Blue polyps set against a red or orange base give this Indo-Pacific sea fan its name. With no zooxanthellae to help, it needs plankton or baby brine shrimp on a frequent schedule, so it is a fan for experienced keepers. These animals have no established species name, and the old hobby name Acalycigorgia now counts as a synonym of Acanthogorgia, so the honest label stops at the genus.
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Sea fan with a red or orange base and blue polyps. No size figure was found for animals carrying this name.
Lifespan
—
Social needs
solo
Native region
Indo-Pacific
Origin
Old World
Climate
Tropical
Water type
Marine
Family
Acanthogorgiidae
Genus
Acanthogorgia
Part of the Soft Corals
Soft corals such as leathers, colt, cloves, Anthelia, gorgonians and Sympodium. Octocorals with flexible, often swaying colonies and eight-tentacled polyps, and no stony skeleton. Many are hardy, beginner-friendly reef corals driven by photosynthesis and tolerant of a wide range of light, flow and nutrients, but some gorgonians have no algae of their own and depend on regular feeding, so check eac
Keep it in low light with strong flow, in a shaded spot where the current crosses the fan. Bright light gives it nothing and feeds algae on the branches.
Keep stable reef water: SG about 1.025, 24-27 °C (75-81 °F), pH 8.1-8.4, alkalinity 8-11 dKH, calcium 400-450 ppm and magnesium 1250-1350 ppm.
Substrate
Attach the base to rock in a shaded spot with reef-safe gel glue or underwater epoxy, with the fan set across the current.
Equipment & setup
Low lighting is enough. Provide strong flow from one or more powerheads, a capable protein skimmer for the feeding load, and a regular feeding routine.
Diet
Must be fed. It does not use light. Offer live micro-plankton, plankton foods or baby brine shrimp at least several times a week, and daily if your system can export the nutrients. Feed into the current while the blue polyps are open.
Behavior & temperament
The bright blue polyps stand out against the red or orange base when they are open, and the colony depends on current to carry food to them. Nothing specific is recorded about its growth or behaviour in aquariums.
Health
Starvation is the main risk, since nothing here comes from light. Algae or cyanobacteria on the branches can kill the tissue beneath. If polyps stop opening or tissue recedes, check feeding, flow and nutrients together.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Only take this on if you can feed it often for the long term. Older hobby material under Acalycigorgia refers to the same genus. With no species known, treat all care here as general advice for non-photosynthetic fans.
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Tropical
Marine