Purple Frilly Gorgonian - Small

Sea fans like the Purple Frilly Gorgonian create a beautiful display of height and motion in the home reef aquarium. They are easily maintained and propagated, making them an ideal choice for the dedicated hobbyist.

The Purple Frilly Gorgonian has a flexible thorny, skeletal axis that has the elasticity of stiff rubber, allowing it to sway while filter feeding in strong currents without breaking. Most commonly found on outer oceanic reefs attached to vertical faces and the undersides of ledges, Caribbean Pseudopterogorgia have narrow smooth branches that are commonly pinnate.

The Purple Frilly Gorgonian is peaceful, but it should be given adequate space away from neighboring corals or anemones. It is more challenging to maintain this species, as they require supplemental feeding several times per week. This Sea fan is photosynthetic and requires a moderate amount of light depending on the amount of filter feeding food that is available.

In order to inhibit algae and cyanobacteria growth, it is important that this gorgonian is provided with a medium to strong, constant or intermittent water flow. If in the event that it does begin to become covered with algae or cyanobacteria, remove it from the coral immediately, as this will cause rapid tissue deterioration.

Algae can be removed gently with the use of a soft brush; combat cyanobacteria by soaking the coral in fresh water of the same temperature for approximately 1 minute. These corals will also benefit from the addition of iodine, calcium, strontium, and other trace elements to the water.

The Purple Frilly Gorgonian should be fed a few times a week with a filter feeding food. Provide a varied diet of live or frozen baby brine shrimp, Marine Snow, PhytoPlan and other suitable micro foods.