you... can't wait to see pics!

It opens up a few times a day, which is when I feed it. I have tried feeding it before it opens up, and sometimes it follows suit promptly while other times it doesn't. So far there are of signs of decay on the sea fan except where it was touching my candy coral for a while.

Snaz - How long have you had your Carnation coral? I would say they are much harder to keep than my sea fan.

Sharuq1 - I'll post pics shortly.

naesco - I've started to shut off the skimmer while feeding, just so that the planktons stay suspended longer. I've also begun stirring up the detritus in my sump at the same times as feeding to add a little variety to my coral's diet. So far, I've noticed an increase in skimmate. I haven't noticed any difference in the growth of my refugium macros yet, but I'll assume that I'll notice that soon enough. I also run GFO and NO3 spong in a reactor so I'm not yet worried about fouling up the tank.

So far I think all of the corals are loving the additional food I've been putting in the tank.

[danny zubot]

[lobsterboy]

WOW, what a nice piece. It looks HUGE

[BlueAbyss]

That is a beautiful sea fan... I've seen similar ones that are photosynthetic, but they tend to be yellow or purple, not that gorgeous burgundy that you have.

If it's opening a few times a day, that should be good enough... I don't know anyone that's had many nonphotosynthetic gorgonians. If you notice any bad decay, I've heard that it can travel down the stalk and kill the whole piece. I would trim off any decaying or dead parts, maybe take a small frag and put it in a different position in the tank just in case you lose the mother colony.

[danny zubot]

maybe take a small frag and put it in a different position in the tank just in case you lose the mother colony.

Good idea. Also because there may be more favourable flow in a different part of the tank. The fan is quite large for my tank right now, but I will be upgrading soon to a larger cubish shaped tank.

[sharuq1]

Magnificent sea fan!

[Drock169]

That variety you are supposed to keep out of light as much as possible. Algae can start growing on it making it very difficult for it to survive, I was only able to keep one of those alive for a couple months.