<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7969372#post7969372 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by janakaybravo
I need to know: Can goniopora survive in a tank that is geared for sps, 2 250 metal halides and lots, lots of flow?
Kay
Yes, it can survive and thrive.
What color is the Goni that you want?
Unless your tank is very large (like Steve W's), then I would focus on placing the coral in an area where you can easily access it for feeding.
Having "lots of flow" is a relative description. You could have 1,000 gph flowing through the tank, but still have an area where 50gph would flow across the coral...or even create an area. Getting it acclimated under high water flow can be difficult, depending on its health, and it makes it much more difficult to feed unless you turn off the circulation pumps. Their polyps and tentacles tend to remain more retracted in the area of direct flow, which can also make it more difficult to feed them. Goniopora have a natural "waving" pattern that I'm sure is affected by higher flow too. I know of people who keep them in higher water flow, but I can't think of a good reason to purposely place them there. Mine tend to grow more on the side of the coral that receives the lesser amount of flow.
The water flow rate may also effect how well the different Goniopora species protect their zooxanthellae from harmful lighting. Most of the species have either green, purple, pink, or white colored tentacle tips, which I think must act as UV blockers for the zooxanthellae concentrated around the base of the tentacles and in the polyps. If the polyps are being blown sideways, then the zooxanthellae are being directly exposed to whatever lighting you have.
The purple Goniopora species, and several of the red colored species, seem to be able to withstand somewhat higher amounts of light than the common "Green" species. If you are using 2 x 250w metal halides, I would keep the coral at least 2ft away from the bulb centers if you are using 10k. I have used 10k for the past 16 months and am currently doing an experiment to compare the effects of 14k bulbs on the different species that I have. So far it appears that a blue'er spectrum may be better to use, but higher Kelvin bulbs generally do not give off as much PAR as lower Kelvin bulbs do either.
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