This coral is completely non-photosynthetic and receives its energy by capturing copepod nauplii, rotifers, fine zooplankton and coral snow. A refugium is helpful in supplementing the main aquarium with live prey items. Intense lighting is not needed and may actually be detrimental.

Moderate water flow is essential and is ideally provided using diffused laminar flow, with the coral’s polyps facing away from the flow. This will deliver food to the polyps and also will clear nuisance algae, cyanobacteria and debris from its branches. A very soft brush may also be used to help keep it clean. In extreme cases it may be soaked in fresh water of the same temperature and pH for up to one minute. They should also be inspected for predatory pests such as Primovula sp. snails. The coral may occasionally shed a waxy sheet, which is a natural cleansing behavior.

Gorgonians will secure themselves to the substrate via a holdfast. It may be necessary to secure the coral initially with epoxy or ties until it has grown. Gorgonians may also grow quite tall, so they should be placed low enough to allow for future growth. Most non-photosynthetic species are supported by an armature of fused calcareous sclerites which may be brittle. Care should be taken when handling; however, if a branch is broken it may regrow into a new coral.

Gorgonians are very sensitive to ammonia and may retract their polyps if they detect poor water quality. They create anti-microbial chemicals which helps them to resist disease. However, if it is seen that the tip of a branch is being lost then that branch should be fed heavily for about a week and then the tip should be clipped off slightly into the healthy tissue and the coral may heal itself.

• Difficulty: Advanced
• Growth Speed: Medium
• Lighting: Not Applicable
• Average Placement: Low - Middle
• Water Flow: High
• Temperament: Semi-Aggressive

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*EXCEPTIONS:

• Any heavy or bulky items will incur a 100% charge of the actual shipping cost (valid for both Canada and the US). Heavy bulky items include (but are not limited to): salt, dry rock, sand, chillers, sumps, aquariums, stands, and some filter media.
• Frozen or perishable food can only be shipped via UPS Express. We have discounted the express shipping of these items to help the hobbyist out.
• Livestock is covered by a different shipping policy. To view the policy and further information regarding shipping livestock, click here.

GENERAL NOTES:

• We always make our best effort to ship your order via the carrier chosen during the check-out process; however, for some multi-piece shipments and/or remote destinations, we must reserve the right to use another carrier at our discretion (and without prior notice). If you require notice of any changes made to the carrier, please mention it in the special instructions during check-out.
• Upon request, we will ship your dry goods as per your specifications (courier, airlines, on your account, etc.).
• Quoted rates are the carriers live discounted shipping rates after adjusting for any/all shipping promotions.

Return Policy — Aquarium Equipment & Supplies

• All returns and/or exchanges must be made within 30 days of receipt of product.
• Before returning or exchanging any goods, you must contact J&L Aquatics to obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA). Items returned without prior authorization will be declined.
• Returned items must be unused, in original packaging, in as-new condition, and in perfect sellable condition. All returns are subject to inspection upon receipt.
• A 15% restocking fee applies to all online returns. This fee includes the cost of outbound shipping.
• Customer is responsible for return shipping costs on standard returns.
• Order cancellations made before shipping are not subject to a restocking fee.

Non-Returnable Items

• Special order items
• Clearance / final sale items
• Open box items

Regular sale items (non-clearance) are returnable within the 30-day return window, subject to our standard return conditions.

Defective, Warranty & DOA Items

• If you receive an item that is defective, not working, or dead on arrival (DOA), please contact us as soon as possible.
• Confirmed defective and warranty returns have no restocking fee and no Affirm fee. Customer does not pay return shipping — J&L Aquatics will provide a prepaid return label.
• All defective claims are subject to inspection. Items showing signs of customer damage, improper installation, or misuse are not covered under warranty.

Carrier Damage & Lost in Transit

• If your order arrives damaged by the carrier or is lost in transit, please contact us right away with:Photos of the damaged product (if applicable)Photos of the damaged box/packaging (if applicable)A description of the issue
• Important — Do not throw out any packaging! Please keep all original packaging, boxes, and packing materials. These are required to process your claim. Discarding packaging may affect our ability to resolve your claim.

High-Value Items ($100+)

• For items valued at $100 or more, customers must provide a return tracking number before a replacement will be shipped.

Affirm & Financing Orders

• Affirm or similar financing orders that are cancelled or returned in-store are subject to a 5% service charge. This covers the processing fee charged to us by the financing provider.
• The Affirm service charge does not apply to confirmed defective or warranty returns.