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

[alex.mccann99]

Probably not the first to say this, your 0 nitrates could have something to do with it. These corals tend to live in shallow tidal areas that See a lot of nutrients floating by. I had a nice red one for about 2 years before I sold it when I moved. I dosed Reef Roids 2 to 3 times a week, plus FUEL twice a week. When I dosed the Reef Roids, I'd often use a turkey baster to lightly Puff the Goniopora. The day after it was always fully extended and beautiful. Just my experience, don't know if that helps.

 

[Christopher Davis]

Did you grab yours from Aquatic Art?? Me too

Yes I did!

 

[MnFish1]

Ok - so I bought 2 from the same store - the same shipment the same size - looked exactly the same. Placed them side by side. Over the course of a year 1 slowly died - the other grow 2x the size. They are in a high light high flow (indirect) area. I do not think they 'need' low flow. Mine has done the best in high flow. What I notice though is when a part gets damaged - it can slowly get worse. It also depends on which goniopora you have - which one do you have? I have one of the mariculture metallic green variety. I do feed goniopower occasionally - but I notice it also eats when I scrape the glass every couple days. The current one is now (after 3 years) about the size of a volleyball when fully extended. With the flow the 'tentacles' are all at right angles to the coral head.

 

[SteadyC]

I’ve had several alveopora over many years, and had polyp extension issues during that time. Like you said, I’ve had the rock with funny looking circles, so I’ve been there, I know what you’re going through.

I’ve had zero nitrates, ATS cleaned my water too much, but during this time I fixed this, at least I will swear by was the fix, dosing manganese. My nitrates are still under 1, and my alveopora have quadrupled in size. I personally don’t believe nitrates are a factor based on my experience.

I read many articles that talked about iron and manganese being important for this species, you can find them on advancedaquarist.com. I tried iron for months, didn’t help. Then moved to manganese, and I’ve have polyp extension everyday, for 2 years, and as I mentioned they have quadrupled the size of their skeleton. I’d give it serious consideration, I dose 1mm per day for my 110 gallon tank, so it doesn’t take a lot. I will never stop dosing manganese, based on my success now with alveopora.

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/12/inverts

“but I noticed that the addition of a supplement I prepared that contains iron and manganese seemed to stimulate polyp expansion in the coral within hours. When I discontinued the addition, after a few days the polyps remained contracted for days. When I added the supplement again they expanded within hours and stayed expanded for a few days. When I added the supplement regularly the polyps remained expanded and developed colorful tentacles. They have not contracted now for over six months, and the colony is growing.”

 

[Punchanello]

I'm far from being a goniopora/alveopora expert, but I've had a ton of success... including bringing some dying colonies back to full health.

The best luck I've had is with them in high light (acclimated) and high flow (indirect). My tanks are low nutrient naturally, but I do spot feed about 3x per week with a homemade blend. (All in addition to stable and good water parameters.)

It goes against a lot of the common perceptions on those corals, but I've grown so many and had them for years by doing this.

I have a LFS full of gonioporas/alveoporas that they propagate and sell. They told me just last week they found the most success doing the same things.

Nothing scientific to back it up. But, maybe it's another idea for you to consider.

Can I ask what you put in your feed blend?

 

[Punchanello]

I have 3 different gonis and currently none of them are doing well. I've had die off from the base up on all of them. They all did well for the first couple of months but have been slowly deteriorating. I spot feed reef roids regularly but it's very difficult to know if they are actually ingesting it or not.

I don't know if this is correlation or causation but I did have significantly higher nitrates and phosphates when I got them.

 

[Auto-pilot]

How would I go about increasing nitrates? Turn skimmer off for a period of time? 12 hours a day?

