Photosynthetic or not?

[billdeluz]

Thank you guys in advance I can't seem to find a straight answer

 

 

 

[RIP Sebastian]

Photosynthetic. High light, high flow. Won't mind food, though.

[billdeluz]

Thank you thank you thank you high light hight flow no problem

Are they fast growing or slow any info you can give me also a name thanks again

 

Photosynthetic. High light, high flow. Won't mind food, though.

[RIP Sebastian]

Thank you thank you thank you high light hight flow no problem

Are they fast growing or slow any info you can give me also a name thanks again

 

 

I always just called them purple gorgonians. I think they may be called sea whips? I dunno. I haven't hade mine for too long, but I do notice growth on it.

[jestep]

Yours is most likely a plexaurella flexuosa, typically called a candelabra gorgononian.

 

Their growth speed is almost entirely based on feedings IMO. If you have a very clean tank with little feedings, or just feed pellets or flakes, they may not grow noticeably at all. If you feed a lot, specifically planktonic foods that they and other coral can easily consume, they will grow very quickly. This species is still one of the slower ones, at least when compared to the softer ones like Antillogorgia's. You could expect an inch or so to close to doubling per year depending on the conditions.

 

They definitely benefit from random / alternating flow as they naturally slough off their tissue and need varying current to remove and carry it away. In this species you typically wont ever notice it though. Pterogorgia and some of the other flat species will literally visibly shed their entire skin.

 

Also, if it does get too large, they're super easy to split and propagate. - http://www.garf.org/100/gorg/GORG1.html

[mitten_reef]

It could be this? http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+601+1524&pcatid=1524

 

Or is it red with gold polyp if accounted for the blue tint in the photo. see mine at: http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/374445-leopard-wrasse-lesson-learned/? The branching also looks very similar to the one I have.

 

Mine will happily take the coral food.

 

I haven't identified mine, but LA has this one with similar description/picture. http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+10&ddid=339086

[Boggers]

Yours is most likely a plexaurella flexuosa, typically called a candelabra gorgononian.

 

Their growth speed is almost entirely based on feedings IMO. If you have a very clean tank with little feedings, or just feed pellets or flakes, they may not grow noticeably at all. If you feed a lot, specifically planktonic foods that they and other coral can easily consume, they will grow very quickly. This species is still one of the slower ones, at least when compared to the softer ones like Antillogorgia's. You could expect an inch or so to close to doubling per year depending on the conditions.

 

They definitely benefit from random / alternating flow as they naturally slough off their tissue and need varying current to remove and carry it away. In this species you typically wont ever notice it though. Pterogorgia and some of the other flat species will literally visibly shed their entire skin.

 

Also, if it does get too large, they're super easy to split and propagate. - http://www.garf.org/100/gorg/GORG1.html

ALL of this. The Candelabra is what you have based on size of the branches. The whips are smaller.

[billdeluz]

Thank you all so much it looks almost red/brown branches with bright yellow polyps hard to tell in the photo I do feed the tank very often it seems really happy so far opens all day and even night sometimes without light I really enjoy how different it looks and adds a nice splash of color to the tank