Two Types

There are two main types of Gorgonians that you can buy. Photosynthetic and non-Photosythetic

The first type is the only one that we recommmend. It is photosynthetic, which means it requires light to provide some of its nutrition, much as a plant does.

The second type of gorgonian is non-photosynthetic. This means it does NOT require light to survive. The problem is that is does require food to live. And usually hobbyists cannot provide the right type of food for them. So over time, they wither and die from starvation.

In our systems, the water is usually heavily filtered, so there is very little chance of plankton and other microscopic life building up. If you ever go diving in the ocean, you will notice that often the water is a plankton "soup" of various types of phytoplankton and zooplankton. This soup is almost never present in our systems.

We do not sell non-photosynthetic Gorgonians. We only sell photosynthetic Gorgonians.

Whats the difference?

So how can you tell which ones are the right ones to buy (photosynthetic), and not the wrong ones to buy (non-photosynthetic)?

You can USUALLY tell by the color of the gorgonian.

Certain colors, such as Red, orange, or sometimes yellow, almost always indicate that the gorgonian is the wrong type to buy

Colors such as purple, brown, green, silver, blue, all usually indicate that it is the safe type to buy.There are some exceptions, but in general, this is the easiest way to tell.

Gorgonians do well in most systems as long as there is no hair algae. Hair algae can quickly colonize the branches of the coral and smother it. It also likes good current, as this blows off the coating that accumulates on gorgonians.

Can anyone keep the "wrong" gorgonians in their reef?

Some advanced aquarists do keep non-photosynthetic gorgonians alive by using supplemental feeding. We don't recommend it for beginners, as it is easy to pollute your tank with the extra feeding and create a massive hair algae bloom. But in a balanced system, it is possilbe.

Hardiest Gorgonians

The hardiest gorgonian that we sell seems to be the Silver Gorgonian, Muricea laxa. It is silver with brown polyps and grows quite well without any supplemental feeding. The next hardiest would be the Purple Bushy or Purple Frilly gorgs. These are solid purple with whiteish polyps.

In general, gorgonians are a good choice for beginners with an established tank with good water current and fairly bright lighting.