Goniopora - I know, I know, should not have bought it

[sghera64]

I feed mine Reef Nutrition Oyster Feast. I also fee Cyclopes. Mine will occasionally show a feeding response and ingest finely ground up Formula One (brown/reddish) flakes.

I keep mine on the side of the tank and PAR is between 75-100. Right now I have three, one is red (origin unknown) and been in there for over 2 years. I just got a metallic green/purple one about 4 months ago doing well. I had a light purple one right next to both of those and it closed up and lost 90% of it’s polyps - - mostly on top. I’ve moved it to the back and shadowed part of my frag bin. It is very gross and dirty there,, but the polyps are starting to come out a little. Just yesterday, I dipped it in I2 and then a little H2O2. I’m waiting to see if it gets better or worse.

One thing you might consider is fragging it into smaller pieces and place the pieces in different places. You can use a chisel/hammer, or a Dremmel tool to score it and then a chisel. If you do this, I would do an iodine dip of each piece. Sometimes bacterial or algae can get into the skeleton and start to kill goni’s from the inside out. Cracking open the ball allows the dip solution to reach these things.

 

[markstubb]

I have had quite a few goniopora and alveopora for the past year. They definitely come out with the lights, and go away without them. Never feed them. Some days some are happier than others, but for the most part, they just do their thing. I don't do anything special with them. The branching alveopora are my favorite ones so far. My wife likes the encrusting ones more as they are more colorful.

I did notice that when I had a bad bryopsis outbreak and was treating with vibrant that they didn't like to come out as much..

Most of mine are in high flow and mid, to low, tank light. The longer tentacle goniopora seem to like the flow a lot. Always amazes me how long those tentacles can get given they can totally shrink back into the rock

 

[vetteguy53081]

These are fairly easy as long as you have moderate flow, feed them and keep parameters in check.
FROM THIS POINT FORWARD....RESEARCH BEFORE YOU BUY AND DO NOT. . DO NOT, LET IMPULSE GET THE BEST OF YOU

 

[lickyricky]

These are fairly easy as long as you have moderate flow, feed them and keep parameters in check.
FROM THIS POINT FORWARD....RESEARCH BEFORE YOU BUY AND DO NOT. . DO NOT, LET IMPULSE GET THE BEST OF YOU

Thanks for nothing...

 

[psychobilly07]

So I have a Goniopora that is going on a year old and guess what?? It's still alive! I know right,
Well it's alive but not doing great. I have not had full polyp extension (and sometimes none at all) for the last 6 months but it seems like its still somewhat alive I guess. Here are my questions maybe someone with goniopora experience can help me out with. Before we start, let me just say that I have read HUNDREDS of forums and articles on this species (after I bought it unfortunately).

here goes;
So sometimes he looks kind of inflated, like a balloon. Other times he just looks like a weird rock with circles all over. Sometimes the polyps extend just a bit but the tentacles are very very short. Is it dying? It does not look bleached as it has all of it's green color still.

People say to feed it...but how can I if the polyps are not fully extended? I have tried and it just seems to make it puff up like a balloon.

The guys at my LFS said to move it to the sump with little flow and no light to "nurse it back"...how in the world will it come back with little/no light?? Was he just an idiot? I tried moving it to the back of my tank where the flow is very low but same light and it does not look any different really. Would anyone recommend moving it to the sump? I am willing to try anything to get it back because it is a beautiful specimen.

Any other tips on getting this guy back to what he use to be? People do say they don't last long in captivity but if you look hard enough there are plenty of people that have had success with it in captivity.

Tank Parameters
1 year old
AM - 0
Ni - 0
AK - 11.0
Ca - 400
Mg - 1350
Nitrates - 0 ppm
Phosphate - 0 ppm
PH - 7.9-8.1
Temp - 78-81
Salt - 34.5 ppm / 1.025 SG

I doubt your nitrates and phosphates are at 0 but if they are that is your problem but all other corals would be pale too as a result of this. Imo goni's prefer their dirtier than most corals

 

[lickyricky]

I doubt your nitrates and phosphates are at 0 but if they are that is your problem but all other corals would be pale too as a result of this. Imo goni's prefer their dirtier than most corals

Ok well “undetectable” if you prefer.....

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks for nothing...

 

[ScottB]

Just when I think I have gonios/alveos figured out, they go into a slow decline. They do great for 6-8 months and then decline over 3 months or so. Never managed to bring one back, but trying with my green alveo (my 4th in 8 years). I should just stick with acros; we seem to understand each other better.

 

[joeyamador]

At the fish store I help maintain we use 80/20 sump setup that I build around our equipment and definately keep our nitrates and phosphates above zero as corals definately do better when they are present... when we have low nitrates we have found that keeping the filter socks in longer or filter pads in the overflow... you can look up phosphate dosing too..we pride ourselves in water quality and our OCD sometimes keep them to clean and have to do things to keep them where we find works best for our reef.. the key is stability which is the best way and we all know that... but to answer your question with what we do if we are scared something is struggling is we soak our goniopora in a heavily dosed container of tank water and restore... we have had a lot of corals come back and get better after..everyone has good ways so take from all. If it helps marc levenson and #brstv have episodes on this on YouTube that are pretty informative based off of visual results and data.. hope this helps.

