Goniopora dying and dont know why

[SOGavity]

I have 3 goniopora in my system and all three were doing really well up until 2 months ago. Ive had them now for roughly 10 months. I have moved it closer to the light which made things worse until eventually moving it to the sand where it would get less light but higher flow. I dont want to touch it too much so I've left it there for a few weeks and nothing has changed. I feed it reefroids and trace elements twice a week. Do a wanter change twice a week. Everything else in my tank is doing well. Is it just a goner or is there a way to revive it?

Salinity 1.025
PH 8.4
Alkalinity 8dKH
Ammonia 0
Nitrites (Untested)
Nitrates 3.8ppm
Phosphates 0.120ppm
Calcium 420
Magnesium 1440

Ps. I added a photo of what it used to look like and the current stat it's in now.

 

[Tahoe61]

Goniopora can be very frustrating. If everything else in the system is doing well you may just have to chock it up to an unhealthy specimen.
I had really good luck with Acropora power and Goniopora. You have to be careful though because Acropora Power can lead to problems with dino if you over use it. There are specific Goniopora foods on the market such as Goniopower.
I don't think water chemistry is the issue, it's probably nutrition.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/goniopower-vs-reef-chili-for-goniopora-and-alveopora.329879/

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

@VintageReefer uses Refugite by 2 little fishes which really helps with the requirements goniopora need. How are you also testing your paraments and salinity?

 

[VintageReefer]

@VintageReefer uses Refugite by 2 little fishes which really helps with the requirements goniopora need. How are you also testing your paraments and salinity?

This is correct. I bought refugite based on that video

One thing I will say is goniopora love stability. Even if everything in the world is perfect and the Goni is happy, if you move it a few inches it can be hours, days, weeks or months before it opens and extends again.

If the Goni was happy for a long time in those spots, it didn’t become unhappy due to placement. They are very adaptable to lighting and flow, but they don’t like to adapt. Once they are happy in a spot I would leave it unless you’re willing to wait it out.

They will not be happy in the sand like that. Would need to be elevated a inch or so.

Hard to tell if it will recover or not. Hard to say why it became unhappy.

I recovered this alveopora in a week

As long as you see color in the skeleton, it’s alive. Just wait and see if it comes out in time

 

[_chiefxr33f]

I have had several now. My keys to success for them have been starting high and sliding down for lighting. Every Goni has different preferences. I have two very large green pots, both of them have been happiest with low to medium flow at the bottom 1/4 of the tanks.

How often are you feeding? Are you spot or broadcast feeding? Whats your temperature?

 

[_chiefxr33f]

Addition: what is your tank size, and how big of a water change? They all hate water changes in my experience so far, but i keep my waste levels very low.

 

[VintageReefer]

I have never fed any of my Goni, I find they don’t actually feed, just get irritated from it.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

What kind of lighting is on the tank, and what do yo have for flow in the tank?

 

[SOGavity]

@VintageReefer uses Refugite by 2 little fishes which really helps with the requirements goniopora need. How are you also testing your paraments and salinity?

I use a refractometer for salinity. I do have it calibrated using calibration fluid. For ammonia I have API and I dont test it often. Nitrates, phosphates, Alkalinity and pH I use Hannah Checkers. Magnesium and Calcium I use salifert.

I have had several now. My keys to success for them have been starting high and sliding down for lighting. Every Goni has different preferences. I have two very large green pots, both of them have been happiest with low to medium flow at the bottom 1/4 of the tanks.

How often are you feeding? Are you spot or broadcast feeding? Whats your temperature?

I broad cast sometimes at night when I can see the feeder tentacles stretching in other corals. This might be, maybe 2 times a month, only because I worry about nutrient levels. Mostly I spot feed twice a week, like a cocktail of reefroids, trace elements and amino acids, frozen meaty foods, and vitalis LPS pellets. The phytoplankton i broadcast every third day. However, phytoplankton is super hard to get where I'm from, so once I'm out, sometimes I'm out for weeks.

Addition: what is your tank size, and how big of a water change? They all hate water changes in my experience so far, but i keep my waste levels very low.

In my original post I said twice a week which was a mistake. I do a 15 gallon water change once a week and scrub and empty my sump once a month (counted as a water change). My display tank is 90 gallons. The sump is 30.

What kind of lighting is on the tank, and what do yo have for flow in the tank?

I have 3 PopBloom RL60s on the tank. I have a Maxspect GF316, a Jeboa sw-2, and a jeboa SOW 4.

 

[_chiefxr33f]

you need to feed more imo, and dose more phyto. Have you tried Canada Copepods for phyto?

I also think you are doing water changes too frequently. With an appropriate setup, you should really only need to do either regular 10%ers, or a monthly 50% (Display only, rock displacement included in the volume I'm taking out). I am only running matrix carbon under my filter floss in my cups, and a single bag of phosguard right in front of my return pump. I'll probably get slapped for this, but I'm using a drop in uv sponge powerhead with the sponge removed for UV. I don't want to shell out for the in-lines yet. A big butt bag of matrix and a bubble magus curve 7 for skimming. You should be feeding super heavily for doing 15% weekly in a 90 display with proper filtration imo.

 

[Shirak]

I agree with the feeding more. Nitrates at 3.8ppm Test kits have a margin of error so that's pretty low for LPS. Goni tend to come from areas with higher nutrients and food in the water.
Unlike @VintageReefer I feed mine a few times a week and do see a feeding response. I also dose ammonia since I have no fish and try and keep nitrates around 10ppm with .05-.1ppm phosphate

 

[bcarrasqui]

I went through a goni phase and had no luck until I added manganese and fed phytoplankton. I prefer phyto-feast. Went from most of them withering away and dying to thriving and growing. Good luck!

 

[Science/G]

FWIW, if my Nitrates dip below 10ppm, my Goniopora start acting up.