Paxroma's Goniopora after 2 year

[PaxRoma]

around a year ago I picked up a Goniopora from an online store. I knew then that I shouldn't have purchase it knowing all the stories reported here on RC. But after a month and still nobody purchases it, I decided to give it a home. This is my thread asking for an ID a year ago
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1570560

The colony 1 year ago

The colony today

I have yet to experience any of the conditions that RC members reported (polyp retracted, slowly wither away, etc). It has always open its polyp like the picture above during the day, and only partially retracting some of its polyp at night. Overall, I think it has increased about 25% in size, now covering the rest of the rock its on.
Here's to hope

 

[curlykid]

hope mine lasts that long.

 

[ReefingIt]

Congrats on your red goni. I hear that red gonis fair better than the green ones. I too just got a red goni and hoping for long term results. Are you target feeding yours? I feed mine daily dosage of a mix of Oyster feast, Phyto feast, Roti feast, Cyclopeze and Coral Frenzy. It seems really happen with the polyps extended most of the time (day and night).

 

[snorvich]

Actually, I believe that is an alveopora.

 

[PaxRoma]

Congrats on your red goni. I hear that red gonis fair better than the green ones. I too just got a red goni and hoping for long term results. Are you target feeding yours? I feed mine daily dosage of a mix of Oyster feast, Phyto feast, Roti feast, Cyclopeze and Coral Frenzy. It seems really happen with the polyps extended most of the time (day and night).

I don't target feed, but I feed the whole tank with Marine Snow mixed with Coral Frenzy once a week. I never observe any feeding response from the goni but I figure it couldn't hurt so I feed anyway.

 

[PaxRoma]

Actually, I believe that is an alveopora.

I'm pretty sure it is a goni because I also have an alveopora and it looks like this

I also documented the longevity of this alveopora which I will post in another time

 

[acrodave]

if you really want to know what they are count the tentacles.. alveopora 12 and goni 24

 

[PaxRoma]

still looking for an ID if anyone know please tell

 

[ReefingIt]

PaxRoma,

As AcroDave have mentioned. Your red is a goniopora, there are 24 tentacles per polyp versus 12 for your alveopora.

 

[PaxRoma]

sory I wasn't clear, I was referring to the ID of the goniopora species

 

[singold]

PaxRoma, can you give specifics on your tank. Such as how long your tank had been set up when purchased it, is the specimen on the sandbed, nitrate levels, flow levels, lighting, ect.
Thanks

 

[Sheol]

Of course, most Gonis crash at around one year. If its still doing weell next year at this time, congrats! But be aware they are notorious for fading out aftter a year.. ( I do understand that some of the red ones seem hardier than the others too. You may have a good one!)





Matthew

 

[PaxRoma]

PaxRoma, can you give specifics on your tank. Such as how long your tank had been set up when purchased it, is the specimen on the sandbed, nitrate levels, flow levels, lighting, ect.
Thanks

I posted my tank info here http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=17735902#post17735902

Of course, most Gonis crash at around one year. If its still doing weell next year at this time, congrats! But be aware they are notorious for fading out aftter a year.. ( I do understand that some of the red ones seem hardier than the others too. You may have a good one!)

I have one that was dead on me (probably a bad specimen) and then come back from its dead skeleton in a spectacular way!
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1875315

 

[PaxRoma]

this specimen is now almost 2 years old. It is the most beautiful showcase in the tank (my avatar).

 

[Basketstar]

Congrats. How much has it grown in two years time?

 

[Sheol]

2 years is an accomplishment! Now you can congratulate yourself.. LOL
BTW, do you have a skimmer? I'm curious to see if what Borneman said holds up (Gonis do better in tanks minus skimmers).

Sincerely,
Matthew

 

[PaxRoma]

My tank is a 210G ( 30inches deep, 72 inches long) mixed coral system with roughly the same amount of sps, lps, and softies. For SPS I have:
-1 bird nest
-1 pink acro
-2 blue acro
- 1 purple with green eye acro
-1 green staghorn acro
-1 pink pocillopora
For LPS I have:
-1 brain coral
-1 brown euphyllia glabrescens
-1 purple euphyllia glabrescens
-1 frogspawn
-1 tongue coral
-1 hammer coral
-2 goniopora
-2 alveopora
-1 turbinaria
For softies:
1 yellow elegance, 1 kenya tree, 3 mushrooms colonies (1 purple, 1 pink, 1 green), 1 pulsing xenia, 2 clove polyps colonies, 2 organ pipe corals, 2 zoanthid colonies

Lighting
6 months ago was a Current USA model 1074 MH/T5 combo (3x150w MH + 8x39w T5)
currently I run 6 AI LED modules with T5 supplement.

Filtration
-I use the Ecosystem method (a mud filter in the sump with chaeto+caulerpa , a couple of snails). The sump is lit 24/7
-A Tunze protein skimmer that is set to 5% capacity and is only on for 3hrs/day
-a GFO reactor

Feeding
-normal fish feeding (once per day). On weekend I feed them with frozen food.
- occasional feeding a mix of plankton food Marinesnow+CoralFrenzy (maybe once a month)

Supplement
-Iodine (once/week)
-Iron & Manganese (4 caps, once per week)
-calcium reactor

Salt mix
- I use ReefCrystal
- water change once per month

My comments and opinion:
- I think supplement with iron&manganese along with keeping macro is important in keeping gonis. These factors helps keep the phytoplankton naturally available in the tank. There is evidence that gonis consume phytoplankton in a Reefkeeping article.
- I think aggressive protein skimming is not good. I tested it out by increasing the skimming from 3hrs to 6hrs per day for 1 month. One of the goni seems to close up more often than normal. I since then decrease the skimming back to 3hrs/day,and the gonis returns to its usual self.
- I am currently doing another experiment where I increase the light intensity from 30% to 40% from 12-1pm each day, simulating the intensity of the sun at noon. The gonis responded by closing its polyp at this same time of the day, and reopen its polyp at around 2pm everyday.

 

[Rottilove]

No idea about the species, but it's beautiful. I have a small frag of one from Vivid Aquariums...the ones that has the blue in the mouth. Hoping I can get this to stay alive...so far so good. Keep up the good work with yours!!!

 

[PaxRoma]

here it is 2 years later (the one on the right). This is the thread 2 years ago http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1570560

 

[Sheol]

That is one gorgeous coral! If I didn't have a fish that would eat it, I'd be trying hard to find one, right now.

Matthew