Red Finger Gorgonian

General information

The Red Finger Gorgonian is considered a highly attractive specimen due to its color variation. It is either colored orange yellow with red and white polyps or red purple with white polyps. Contrary to the large sea fans we see in the reef, this particular species is relatively small in size and has a sparsely branched colony.
This are the water parameters for cultivating Red Finger Gorgonian:

Calcium: 420 – 440 ppm
Alkalinity: 2.86 – 4.259 MEQ/L (8 – 12 dKH)
Phosphates: > 0.10 mg/L
Magnesium: 1260 – 1350
Strontium: 8 -10 mg/L
Temperature: 72° – 78° F (22° – 26° C)
Salinity / Specific Gravity: 1.023 – 1.025
pH: 8.1 – 8.4

The Red Finger Gorgonian is not a photosynthetic species. They get their nourishment by snatching small foods present in the water like plankton. Supplemental feeding is highly advised where you can give them brine shrimp and mysis.

The Red Finger Gorgonian should be placed at the bottom portion of the tank. You may need a gel glue or putty to fasten them on an exposed rock.

The Red Finger Gorgonian only requires minimal lighting but a strong flow of water. This is the reason why they should be placed at the bottom of the tank.

The Red Finger Gorgonian are a subtropical species found in the Western Atlantic Ocean, particularly in the USA and Canada.

While the Red Finger Gorgonian is not aggressive, you still need to give ample space between other species corals. What you should be cautious is during the handling process since the branches are highly brittle and can easily break off.

Red Finger Gorgonian are purely marine species. Therefore, salinity must be entirely maintained from 1.023 to 1.025 specific gravity.