Goniopora polyps dying

[MartinM]

To preface this, I have over half a dozen goniopora colonies that have grown 2-6x in the last 2 years, so I have excellent success with Goniopora. What I’m trying to do is rescue a new small colony that already had tissue recession when I purchased it. What’s happening is that each individual polyp is slowly dying, starting from the edge and going inwards, happening at a rate of about one polyp every two days. It’s been happening for about 2 weeks now. I’ve tried ‘anemone strength’ Ciprofloxacin (6mg/L/5days) and that didn’t help. I tried a few herbal dips, no luck. My next thought is either a peroxide or iodine dip or both. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

 

[blaxsun]

Pictures? I had an alveopora that slowly died back because a torch was (and still continues) to sting it. I though the whole coral was dead but it's resurrected itself at the base and is slowly recovering.

 

[vetteguy53081]

To preface this, I have over half a dozen goniopora colonies that have grown 2-6x in the last 2 years, so I have excellent success with Goniopora. What I’m trying to do is rescue a new small colony that already had tissue recession when I purchased it. What’s happening is that each individual polyp is slowly dying, starting from the edge and going inwards, happening at a rate of about one polyp every two days. It’s been happening for about 2 weeks now. I’ve tried ‘anemone strength’ Ciprofloxacin (6mg/L/5days) and that didn’t help. I tried a few herbal dips, no luck. My next thought is either a peroxide or iodine dip or both. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

These are coral that can be beautiful yet challenge the most experienced hobbyists and can be great one day and wither the next. Goni are photosynthetic corals and gain their energy source from light for color and energy. Inadequate light will cause them to change color and even shrink. If there is a change in lighting you will have a basis for determining issues. Water flow has a similar effect - too much flow will kill some of its cells and can start a reaction with other gonis in the tank. Moderate to medium flow is a must to keep their tentacles swaying to keep debris off of them and deliver food in which they regularly. Adding aminos to the tank is a plus for their health.
Some good foods are chopped krill, mysis shrimp, phyto and zooplankton. Im not a fan of powdered plankton foods as they can raise phosphates quickly but they work well with goni and alveopora.
Assure no3 and po4 Not elevated. Also having some Manganese in the water helps them to reduce stress in general and its important to have Mag at 1300-1350 to help stabilize CA and ALK level consumption

 

[MartinM]

Thanks, most this is basic care stuff that I’m aware of, like I said I have a half dozen goniopora colonies that have doubled, tripled, or more in size.

This particular piece was being kept at SPS lighting/flow at the LFS, so that’s probably the case. I have my goniopora under more goniopora friendly conditions (low flow, on the sand bed, less than 200 PAR, heavy feeding). I’ll try to find out the exact PAR it was under.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I was gonna suggest an iodine dip. I know that helped me with this Goni

 

[MartinM]

I put it on a frag rack for better photos. The light areas are the parts that have died in my tank, the darker areas were already dead from the LFS.

 

[MartinM]

What iodine strength do you guys use for a dip?

 

[MartinM]

Goni is a coral that will challenge the most experienced hobbyist and can be great one day and wither the next. Goni are photosynthetic corals and gain of their nutritional needs from light for color and energy. Inadequate light will cause them to change color and even shrink. If there is a change in lighting you will have a basis for determining issue. Additionally, water flow has a similar effect as too much flow will kill some of its cells and can start a reaction with others in the tank. Moderate to medium flow is a must to keep the tentacles swaying and keep debris off of them and deliver food in which must be fed regularly and adding aminos to the tank is a plus. Some good foods are chopped krill, mysis shrimp, phyto and zooplankton. Im not a fan of powdered plankton foods as they can raise phosphates quickly but they work well for goni and alveopora.
Assure no3 and po4 Not elevated

Thanks, I feed a custom food mix I make out of about a dozen different ingredients with fresh, powdered, and Reef Nutrition products, along with Phyto and AB+. Growth is excellent but it’s this new colony that’s giving me trouble! It’s the first time I’ve had this happen before

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks, I feed a custom food mix I make out of about a dozen different ingredients with fresh, powdered, and Reef Nutrition products, along with Phyto and AB+. Growth is excellent but it’s this new colony that’s giving me trouble! It’s the first time I’ve had this happen before

Can be acclimation, change of light and flow from where it came from or need yet for adjustment to new setting

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Thanks, I feed a custom food mix I make out of about a dozen different ingredients with fresh, powdered, and Reef Nutrition products, along with Phyto and AB+. Growth is excellent but it’s this new colony that’s giving me trouble! It’s the first time I’ve had this happen before

Happens w acropora 2.

