Feeding mix for diodogorgia

[mwalsh445]

I recently purchased two diodogorgia at my LFS, after doing some research and discussing them I determined I've got the right setup for them. Any ideas on feeding? I've been using frozen mysis mixed with brine, mashed up and added to the tank with a syringe. I see the polyps catch the shrimp, but don't know if they are satisfied. Any thoughts.

[gh0st]

That should be fine. You can also add some Oyster Eggs and Phyto of some variety. Soaking whatever you feed in Seachem Reef Plus or some other Vitamin/Amino Acid Supplement ussually helps as well.

[mwalsh445]

I will try that, thanks.

[aninjaatemyshoe]

Cyclopses are a really good food for them. Brine shrimp may be a bit large for them. Also try some smaller sized golden pearls from brineshrimpdirect dot com.

[dendro982]

If you can place them close to the glass - within 2", you should be able to see process of feeding:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/Diodogorgia%20gorgonian/photogr1.jpg
The hands are not mine :)
Consuming cyclop-eeze, up to 800 micron adult size, but the can contains young too:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/Diodogorgia%20gorgonian/gorgAug29cyclopeez.jpg
Eating ZoPlan (dried crustaceans of different sizes, too expensive to use as a staple food, unlike the Cyclop-eeze) and the fine particles after washing mysis:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/Diodogorgia%20gorgonian/gorgDec16Zoplanmysiswater2.jpg
Photos above were made for this diodogorgia - you can see, how close to the glass it is - the green coraline is on glass:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/Diodogorgia%20gorgonian/gorgAug27.jpg
Grateful coral - only swiftia can be better, but I wasn't able to see insides of the polyps for Swiftia kofoidi.

Post your feeding pictures too - I would like to see, how the different food is accepted.
Any tips and observations too.

Another options for a food: any zooplankton and homogenized seafood within 200-800 micron range. Variety is better and have at least some of it pigmented - too.
Cyclop-eeze, Golden Pearcls, rotifers, cyclops (these could be FW - I don't know, but SW food is preferable), baby brine, Fauna Marin products as high end, RotiFeast, Rod's food, Reef chili, decapsulated brine shrimp eggs as an addition too. Anything, you can lay your hands on. Not impressed by bottled food - I started with it.

Ah, and flow: mine are in high enough flow, up to slightly bending polyps. And you will need a good filtration/skimming, or a big tank, or a small Diodogorgia ;) .

Good luck and make a thread with progress and sharing experience!

[mwalsh445]

great pics, I will try the suggestions. and i'll update when I get some pics. thanks.

[aninjaatemyshoe]

Yeah, don't even bother with the bottled stuff unless you're talking about the stuff from Reef Nutrition. They actually make some good stuff that has a high concentration of food. Most other products (Kent *ahem*) are 99.99% water and the rest is mostly crap that you don't want in your system - such as phosphate.

Dendro, have you tried the Fauna Marin stuff? I have heard good things second hand, but I question whether it is much better than simply using a mixture such as Coral Frenzy or Reef Chili.

[dendro982]

Didn't tried Fauna Marin yet - it's more expensive, then others, and not a single kind, but the mix of few should be made.

I'm using quite a lot on my tanks, even at Cyclop-eeze price it costs :(

[mwalsh445]

Just tried the cyclop-eeze today, amazing how well they take the food. I think the mysis and brine no matter how small i chopped it was no where near as productive as cyclop. it seemed the brine and mysis would just get stuck in the tentacles and never make it to the mouth. I'll still try mysis once every few days. How often did you feed the cyclop-eeze, daily, every other? thanks

[dendro982]

Minimum 5 times every day. It may be overkill, some people are keeping it in the well fed tank without additional feeding - but prefer do not risk.
GARF uses fish flakes recipe (http://www.garf.org/GORG03/WINTERGORG.html) to feed their gorgonians, I prefer water after washing mysis, Marine Cuisine and Plankton for them - particles, comparable by size with cyclop eeze, as an addition to cyclops.