Frag dying goniopora?

[reefer1970]

I have a softball sized goniopora (Light yellow) that has been in my 125g for a few weeks. It is dying from the center and spreading. I have had this happen to other Gonioporas but his time, I see no brown slimy stuff. There is another red goniopora next to it that is fine but has not extended that much lately. 2 questions, possible cause & should I cut it up on my band saw around the dying part? Dip it?
125G mixed reef
Apex, 3 Kessil 360's + T5's (I thought too much light but it looks worse when I shade it)
1.025, 80 degrees, Nitrates 0, Phosphates a little high- not sure of level
Calcium 440, Dkh was 6 but added baking soda last week and now 8
Good flow, PH 8.1
Don't have test for Mag, Iodine, etc

Thanx

 

[HammerLover]

I have a softball sized goniopora (Light yellow) that has been in my 125g for a few weeks. It is dying from the center and spreading. I have had this happen to other Gonioporas but his time, I see no brown slimy stuff. There is another red goniopora next to it that is fine but has not extended that much lately. 2 questions, possible cause & should I cut it up on my band saw around the dying part? Dip it?
125G mixed reef
Apex, 3 Kessil 360's + T5's (I thought too much light but it looks worse when I shade it)
1.025, 80 degrees, Nitrates 0, Phosphates a little high- not sure of level
Calcium 440, Dkh was 6 but added baking soda last week and now 8
Good flow, PH 8.1
Don't have test for Mag, Iodine, etc

Thanx

Gonioporas are very picky and hard corals. They are very unpredictable and reports of success varies.

I had mine that lasted for weeks. Its fully opened for 2 weeks but my clowns hosted it and slowly it receded from the base and died a horribly. Ive tried another one but it lasted for merely a month and slowly receded from the base as well.

Maybe leave it alone for now. Dipping it will add stress and cutting it can cause infections and additional stress. I suggest keeping your tank clean to avoid brown jelly and try feeding your gonio. Feeding an injured coral will help it recover quickly, so try giving them some food.

Hope it helps. Gonioporas need alot of feeding to keep them alive.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Like Hammer said, goni's need dirty water to survive as where they are collected is very turbid and dirty. Most don't live a few months in someone's tank. I've had success with them in the past and have two small frags one green and one purple now that are doing fine. So they like some nitrates, and phosphates, good lighting med/high range and flow IMO isn't as important but need some med flow. A good feeding twice a week is helpful.

Member Webmanny has had great success with them. He'll probably see this thread.

 

[Webmanny]

I agree with previous post. These corals are hit and miss. Some people have great success, while others can't keep them regardless of conditions. I've had mine (one yellow and one pink) for a bit over a year now. I've had a few scares with them along the way and this is what I've learned.

• Don't dip them, this will just stress them, the same goes for fragging them.
• They like high to med flow, but not direct.
• They are OK with 50-100 par indirect light, meaning sand bed sides of the tank.
• They do prefer water on the dirty side
• They like to be fed small particles. I.e.Gonipower or Coral Frenzy
• They like the corners of the tank
• They are more subjective to other coral's toxins than most corals. I.e. palitoxins, leather toxins, ect.

Please note that I am by no means an expert and these are just suggestions based on my experience.

 

[reefer1970]

Thanks, Webmanny for the run down. I'm not sure if it's diseased or just not happy. In the past the die off on other gonioporas seemed similar but had what I "think" was brown jelly and seemed to spread. Now, there is just missing polyps in the center. I am going to target feed it daily and watch for a response. If the die off seems to spread and it looks to be more of a disease situation. Should I consider cutting it up around the die off? If its just going bald in the center because of poor nutrition, lighting, etc. should the bald spot grow back?

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Reefer1970 I would feed it no more than twice a week or every third day. They will get quite a bit out of the water column. I broadcast feed Coral Frenzy twice a week and once every two weeks or so I spot feed my corals a mix of Coral Frenzy, Reef Roids, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp and Cyclopeeze and my corals are doing great. Having the correct flow and lighting for each coral is most important as well as stable water parameters.

 

[reefer1970]

Here's a pic

 

[ps1434]

People keep repeating stuff they have heard. I have had this one for 6 years and have fraged it 3 times. I don't feed it and the times I have tried I have never seen a feeding reaction. They polyps will retract but it looks like it is irritated by the food dropping on it. My water is not dirty at all. I know there are a lot of different types and some are more difficult than others but to make statements that are 'musts' for care seem way off base to me.



Paul

 

[albano]

People keep repeating stuff they have heard. I have had this one for 6 years and have fraged it 3 times. I don't feed it and the times I have tried I have never seen a feeding reaction. They polyps will retract but it looks like it is irritated by the food dropping on it. My water is not dirty at all. I know there are a lot of different types and some are more difficult than others but to make statements that are 'musts' for care seem way off base to me.

Paul

Is it a wild caught or aquacultured piece?

 

[ps1434]

That is an ORA. I know that changes things but I have had several others with good success. Some like to be fed and some do not eat. Seems to me that the current was always the most important thing. I don't believe the dirty water thing at all though.

Paul

 

[HammerLover]

People keep repeating stuff they have heard. I have had this one for 6 years and have fraged it 3 times. I don't feed it and the times I have tried I have never seen a feeding reaction. They polyps will retract but it looks like it is irritated by the food dropping on it. My water is not dirty at all. I know there are a lot of different types and some are more difficult than others but to make statements that are 'musts' for care seem way off base to me.



Paul

Goniopora as what I said is very picky and chances of survival varies in every species and tank conditions. Some had success in low nutrient tanks and some had success to high nutrient tanks.

I've read several people who had gonis last for years and the main key to the survival of them is feeding. Some gonis need feeding 2-3 times a week while some can do once a week. The polyps often closed when catching food.

They are very sensitive. A small wound or puncture can already cause the coral to die and recede, and they are very very prone to brown jelly infections.

I want to take a shot of this coral again and will do regular feedings.

 

[ps1434]

All I know is ORA said they never feed theirs and have never tried. I have had other Gonioporas that show a feeding reaction but have never seen one on the red one. A lot of the videos I have watched looked like the polyps were closing because they were annoyed with food falling on them. There are a lot of different types with different demands. I still would not make blanket statements like they need dirty water or need to be feed x amount of times.

 

[reefer1970]

So, it seems this thread has gone off track. I have a dead spot on the center of the softball sized colony that looks like it stopped spreading after I moved it to the sandbed. Should I frag it because it looks like crap? Could it fill in eventually? Can I plant another type of coral in the center & what would play nicely? I've heard cutting it could cause an infection. I have a diamond bandsaw and could cut it into 3 big wedges.

 

[albano]

IMO...it's a goner...try to frag off the good sections and pray for the best!

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Almost looks like it's got brown jelly in the skeleton where the polyps are missing. I would do an iodine dip then frag it but dip again the frags after they're cut.

http://www.athiel.com/lib/bacterial.html

 

[HammerLover]

Dip it if its starting to show some brown jelly.

I'm not being negative but when brown jelly starts on gonis, recovery is very slim since it recedes very fast.