 

[brucey]

I’d get rid of dead skeleton and base it on a fresh plug to avoid any possible pests

Lower light and good glow

turn down the white light in case it encourages algae along the edges of the skeleton.

once they tend to strip I don’t think much can help them.
What phos levels was it in before and what is your tank at now?
I’ve not had success diping and only do it for a specific reason.
some of my Goni’s…

good luck

 

[Kasrift]

Is it a bernardpora (short tentacle)? For whatever reason I find they like lower lighting. I got a rainbow one and it died on the side of the tank in lower light and lower flow. On my second try and I put it on the same side but on the sandbed below the frag racks and it is doing a lot better for me.

 

[TCK Corals]

Could you provide tank parameters? And is the new goni aquacultured or is it a wild/mari goni?

 

[TCK Corals]

I was gonna suggest an iodine dip. I know that helped me with this Goni

This is an incredible recovery for such a finicky morph.

 

[MartinM]

Could you provide tank parameters? And is the new goni aquacultured or is it a wild/mari goni?

I’m not sure. I’ve had good luck with both in the past, I have a mix. This is the first time I’ve had an issue that antibiotics didn’t cure. It is a short tentacle type, pink with yellow center and purple tips.

I just finished an iodine dip and turkey baster, I’ll give it a day or so and if no luck, the next step will be fragging.

The healthy tissue is usually open and happy, this is right after the dip:

 

[MartinM]

Is it a bernardpora (short tentacle)? For whatever reason I find they like lower lighting. I got a rainbow one and it died on the side of the tank in lower light and lower flow. On my second try and I put it on the same side but on the sandbed below the frag racks and it is doing a lot better for me.

It is a short tentacle, it’s under about 80 PAR right now, originally it was under 200 when first introduced, might have been too high

 

[MartinM]

Iodine dip seemed to do the trick!

 

[nkyreef]

Iodine dip seemed to do the trick!

What strength and duration was your dip? I'm having similar issues with an ORA red goni. I think it's a bacteria issue based on other problems I had and have now corrected. Do you believe yours was bacterial in nature too?

 

[MartinM]

I don’t think mine was bacterial because cipro didn’t cure it. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t bacterial but makes it less likely. I’ve come across research about viral infections as well as ciliate infections that can affect Goniopora sp. also so I tried the dip. My next step was going to be peroxide and after that additional pharmaceuticals.

I did about 15 minutes, 1 drop off 7% iodine to 100ml, and used a turkey baster to get it into all of the dead skeleton, receding areas, and around the colony.

 

[ncjeepguy75]

Just posting to see what you all think...I too have kept gonis for quite some time and know they can be picky and finicky to say the least...I usually don't panic when they close up for a day or so but it has been 8 days now and it has not opened back up...I did a small water change and I figured that kinda irritated it but the other one I have is doing fine and loving life...the second day it didnt open I did a quick iodine dip just to be sure nothing crazy latched on after the water change like bacteria or something...still to no avail...since then when I add my aminos, I add them right around this one too help target it's uptake...here are my params...they stay in these ranges over the last 8 months...
It has been in the same location for a year with same flow and lighting...
125 gallon
pH 7.9-8.0
Alk 9.5-9.7
Nitrate 10.2-12
Phosphate .06-.1
Calcium 450-480
Magnesium 1300
I also feed them 3 times per week... aminos, benereef,goniopower,phyto,oyster feast,and reef roids
Kalk is dosed by a doser to keep alk and calcium stable

Any insight is appreciated!