Need a little help on Goniopora?

[Ramairiii]

Hello all. I've had saltwater tanks for some years but I acquired a LPS piece hastily without doing some research from my LFS. I have a few softies in my tank along with several fish and a CC. The owner of my LFS did say that this coral would require a "little more care" but after reading tons of posts on various web sites, I am wondering if I should return it or put all my resources into play and try to keep this piece alive. If anyone can advise me on the particular species that I have here,I'm sure I could do more research on the various needs and requirements of it. Thanks in advance.

 

[pow400]

While I do not have first hand experience caring for these I know they are notorious for being hard to keep. While the coral may live for a few months long term success with them seem to be a difficult thing to achieve. I hope someone can help you more with what to do with your particular species but it is up to you in the end if the money is worth the risk to you. If its a cheap piece I would just try my hand at it for the challenge of sustaining one.

 

[gone fishin]

They are my can't keep coral. I have tried a few and have not been able to get past about the 6 month mark. I have tried every combination of flow and light I can think off. FWIW I have been told the green color morph is the toughest to keep and that is what I have tried. I wish I had something better to offer but I wish you the best of luck with yours.

 

[Ramairiii]

Thanks for the replies and I'll try and add a photo for I. D.

 

[gone fishin]

That is the one I can't keep.

 

[Ramairiii]

Tony - would you have any idea what type of Goni this is? Simple name or scientific name?

 

[gone fishin]

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+321+464&pcatid=464


hopefully this will help get you started.

 

[cloak]

Here's a couple more.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/12/inverts

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/nftt/index.php

HTH.

 

[droog]

They seem very sensitive to placement and flow. Medium to medium low flow and lighting seems to work best for me. I've had a few where the polyp's stayed retracted for several weeks that came around and are now happy a year later. If they stay retracted for a month or more, it seems they wither away and die. Likewise they need feeding, or they RTN and shed tissue in the tank.

My advice would be to reposition a few times until the polyps extend. I think they like the water a little dirty and firm placement (no wobbling in the current). Once the polyps start to extend they respond very well to target feeding with Reef Roids.

If you're running filter socks and can go without for a few weeks, maybe try that too

-droog

 

[pow400]

In a recent book I picked up from Albert Thiel he suspected that the reason for the diffuclty with these corals was that the water was too clean for them and they would starve. If your not running any SPS I would let your water get a little dirty to support them. How dirty though I have no idea.

 

[sherief.elsayed]

A friend of mine told me the goniopower is some sort of chemical that helps keep them long term, and that it responds well to it. My local LFS told me the same. Maybe something to look into.

 

[Scubaken]

My clownfish used to sleep in this coral and literally killed it with kindness

 

[Goldndoodle]

I had a red flower pot for a little under a year in my nanoCube - suddenly mid November it stopped opening, started receding, and eventually died. I didn't see anything that changed with my tank parameters, I didn't add anything new that would have been pestering it, didn't move it ... fine in early November, gone by New Year's Day.

I researched it like crazy before buying it - read all the info that said they were notoriously hard to keep. For months I kept thinking to myself "I don't know why everyone else thinks these are so hard to keep" - and just around that time ... it started downhill.

It's a beautiful coral - but apparently it's not meant to be kept in aquariums.

 

[Nina51]

A friend of mine told me the goniopower is some sort of chemical that helps keep them long term, and that it responds well to it. My local LFS told me the same. Maybe something to look into.

goniopower is actually a food targeted for these corals. link won't work but you can google "goniopower".

i had a guy give me a gorgeous goni when he was tearing his tank down. i used the goniopower and it did great for a few months then i lost it to brown jelly disease.

i think the wild caught ones are pretty much impossible to keep alive for very long.

 

[3dees]

I have had mine for about 5 months. was doing great but now I think it's developing brown jelly desease. do they ever recover from this or should I just dump it now?