new goni colony

[dadonoflaw]

i bought a goniopora colony yesterday but it hasnt opened up yet. how long does it usually take to open? i squirted some cyclopeeze over it to encourage this but nothing yet. also is it normal for them to change color due to stress or lighting? when i bought it the colony was purple but now its getting some blue as well. is that normal?

 

[DetectiveTofu]

Could the color change possibly be due to your lighting being different than those at where you got them from? Plus, as long as it's not losing color and turning white, I think you're good. I would give it another day or two to open up.

 

[dadonoflaw]

the store has metal halides as well but there's are stronger and closer. they had it in a frag tank and mind is on the sand bed about 20" or so from the light. it has actually gained more color than at the lfs which is good. i dont want it to die so i will keep trying to get it to come out. anybody have personal experience?

 

[linx]

Hope this will help!

http://www.goniopora.org/index.htm
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/10/aafeature2#h1

 

[dadonoflaw]

i went to goniopora.org but no one has said anything. let me read the article. thanx

 

[justincognito]

It should only take a day or two to start to open up. If it was open and happy at the store but not at home after the first week you need to check your water. G. tenuidens is often found in lagoons and can need some high light.
High phosphates can cause issues. If you don't get anything from a phosphate test that could be because those tests only check for inorganic phosphates, the organic phosphates and build up over time. Double check calcium and alkilinity and i would recommend an iron supplement.

 

[dadonoflaw]

so iron helps goni colonies?

 

[moo0o]

give your goni a day or two to open up, arent most coral like that?

 

[Zatko]

Iron?? I imagine that would be bad. Maybe you were thinking iodine?

 

[dadonoflaw]

i dont know. i went to goniopora.org and thats what the guy said. i have never dosed iodine based on Dr. holmes-farley's article on that. i dont have many soft corals so i didnt find it necessary. zatko have you used iodine to help your goni? it opened a little but it closed up when i fed some coral food. is that bad?

 

[justincognito]

Iron is an important element needed for plant and animal metabolisms. Often it gets used up by algae, becuase our systems almost always have more nutrients (nitrogen, phosphates) than the open ocean. So addition of iron makes sure there is some available for the coral and their symbionts.

 

[justincognito]

Check out this page
http://www.muzoo.com/onlinestore/mzo-album.cfm?album_id=239528152

look for the Goniopora song.
It says it all.

 

[John Kelly]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11762949#post11762949 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dadonoflaw
so iron helps goni colonies?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11767163#post11767163 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dadonoflaw
i went to goniopora.org and thats what the guy said.

No. Goniopora.org does not endorse iron dosing for Goniopora. The addition of iron for good Goniopora health is not necessary at all. It does not solve any mystery that the proper husbandry techniques, which are outlined on the web site, already solves.

 

[Ludwigia73]

John, I love your avatar... how'd you get the face so perfect in the gonio polyp?

 

[Ludwigia73]

Sorry, just perused your site extensively, it's not photoshop, it's natural!

 

[John Kelly]

It is a single polyp with two mouths. That's the way it was looking at me one day so I grabbed the camera. The tentacles are partially retracted and deflated, which kind of gives it a sun-god look .