Food for Gorgonian?

What is the best food for a purple ribbon gorgonian?

 

LA:It relies on photosynthesis, but its diet should also include regular feedings of micro-plankton, live, baby brine shrimp, or foods designed for filter feeding invertebrates, in order to survive in the reef aquarium.

Strong flow (a much stronger water flow than other members of its family.)and medium to high lighting is required.Not an easy Gorgonian to keep but very pretty.

 

Yup what he said.

If you see algae start to grow on it, the flow is not enough or you have elevated nitrates and phosphates.

 

ok... i feed phytoplankton every other day, he's in a 29 gallon biocube so they are powercompact lights all contained in the tank and I think he's getting enough water flow... his white polyps will open all over for maybe a half hour to an hour and then completely close up for several hours- does that sound normal?

 

In all honesty I don't think PC's are gonna be enough light for it but I could be wrong. They will open and close from time to time but if it remains closed for an extended period of time it is probably in trouble.

 

If the tank is 12" high or so and the fixture is mounted on the tank the PC bulbs are adequate.

 

As far as I'm aware, most gorgonian eat smaller low-motility zooplankton. Not bacteria plankton or phytoplankton etc... I would guess that they may eat dead zooplankton, but likely they can only digest plankton and not other detritus, as in nature they have fairly specific diets and likely only have enzymes to digest specific foods. If they get enough food, light should be less of an issue, so, PCs should be fine. I would probably still spot feed them a few times per week though.

 

Numerous species have shown to include bacterioplankton and phytoplankton in their diets. Best to be specific for the one species being talked about rather then talk about them in general though The advice given thus far is accurate for what I have read on this one, as well as my personal experience of keeping it for quite a long time. I'd feed and keep it under higher lighting as you'll have a hard time keeping it fed (via planktonic spot feeding).

 

i have 4 gorgonians and a carnation coral in my tank, all of which I have had for at least 3 years. I keep my corals well fed and feed 2x times per week alternating with oyster eggs, Tropic Marin Pro-Coral Phyton and TM Pro-Coral Zooton. I sometimes also feed enriched live baby brine shrimp. But can say that I have noticed greater polyp extension and more pods etc. in my tank since I started feeding the Pro Coral foods.

 

have been looking at the pro coral foods for our NPS tank. Great to hear some first hand report