Goniastrea ID & Care Suggestions?

[tutmatt3]

What kind is that coral is that it's really pretty

Your guess is as good as mine xD. All I know is Goniastrea

Goniastrea autralensis? My Goniastrea grows exceptionally fast for a brain coral. I have it about 3" off of the sand bed in the lower lefthand side of the tank. FWIW.

That's funny, I literally have mine about 3" off the ground on the lower left side as well hahaha.

When you say exceptionally fast, do you have an idea on specifics? A head a month?
Do you spot feed?

I'm playing with stopping to spot feed, but to turn off HOB filters & Skimmer, and allow power-heads to circulate food for an 30min-1hour or so.


I did notice a TON more tentacles on it now. In the beginning, maybe 2-3 would loosen up, out of maybe 8. Now 12+ loosen up out of I don't even know how many!

They haven't expanded too far just yet. Still remain relatively in the center of the head, but I can tell they're looking for food =)

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Your guess is as good as mine xD. All I know is Goniastrea

That's funny, I literally have mine about 3" off the ground on the lower left side as well hahaha.

When you say exceptionally fast, do you have an idea on specifics? A head a month?
Do you spot feed?

I'm playing with stopping to spot feed, but to turn off HOB filters & Skimmer, and allow power-heads to circulate food for an 30min-1hour or so.


I did notice a TON more tentacles on it now. In the beginning, maybe 2-3 would loosen up, out of maybe 8. Now 12+ loosen up out of I don't even know how many!

They haven't expanded too far just yet. Still remain relatively in the center of the head, but I can tell they're looking for food =)

Well, of course, fast is relative. I'd say it's increased in size about 50% in about six months. Whereas other corals can seem to be slow to colonize even the remaining room on their own plugs, this coral does that just fine.

With respect to speed of growth, here is another indicator. I recently lost a polyp for some unknown reason (predation, disease, or something else). I noticed it fairly recently after it occurred, but within two weeks, the adjacent polyps had almost grown over that entire spot. Some brain corals are very slow to recover, but I'd say this one is much quicker to take advantage of situations like this. I don't spot feed currently, but I'm sure this coral would benefit from that. I broadcast feed 4-5 times per month....other than that, the corals gets whatever fish food it can snag and that's about it.

 

[tutmatt3]

Not baddd! So if mine increases size 50% in 6 months, it'll take me 1x year to get 1x head xD
Hahaha not shabby =)

 

[MermaidTail]

Any growth updates on this coral?

 

[tutmatt3]

Any growth updates on this coral?

Didn't end up making it. Started loosing tissue (due to some noob hand in the tank syndrome effects) probably 1-2 months after I got it.

Never got a new one, but I have a maze coral that is doing just fine & has some growth on it =)

 

[MermaidTail]

Didn't end up making it. Started loosing tissue (due to some noob hand in the tank syndrome effects) probably 1-2 months after I got it.

Never got a new one, but I have a maze coral that is doing just fine & has some growth on it =)

Bummer to hear!

 

[Iversonforever3]

I know old thread , but I think I have the same one as yours but it’s grown? Can anyone let me know the ID, I picked this frag up for 80$ and had it for 3 days now .. I don’t see any feeder tentacles but I drop some reef roids on top of it this morning. Thanks