 

[joeyamador]

At the fish store I help maintain we use 80/20 sump setup that I build around our equipment and definately keep our nitrates and phosphates above zero as corals definately do better when they are present... when we have low nitrates we have found that keeping the filter socks in longer or filter pads in the overflow... you can look up phosphate dosing too..we pride ourselves in water quality and our OCD sometimes keep them to clean and have to do things to keep them where we find works best for our reef.. the key is stability which is the best way and we all know that... but to answer your question with what we do if we are scared something is struggling is we soak our goniopora in a heavily dosed container of tank water and restore... we have had a lot of corals come back and get better after..everyone has good ways so take from all. If it helps marc levenson and #brstv have episodes on this on YouTube that are pretty informative based off of visual results and data.. hope this helps.

 

[sghera64]

At the fish store I help maintain we use 80/20 sump setup that I build around our equipment and definately keep our nitrates and phosphates above zero as corals definately do better when they are present... when we have low nitrates we have found that keeping the filter socks in longer or filter pads in the overflow... you can look up phosphate dosing too..we pride ourselves in water quality and our OCD sometimes keep them to clean and have to do things to keep them where we find works best for our reef.. the key is stability which is the best way and we all know that... but to answer your question with what we do if we are scared something is struggling is we soak our goniopora in a heavily dosed container of tank water and restore... we have had a lot of corals come back and get better after..everyone has good ways so take from all. If it helps marc levenson and #brstv have episodes on this on YouTube that are pretty informative based off of visual results and data.. hope this helps.

“we soak our goniopora in a heavily dosed container of tank water and restore...”

Heavily dosed with what? Phosphates, iodine, fish poop, or something more exotic. . . Or more simple?

 

[Christopher Davis]

Mines aquacultured form a lfs it’s been around for 20 years or more, with that being said I just provide medium light and high flow indirect.

I have noticed that if I change the flow or light to much it really gets angry! Also try not to move them once they are happy! Mine will not fully extend for a day or 2 after moving.

It’s grown really fast sense may! From quarter size on frag plug to golf ball

 

[shred5]

Mines aquacultured form a lfs it’s been around for 20 years or more, with that being said I just provide medium light and high flow indirect.

I have noticed that if I change the flow or light to much it really gets angry! Also try not to move them once they are happy! Mine will not fully extend for a day or 2 after moving.

It’s grown really fast sense may! From quarter size on frag plug to golf ball

That is actually one of the easier ones to keep and propagate. Green with blue/purple polyps.
This one, the ORA red and there is a red with bright purple center that I recommend people start with.
This one and the red with purple are probably my favorite.

 

[Christopher Davis]

That is actually one of the easier ones to keep and propagate. Green with blue/purple polyps.
This one, the ORA red and there is a red with bright purple center that I recommend people start with.
This one and the red with purple are probably my favorite.

I’m going to have to get my hands on a red one

 

[reeferfoxx]

I've had this goni for just over 5 years in low flow. My female clown also hosted it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have 6 colors of goni and no issues, but acro always a challenge. Im getting better with acros. Wish I had that issue. rather have a acro garden.

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

My LFS has a goniopora colony that's been alive for over 15 years and another red ORA colony that has been growing for 5 years (that they now frag and sell). I purchased one of those frags because of how long the mother colony had been alive and that it was captive bred. I figured that'd increase my chances.

The LFS just advised me to keep him in moderate light and moderate, but non directional flow. And to keep Nitrates and Phosphates above 0. My frag is new so I can't comment on my personal success but the colonies they were keeping looked incredible and had no negative health anywhere I could see.

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

Mines aquacultured form a lfs it’s been around for 20 years or more, with that being said I just provide medium light and high flow indirect...

Did you grab yours from Aquatic Art?? Me too

 

[Retro Reefer]

I have a miserable track record with Goni’s, I hadn’t owned one for 20 years but a few years ago I had bought home one from the bone yard at petco, it was missing flesh and covered in brown jelly.. I cleaned it up and nursed it back to health and it was looking great then seemingly overnight it died Not to give up I picked up a pink one last weekend at my LFS.. all the others I have ever owned where green so I’m hoping for better luck with this one.

 

[shred5]

I have a miserable track record with Goni’s, I hadn’t owned one for 20 years but a few years ago I had bought home one from the bone yard at petco, it was missing flesh and covered in brown jelly.. I cleaned it up and nursed it back to health and it was looking great then seemingly overnight it died Not to give up I picked up a pink one last weekend at my LFS.. all the others I have ever owned where green so I’m hoping for better luck with this one.

Looks very healthy and that one should be fine...