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Hey Reefers! Lets talk Gorgonian Sea Fans!
Gorgonian Sea Fans, or 'Gorgs' like we enjoy calling them, are an awesome addition to any reef tank due to their unique fan-shaped growth structure! No other coral is similar in shape and appearance, making them one in their own! Gorgonians are technically soft corals, and while they do not have the hard, calcified skeletons of stony corals, they do have a firm, flexible one that their flesh grows off of! Helping them maintain that fan/branch-like structure. The Gorgonians that we carry are typically found in the local waters of Florida and the Caribbean!
Gorgs come in all different colors such as Purple, Orange, Red, Pink, Yellow, and Tan! Their striking colors look best under whiter lighting, where they can really begin to thrive! Some Gorgs can grow to almost 3 feet in height and diameter, growing even larger out in the ocean! They slightly encrust down onto a sturdy piece of rock, then use the rest of their energy to grow up and out! However not too high, unlike other corals Gorgonians cannot retract their flesh. If they come into contact with air for too long that portion of the sea fan will begin to die off. Trim back or frag your Gorg if it begins to grow too high for your liking!
Feeding is an important aspect of Gorgonian care. Both Photosynthetic and Non-Photosynthetic (NPS) Gorgs exist, so it is critical to know which type you are caring for! Currently, we only carry Photosynthetic Gorgonians here at Corals.com. If you do have a NPS Gorgonian, make sure you are feeding it regularly. Even though the Sea Fans that we carry contain symbiotic zooxanthellae like other photosynthetic corals, we still spot feed them regularly! Fine mixtures of phyto and zooplankton are great choices for their small polyps to capture!
Lighting and flow are also huge in terms of Gorgonian health. We recommend moderate lighting for our sea fans. Too little and they will not receive enough essential nutrients through photosynthesis. Too much and algae can begin to grow on their flesh, which also leads into flow! Too little flow and algae will collect, as well as not being able to properly filter feed. High enough direct flow is required to help keep their flesh algae free! Moderate to high will do just fine with Sea Fans.
We have over 12 different species of Gorgonian Sea Fans available on our website! Take a look at some of our favorite ones down below! Unique looking soft corals that are a great addition for any level of Reefer. Click any of them to shop instantly, we hope you enjoy and have a great weekend! ~ Corals.com
Gorgonian Sea Fans, or 'Gorgs' like we enjoy calling them, are an awesome addition to any reef tank due to their unique fan-shaped growth structure! No other coral is similar in shape and appearance, making them one in their own! Gorgonians are technically soft corals, and while they do not have the hard, calcified skeletons of stony corals, they do have a firm, flexible one that their flesh grows off of! Helping them maintain that fan/branch-like structure. The Gorgonians that we carry are typically found in the local waters of Florida and the Caribbean!
Gorgs come in all different colors such as Purple, Orange, Red, Pink, Yellow, and Tan! Their striking colors look best under whiter lighting, where they can really begin to thrive! Some Gorgs can grow to almost 3 feet in height and diameter, growing even larger out in the ocean! They slightly encrust down onto a sturdy piece of rock, then use the rest of their energy to grow up and out! However not too high, unlike other corals Gorgonians cannot retract their flesh. If they come into contact with air for too long that portion of the sea fan will begin to die off. Trim back or frag your Gorg if it begins to grow too high for your liking!
Feeding is an important aspect of Gorgonian care. Both Photosynthetic and Non-Photosynthetic (NPS) Gorgs exist, so it is critical to know which type you are caring for! Currently, we only carry Photosynthetic Gorgonians here at Corals.com. If you do have a NPS Gorgonian, make sure you are feeding it regularly. Even though the Sea Fans that we carry contain symbiotic zooxanthellae like other photosynthetic corals, we still spot feed them regularly! Fine mixtures of phyto and zooplankton are great choices for their small polyps to capture!
Lighting and flow are also huge in terms of Gorgonian health. We recommend moderate lighting for our sea fans. Too little and they will not receive enough essential nutrients through photosynthesis. Too much and algae can begin to grow on their flesh, which also leads into flow! Too little flow and algae will collect, as well as not being able to properly filter feed. High enough direct flow is required to help keep their flesh algae free! Moderate to high will do just fine with Sea Fans.
We have over 12 different species of Gorgonian Sea Fans available on our website! Take a look at some of our favorite ones down below! Unique looking soft corals that are a great addition for any level of Reefer. Click any of them to shop instantly, we hope you enjoy and have a great weekend! ~ Corals.com
