Gorgonian troubles - Frag Outpost Forums - Coral Propagation and Reef Aquarium Forums

EvilTwin · 03-17-2006, 07:04 PM

As you know, I've been away in Boulder this week. I got home tonight and my Sea Whip is not looking too good. Mostly, my wife was feeding the fish and adding makeup water while I was gone. The Sea Whip has what looks like white spots and the polyps are now darker in color and not all coming out. I'm a little concerned. It did shed a skin layer when I first got it. The white spots are new. I tested the water and ph seemed a little high, maybe 8.5, which is strange since I thought ph tends to go down, not up. Nitrates are up a bit, too. I'm doing a water change tomorrow. No picture yet as the actinics are on. Any thoughts?

FragOutpost · 03-17-2006, 07:09 PM

Sorry to hear that your gorgonain is not doing as well. My tank is always my biggest worry when I go out of town. Try doing a 20% change asap, followed up by a couple of 5-10% a day or two later. 8.5 does seem high for the ph considering that is usually tends to decrease over periods of time when not dosing supplements. If you checked it at the end of the photoperiod then it will be slightly elevated as opposed to if you checked it in the morning. Did your wife add any additives while you were gone or just make up water?

EvilTwin · 03-17-2006, 07:56 PM

She was just adding makeup water. Everything else in the tank appears to be doing well. The small SPS frag even appears to have more polyp extension. It's just the gorg is looking like it has problems.

FragOutpost · 03-17-2006, 08:01 PM

Hopefully the water change will help. Good luck with it and let us know how it does.

EvilTwin · 03-17-2006, 08:50 PM

Surprisingly, I found an ebay auction with pictures of a sea whip gorgonian that looks very similar to the way mine does now

http://cgi.ebay.com/PURPLE-SEA-WHIP-...cmdZVie wItem

When I first got it, the polyps were very white in color as seen in some of my first pictures. The polyps now look darker, like those in the picture from the auction. I don't know if this is good, bad or otherwise.

EvilTwin · 03-21-2006, 06:32 AM

Well, the gorg has appeared to take a turn for the worse. The purple "flshy" parts have started to deteriorate and I can even see the round skeleton base in some areas. I'm going to consider this a lost cause, but I did get some poly reaction when touching it, so something is still hanging on. I'm at a loss for what to do at this point. Suggestions?