Goniopora question

[Mitsie]

Dear Reef2Reef members,

For the past three months, I have been struggling with one of my Goniopora corals, and I cannot figure out what the problem is.

I have tried moving it to a different spot, feeding it, and adding some magnesium because my ICP test showed that the level was slightly lower than average.

Has anyone here experienced similar issues? It went from being a beautiful, healthy-looking coral to looking much less attractive. It still seems to be growing, as I can see new tissue and new polyps forming.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

My experience is that goni's like higher nitrates and phosphates than folks tend to run in their tanks. If you have one goni doing better than another one, it could be lighting or flow. my blue goni improved after flow was increased, vid below shows my flow on it

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It looks fine in the picture, is this what it looks like now? I don't see the issue?

 

[Mitsie]

My experience is that goni's like higher nitrates and phosphates than folks tend to run in their tanks. If you have one goni doing better than another one, it could be lighting or flow. my blue goni improved after flow was increased, vid below shows my flow on it

I tried that as well, but let’s see how it goes. I’ve adjusted it a little more after watching your video.

 

[Mitsie]

It looks fine in the picture, is this what it looks like now? I don't see the issue?

Compared to the first photo, you can see that the coral is extending much more and, in my opinion, the polyps look better as well.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Compared to the first photo, you can see that the coral is extending much more and, in my opinion, the polyps look better as well.

I agree I see the difference, but also a difference in picture quality. did you take the first pic? It looks photo shopped.

Comparing the 2, I see the tentacles on the second pic are not as long, but all polyps are out and extended. The color is very slightly off but again the picture quality is different.

I'm no expert and hope more knowledgeable people will comment, but personally I would leave it alone. IME, touching it and moving it will only bother it. Its a finicky coral and seeing all polyps out and it looking relatively happy I would leave it. Just my 2 cents good luck

 

[Mitsie]

I agree I see the difference, but also a difference in picture quality. did you take the first pic? It looks photo shopped.

Comparing the 2, I see the tentacles on the second pic are not as long, but all polyps are out and extended. The color is very slightly off but again the picture quality is different.

I'm no expert and hope more knowledgeable people will comment, but personally I would leave it alone. IME, touching it and moving it will only bother it. Its a finicky coral and seeing all polyps out and it looking relatively happy I would leave it. Just my 2 cents good luck

The first picture was taken with a Canon camera and a macro lens my girlfriend is really into photography. The other one was taken with my iPhone, so I agree with you that there is definitely a difference in quality, haha.

 

[Billgasser]

I have several gonis,12, and they are all doing well. I have a 60 gallon mixed reef and I dose extra manganese, 10 ml per day of #RandyHolmes formula, in addition to what they get from the 2 part I dose. I spot feed they weekly with Goniopower. Sometimes one will look great then for some reason they close up in a ball during the day like they do at night. I would usually panic and try to adjust anything I could think of. But I have learned to leave them alone and after a few days or more they are back to normal. Your Goni actually looks pretty happy. Just my 2 cents from a Goni lover.

 

[EnterName]

My experience is that goni's like higher nitrates and phosphates than folks tend to run in their tanks.

Below 0.1ppm NO₃ and 0.05ppm PO₄ worked perfectly fine for years (without any coral feeding besides what they catch when I fed the few fish I have).

Maybe light and flow are the trick, maybe it's dissolved organics (I didn't do any water changes either). I assume they can adjust to a variety of parameters and the reason some people struggle to keep them happy is some parameter that is rarely or never really tested for.