Goniopora inflated?
- Thread starter mcgyvr
- Start date
No explanation other than I believe what you have there is G. stokesi one of the most difficult species of the genus to keep long term and unfortunately probably the most common in the hobby, these usually reside in mud flats with higher nutrient content than a typical reef aquarium. Very, very difficult compared to the slightly less popular and less difficult red G. stutchburyi that is actually aquacultured now by ORA.
While I have no explanation of your issue, I will unfortunately say that even with the most experienced reefer these are usually doomed in a typical reef.
While I have no explanation of your issue, I will unfortunately say that even with the most experienced reefer these are usually doomed in a typical reef.
mcgyvr
New member
yeah Corey... tell me something I don't know 
Got it for a great deal..decided I rather attempt to care for it/kill it vs LFS.. looked very healthy.. still looks healthy when its not doing this..
I've started feeding it and don't believe the LFS was.. but it does this a few hours before feeding time.... Maybe its way of telling me its hungry and knowing food is coming.
Got it for a great deal..decided I rather attempt to care for it/kill it vs LFS.. looked very healthy.. still looks healthy when its not doing this..
I've started feeding it and don't believe the LFS was.. but it does this a few hours before feeding time.... Maybe its way of telling me its hungry and knowing food is coming.
yeah Corey... tell me something I don't know
Got it for a great deal..decided I rather attempt to care for it/kill it vs LFS.. looked very healthy.. still looks healthy when its not doing this..
I've started feeding it and don't believe the LFS was.. but it does this a few hours before feeding time.... Maybe its way of telling me its hungry and knowing food is coming.
Yeah, I figured you already knew all that. All I have to say is feed the heck out of it and hope for the best
My red goni does the same thing once a day or so. Been doing it for months and still growing. I think it is just the coral's way of cleaning its polyps off. My hammers and torches do this as well--though more like once every week or two. I also have a Cespitularia that shrinks up every evening like clock work too. The red goni is more variable though it is usually in the evening as well.
mcgyvr
New member
Thanks JWClark.. Good to know others do the same thing.. I have seen a "few" posts on the intranet about others but no real answer.. (cleaning...feeding...low light,etc.. were all suggested but no definite answer)
Its possible it could be a "cleaning" kind of like how Softies shed their skin.. My softies do that about every 2 weeks or so..
I also notice is got a nice sized Flabelligeridae Polychaete growing right out the middle of the ball.. Only noticeable when the gonis deflated/closed for the night..
Its possible it could be a "cleaning" kind of like how Softies shed their skin.. My softies do that about every 2 weeks or so..
I also notice is got a nice sized Flabelligeridae Polychaete growing right out the middle of the ball.. Only noticeable when the gonis deflated/closed for the night..
Sometimes they really inflate like this (the free living species) so they catch the flow and move. At a lfs I used a few years back they had one which would inflate to the size of a small melon and move around the coral tray. I guessed this was normal behaviour as you get species which roll around.
Depends on the species as the morphology is variable. You can get encrusters, dome shaped like stokesi and even round species (ora have a red one of these) will polyps all over that roll around the sea floor.
mcgyvr
New member
I believe I have now figured out that it inflated like that to "lift" itself up out of the sand a bit... The sand was just sitting right above the bottom line of the coral skin and now the sand is about 1/8"-1/4" below that line..
As a test I pushed it down into the sand a little bit and within 20 minutes it inflated again and picked itself up out of it..
As a test I pushed it down into the sand a little bit and within 20 minutes it inflated again and picked itself up out of it..
jacksonpt
New member
FWIW... mine has never been on the sandbed and it's done that a few times. Could it have been trying to get away from something else? Maybe. But sand has never been a concern for mine. Again, take it for what it's worth.
They probably wouldn't be on sandy substrate in the wild so I believe your observation is a good one (people wrongly assume that there is sand everywhere on a reef), rather on rocky areas without substrate due to the high flows.
