Goniopora concern

[ryudo80]

About a month ago, I bought a frag of ORA red goniopora from a LFS via online sale. However, it has never opened up like the picture. It's always sunken in and only recently has some of the polyps come out a little bit but nowhere like the picture and also only at night. I have it at the bottom of my tank. Attached are pictures of it under white and blue light. I've recently bought another frag of short polyp goniopora and it opens fine up within 3 days. All the other LPS corals in my tank like torches and hammers are all fine. Do you think there is some type of infection on the ORA red goniopora? Under blue light, some part of it appears darkened. Should I dip it in iodine or give it more time and move it to more shaded area? I've been spot feeding it AB energy plus and reef roids as well.

My tank params:
450 CA
1400 MG
9 Alk
10 Nitrates
0.05 Phosphates

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Its been in the same spot for the whole month that you had it? I would move it somewhere else, it looks like its dying where it is, all that white is concerning.

Does it have enough flow? IME they don't open up when the flow is too low

Mine are all under high light so I wouldn't move it into a shaded area, I would move it higher into more light and flow, but I'm just guessing here. If all your other corals are happy and only this one is upset, it might be just the coral, we can never know. Good luck.

 

[ryudo80]

Initially it was higher up with more flow for about a week. Then I moved it down to the bottom. It behaved the same way in both locations. There is some indirect flow at the bottom but not a lot. The strange thing is it extends a bit more 3 hours before lights out when the lights are low and when all the other corals polyps recede.

I can try to move in into higher flow area and see.

 

[Shirak]

Not an infection. If it were infected it would have turned to skeleton really fast. Goni don't last more than a few days if they get an infection.

Current par readings? Goni can vary quite a bit in the light level they like and what they have received prior to acquiring them. Usually when I have a new one that stays tightly closed and then come out when lights are not as strong or at night it means too much light intensity during the peak. If possible I would ask the vendor what they keep this coral at for par level. You tried higher up and that didn't work and now towards the bottom and it has improved a little? A little extension is good. Can you go with a little less light than where it is currently and see how it does during the day for a few days?

 

[ryudo80]

I am glad to hear that it's not an infection as it'll give me more time to try different placements to adjust flow and light. Its a about 80 par at the bottom.

 

[Shirak]

I am glad to hear that it's not an infection as it'll give me more time to try different placements to adjust flow and light. Its a about 80 par at the bottom.

80 par seems reasonable. It's been there a couple weeks? You might try an area with similar par but a bit more flow. Sometimes it's best to just let them be if you think it's the best spot, especially if they look like they are going in the right direction and look to be improving on the polyp extension over time. Goni can take a long time if they are initially ticked off. Most of my new ones will settle in a day or two but every once in a while I get one that just doesn't seem happy anywhere and either they will adjust which can take months, or they will just never open up and fade away.. which also can take months!

 

[get-salty]

I really love Goni. i also really hate them.
its a love/hate relationship.

tbh, they are just as hard to keep as acros.

 

[ryudo80]

This is my first goniopora. I heard aquacultured one is hardier so I got the ORA red goni. I also read a thread today about target feeding it in a small container with amino acid and reef roid. I probably give that a try as well.