Why Your Saltwater Fish Need Gorgonians
Raising saltwater fish is an art form. The water and salinity of the tank have to be absolutely perfect, or you will be flushing a lot of fish down the drain. The problem is, many aquarium beginners do not realize that, in order to get a perfect environment for saltwater fish, you need much more than just perfectly balanced saltwater and warm temperatures. You need many of the other sea creatures that typically inhabit the same environments as your fish. Marine gorgonians are one such life form. Here is more about these, and why your saltwater fish need them.
Fancy Coral
Gorgonian is just a fancy way of saying "coral." These intensely-colored and beautiful living plants are so much better than the plastic fakes you can buy, for a number of reasons. All of these coral make your tank a much healthier environment for your fish. They are also quite fascinating to watch, as they grow, wave in the water, and reproduce by letting loose little parts of themselves to expand to the rest of the tank.
What They Do for Your Fish
Coral, like land plants, clean the environment. Land plants clean the air, while coral clean the water. This provides your fish with a healthy tank in which to grow and prosper.
Coral also provide a food source for some fish. They may either excrete a substance that is edible to the fish, or they may collect a lot of small particles out of the water and act as a buffet table for the fish that swim by and clean the coral. In the wild, the coral act as shelter from larger predators, too. Your fish may still be inclined to hide behind or around the coral, thus giving the fish a sense of security and reducing their anxiety. Finally, fish that swim through the coral are cleaned, making the fish healthier and helping your fish to live longer.
Finding Aquarium Gorgonians for Sale
Only high-end pet stores carry gorgonians (coral) for sale. It is very difficult to maintain the health of these sea plants, which is why only the high-end pet stores carry them. However, there are several sub-species of gorgonians that you can buy that are very easy to care for. Do your research in advance, and buy the corals that are easiest to care for and which your tank fish would most likely encounter in the ocean.