I dose nitrates in the form of KNO3. I put it in a 5ml scoop and mix it in water And dump it in. It will raise your nitrates a couple of PPMs depending on how big your tank is. I do this when my nitrates get near zero to keep my phophates balanced out. It's been working for me

 

[shred5]

I will say this what works for one goni does not necessarily work for a different one. They can be completely different in care.
Gonis come from all different regions on a reef.
People can not lump them all together.
Also nutrients and available food are not the same.
Some feed because they come from areas with lots available food but low nutrients.
Some come from shallow lagoons where the nutrients are high and have larger swings in temperature.
Some like more light while others do not.
Some can handle or prefer higher flow than others while others like very little flow.

Basically low nutrients can kill one goni, while another thrives in it. Same with high nutrient, one of the things that some gonis hate is algae and struggle with it.

Alveopora in most case is easier than a goiniopora.

Some of the gonis I have kept :

Ora red and easy and still have for a very time.

Goniopora stutchburyi easy.

Very hard to keep, matter of fact I lost this one.

Hard but doable.

Hard but doable.

One of my favorites and not to bad. Very blue in color and picture does not do it justice.
wish I still had. Lost in a move and goniopora really do not do not like moves. this one had been fragged several times.

My ORA in its second tank:

Easier and maybe the easiest I have owned other than stutchburyi.

Front one is easier and would like to get another piece of this coral. reeferfoxx post a pic of the same goni in his post.

Very hard. Do not get gonis in a frags this small. Gonis do better as larger frags:

 

[Michael Llabona]

I agree all gonis are different. Mine likes high light. Up top near some acros in high flow. Probably around 300 par. I spot feed it goniopower 1x a week and has a very evident feeding response. My clowns decided to host it.... But the goni does not seem to mind most days. It probably receives supplemental feeding from the clown waste. My nitrates are almost nearly 0 along with my phosphate. I do not recommend doing what I do. It just happened to really like the spot so I left it. It grew from a small frag to this in about a year. I'm getting a blue and green one to have a little goni garden

 

[sghera64]

I’ve had several alveopora over many years, and had polyp extension issues during that time. Like you said, I’ve had the rock with funny looking circles, so I’ve been there, I know what you’re going through.

I’ve had zero nitrates, ATS cleaned my water too much, but during this time I fixed this, at least I will swear by was the fix, dosing manganese. My nitrates are still under 1, and my alveopora have quadrupled in size. I personally don’t believe nitrates are a factor based on my experience.

I read many articles that talked about iron and manganese being important for this species, you can find them on advancedaquarist.com. I tried iron for months, didn’t help. Then moved to manganese, and I’ve have polyp extension everyday, for 2 years, and as I mentioned they have quadrupled the size of their skeleton. I’d give it serious consideration, I dose 1mm per day for my 110 gallon tank, so it doesn’t take a lot. I will never stop dosing manganese, based on my success now with alveopora.

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/12/inverts

“but I noticed that the addition of a supplement I prepared that contains iron and manganese seemed to stimulate polyp expansion in the coral within hours. When I discontinued the addition, after a few days the polyps remained contracted for days. When I added the supplement again they expanded within hours and stayed expanded for a few days. When I added the supplement regularly the polyps remained expanded and developed colorful tentacles. They have not contracted now for over six months, and the colony is growing.”

@SteadyC. What are you dosing for Manganese addition? Kent’s iron and manganese, something you are making from KMnO4, a diet supplement or something else?

 

[sghera64]

I’ve had several alveopora over many years, and had polyp extension issues during that time. Like you said, I’ve had the rock with funny looking circles, so I’ve been there, I know what you’re going through.

I’ve had zero nitrates, ATS cleaned my water too much, but during this time I fixed this, at least I will swear by was the fix, dosing manganese. My nitrates are still under 1, and my alveopora have quadrupled in size. I personally don’t believe nitrates are a factor based on my experience.

