Purple Brush Gorgonian: Saltwater Coral

There are many different types of coral that you can purchase. There are many varieties of soft coral and many varieties of hard coral. There is one type of coral which is known as a Gorgonian. The coral which falls under this category are soft corals. They will require pretty much all of the same things but they come in a lot of different colors and they have different needs as well. One type of Gorgonian is known as the Purple Brush Gorgonian. This coral looks like a purple branch which is growing in your fish tank.

You will need a good filter system to keep this coral doing well. You will most likely need a canister filter and you can adjust the power head to shoot water close to the Purple Brush Gorgonian. If you cannot get the water to flow directly at the Purple Brush Gorgonian you can always purchase a wave maker that will shoot water in all different directions. This way you can shoot water to all of your coral instead of just one piece of the coral. You will need to place the Gorgonian in a location close to the filter system.

To keep the Purple Brush Gorgonian alive you will also need a good lighting system. You can purchase one at a local pet store or you can purchase one online as well. Sometimes it’s always a good idea to check eBay to see what types of saltwater lights they have. For the average 30 gallon tank you should have a light with 2 65 watt bulbs. If you have a 55 gallon tank you will need a much stronger light for your saltwater tank. You need a good light in order to keep the coral healthy and growing properly.

You will need to keep your salinity at around 1.022 to 1.026. You will also need to keep the temperature at around 72 to 76 degrees. You will need to place a heater in the tank which will keep the water at 72 degrees. You will also want to keep the water below 76 degrees by placing the light on a timer. Doing this will make sure that your light only comes on for 6 hours per day which is what coral needs. If you keep the light on for a long period of time you will start to develop a bad algae problem which will get stuck to all of your coral. If you notice algae stuck to your Purple Brush Gorgonian you will need to gently remove in to stop it from starting to decay.