Coral's polyps aren't opening?

[Soapy_T]

Hey, so I'm new to keeping saltwater, and I have a gorgonian coral who won't open up, I dropped it in on Tuesday, (the 9th) along with another coral (a spiny gorgonian). The other is super happy and has all it's polyps out so i'm not sure if this one is just being finicky or what? It's next to my fan, a little close to the glass, and near a cabbage coral fragment if that helps? The water levels that I can check were okay besides the phosphates are high & calcium was a little low but I put supplements in there. Any ideas? I wanna make sure the poor thing doesn't starve. (Also sorry if the photo doesn't load new to this site)

 

[AlyciaMarie]

Could you give some more details such as the age of your tank, parameters, temp, lighting, flow, and list of other inhabitants?

 

[Dburr1014]

Hey, so I'm new to keeping saltwater, and I have a gorgonian coral who won't open up, I dropped it in on Tuesday, (the 9th) along with another coral (a spiny gorgonian). The other is super happy and has all it's polyps out so i'm not sure if this one is just being finicky or what? It's next to my fan, a little close to the glass, and near a cabbage coral fragment if that helps? The water levels that I can check were okay besides the phosphates are high & calcium was a little low but I put supplements in there. Any ideas? I wanna make sure the poor thing doesn't starve. (Also sorry if the photo doesn't load new to this site)

Those are non-photosynthetic, have you tried to feed to get a response?

 

[cloak]

Tank looks new. Gorgonians can be hard to keep. (specialized feeder) GL.

 

[Soapy_T]

Those are non-photosynthetic, have you tried to feed to get a response?

No, I’ll try that. Thanks

 

[Soapy_T]

Could you give some more details such as the age of your tank, parameters, temp, lighting, flow, and list of other inhabitants?

Yeah, my tanks been around 80 degrees, I live in Cali and we’ve got a bad heat wave rn. I have my day lights on about 7 hours a day and night on for 2-3 hours before I turn them all off. The tank has been running for 3 months now, and I have the coral in a pretty high flow spot in the tank. And then I’ve got 3 peppermint shrimp and 2 firefish. Nitrates were at about 20ppm Calcium 320ppm Phosphate at .5 ppm And I can’t check any other parameters, don’t have test kits but ordered ammonia and ph.

 

[NanoNana]

Gorgonians love phytoplankton. Your tank is very young so you don’t have a lot of nutrients in your water column and that gorgonian needs actual food because unlike photosynthetic corals, it can’t use light at an energy source. Mine eat phyto, and reef energy. They will eat any coral food and mine seem to get very bushy when I feed fish roe.

Ribbon gorgonians will take pretty rough flow. The red NPS seem happier in a medium flow where the water pushes food by but doesn’t RUSH it by. Lights won’t matter as it is non photosynthetic.

 

[NanoNana]

PS You have no ammonia test???how did you cycle a tank without checking ammonia?

 

[Soapy_T]

Gorgonians love phytoplankton. Your tank is very young so you don’t have a lot of nutrients in your water column and that gorgonian needs actual food because unlike photosynthetic corals, it can’t use light at an energy source. Mine eat phyto, and reef energy. They will eat any coral food and mine seem to get very bushy when I feed fish roe.

Ribbon gorgonians will take pretty rough flow. The red NPS seem happier in a medium flow where the water pushes food by but doesn’t RUSH it by. Lights won’t matter as it is non photosynthetic.

Okay thank you so much! I’ve been feeding my corals already so I’ll see how it does after I move it to a less heavy flow area

 

[paragrouper]

No, I’ll try that. Thanks

Phytoplankton is a good place to start.

Those gorgonians are a bit of a bear to keep. Make sure they are in an area with good flow.

 

[Soapy_T]

PS You have no ammonia test???how did you cycle a tank without checking ammonia?

Had an algae bloom and it died down, that’s how I usually check, cause if the bloom does it’s thing it means most else is alright. At least from what I learned keeping freshwater. Also didn’t put anything in until about 2 weeks ago to be safe. Really just winged it (bad idea i know)

 

[NanoNana]

Had an algae bloom and it died down, that’s how I usually check, cause if the bloom does it’s thing it means most else is alright. At least from what I learned keeping freshwater. Also didn’t put anything in until about 2 weeks ago to be safe. Really just winged it (bad idea i know)

It’s good you’re getting test kits.

Those red gorgos like to fool you. They’ll look great for 6 months then just out of nowhere and for no apparent reason take a dive. Not sure what other corals you have but the stiff Gorgos seem to like flow that it just to the edge of where a hammer starts to get ticked off at you. My ribbon doesn’t care if it’s folding in half. Lol

 

[Dburr1014]

PS You have no ammonia test???how did you cycle a tank without checking ammonia?

He doesn't need it now anyway.

 

[NanoNana]

He doesn't need it now anyway.

I still keep tests in case of emergency. Ammonia can and does spike in established tanks occasionally.