I read many articles that talked about iron and manganese being important for this species, you can find them on advancedaquarist.com. I tried iron for months, didn’t help. Then moved to manganese, and I’ve have polyp extension everyday, for 2 years, and as I mentioned they have quadrupled the size of their skeleton. I’d give it serious consideration, I dose 1mm per day for my 110 gallon tank, so it doesn’t take a lot. I will never stop dosing manganese, based on my success now with alveopora.

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/12/inverts

“but I noticed that the addition of a supplement I prepared that contains iron and manganese seemed to stimulate polyp expansion in the coral within hours. When I discontinued the addition, after a few days the polyps remained contracted for days. When I added the supplement again they expanded within hours and stayed expanded for a few days. When I added the supplement regularly the polyps remained expanded and developed colorful tentacles. They have not contracted now for over six months, and the colony is growing.”

@SteadyC. What are you dosing for Manganese addition? Kent’s iron and manganese, something you are making from KMnO4, a diet supplement or something else?

 

[sghera64]

Before this thread dries up, can any Goni aficionados help me determine the type of this one, please? Note the branches polyp. I’ve not seen that before and there are at least two instances of this on this guy.

 

[shred5]

Before this thread dries up, can any Goni aficionados help me determine the type of this one, please? Note the branches polyp. I’ve not seen that before and there are at least two instances of this on this guy.

It could be ready to drop little satellite babies there.

They usually drop off little balls with a little skeleton underneath.

 

[Hitman]

I have wild pinks and they are 2 years old and growing like crazy. I have mine in medium light and medium/strong flow. They are like euphyllia and like dirty water.

 

[SteadyC]

@SteadyC. What are you dosing for Manganese addition? Kent’s iron and manganese, something you are making from KMnO4, a diet supplement or something else?

Triton for manganese daily 1ml, Red Sea Colors C Iron 10 ml weekly.

 

[lickyricky]

I’ve had several alveopora over many years, and had polyp extension issues during that time. Like you said, I’ve had the rock with funny looking circles, so I’ve been there, I know what you’re going through.

I’ve had zero nitrates, ATS cleaned my water too much, but during this time I fixed this, at least I will swear by was the fix, dosing manganese. My nitrates are still under 1, and my alveopora have quadrupled in size. I personally don’t believe nitrates are a factor based on my experience.

I read many articles that talked about iron and manganese being important for this species, you can find them on advancedaquarist.com. I tried iron for months, didn’t help. Then moved to manganese, and I’ve have polyp extension everyday, for 2 years, and as I mentioned they have quadrupled the size of their skeleton. I’d give it serious consideration, I dose 1mm per day for my 110 gallon tank, so it doesn’t take a lot. I will never stop dosing manganese, based on my success now with alveopora.

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/12/inverts

“but I noticed that the addition of a supplement I prepared that contains iron and manganese seemed to stimulate polyp expansion in the coral within hours. When I discontinued the addition, after a few days the polyps remained contracted for days. When I added the supplement again they expanded within hours and stayed expanded for a few days. When I added the supplement regularly the polyps remained expanded and developed colorful tentacles. They have not contracted now for over six months, and the colony is growing.”

What exactly do you dose? Brand?

 

[SteadyC]

What exactly do you dose? Brand?

Triton for manganese daily 1ml, Red Sea Colors C Iron 10 ml weekly.

 

[lickyricky]

Triton for manganese daily 1ml, Red Sea Colors C Iron 10 ml weekly.

So for 50 gallons 1ml every other day?

 

[Reef Homer]

Putting them in the sump is like throwing them in the trash bin. I would say that was bad advice. I had the best success with all sorts of Gonis in the middle to lower section of my tanks where the would get enough light and also good but not too strong flow. Usually, I feed my corals once a week with Reef Roids as well. You might also want to check on your Manganese levels (best done with an ICP test). Goniopora react very positively to Manganese. Just check your levels and see if your tank water has enough of it.

 

[SteadyC]

So for 50 gallons 1ml every other day?

Sure, assuming you are saying manganese, and then do a ICP test to verify your levels, but I suspect they are low.