Goniopora Survival XXXX >>>>> GROWTH <<<<<

[Scrubber_steve]

Bought another Goniopora yesterday. A Metallic Green, or perhaps Ultra Green, not sure, but from GBR.

Has anyone documented a Goni's skeletal mass increasing in captivity?
Obviously they need to survive for this to occur.

 

[Dsnakes]

That’s awesome! I’ve almost bought one several times. I just haven’t pulled the trigger yet.

Are those lines in the first picture areas of skeleton like dead streaks?

 

[DSC reef]

I never have documented skeletal mass in goniopora but an aleveapora we kept grew some serious mass in a year. Wish I still had pics as it was years ago. The frag size to colony was impressive and heavy.

 

[CNDReef]

Here’s the frag picture of my purple/pink Goni and I’ll take a shot of it tomorrow for comparison. I think it’s at least doubled in size maybe more since June.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Bought another Goniopora yesterday. A Metallic Green, or perhaps Ultra Green, not sure, but from GBR.

Has anyone documented a Goni's skeletal mass increasing in captivity?
Obviously they need to survive for this to occur.

sorry.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Are those lines in the first picture areas of skeleton like dead streaks?

Yes, entirely normal. Can't see them when polyps extended.
I have another that has three 0r 4 mounds with a large hole in the centre of them. Can't see the hole at all with polyp extended.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I saw a youtube of a coral seller/grower, who used a hole saw to cut out a large plug from Goni's. He was saying they grew from that?? Envy!

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I never have documented skeletal mass in goniopora but an aleveapora we kept grew some serious mass in a year. Wish I still had pics as it was years ago. The frag size to colony was impressive and heavy.

aleveapora? very similar but short thick tentacles?

 

[Reefcowboy]

Ive never had issues growing gonis. Theyve always grown under my metal halides. I give them lots of flow and do not feed them directly, just feed heavy the fish. I dont think they do well in ULNS.

In my past set up, ive fragged my main red colony many times and sold/gave frags. Today I have many small frags that I got from different stores. They came in missing polyps with holes in their skeletons. In a few short months they went from quarter size to fleshy 4-5” pieces. Looking at their skeletons when their polyps retract, I can see large mass increase.

Red/green/purple they all grow fast if given proper conditions. The ones I know dont do well long term are the “skittles” red with yellow centers. Im trying to collect them again, hope can gather some hard to find ones.

A member I know has a red goni that is around 5+ years and it grew from half the size of an orange to a basketball with polyps extended. Its size freaks me out every time I see it...lol
Gonis is are my favorite lps. A few of mine

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Ive never had issues growing gonis. Theyve always grown under my metal halides. I give them lots of flow and do not feed them directly, just feed heavy the fish. I dont think they do well in ULNS.

In my past set up, ive fragged my main red colony many times and sold/gave frags. Today I have many small frags that I got from different stores. They came in missing polyps with holes in their skeletons. In a few short months they went from quarter size to fleshy 4-5” pieces. Looking at their skeletons when their polyps retract, I can see large mass increase.

Red/green/purple they all grow fast if given proper conditions. The ones I know dont do well long term are the “skittles” red with yellow centers. Im trying to collect them again, hope can gather some hard to find ones.

A member I know has a red goni that is around 5+ years and it grew from half the size of an orange to a basketball with polyps extended. Its size freaks me out every time I see it...lol
Gonis is are my favorite lps. A few of mine

Awsome reply, thanks very much.

So
1. how about under LED ? key spectrum ?
2. I've heard it recommended to keep potassium at NSW level ?
3. just how much flow ?
4. NO3 PO4 ?

 

[Reefbuds]

Goni has always been one of my top favs. Love them! Hopefully this will flourish!

 

[Reefcowboy]

Awsome reply, thanks very much.

So
1. how about under LED ? key spectrum ?
2. I've heard it recommended to keep potassium at NSW level ?
3. just how much flow ?
4. NO3 PO4 ?

Im sure with todays led systems all corals can be grown without issues. Gonis do best on the substrate, I've placed them higher on rockwork but they do not like to be blasted with light. When happy, they expand their polyps far, and soon after you will notice tissue growth.

Po4 must be low, and nitrate, I've kept them happy in systems with 5-10ppm without issues. Flow does matter to them, currently I have them putting some color in my sps system, and have a pump hitting them with tons of direct flow. Ive noticed frags grow much faster with higher flow.

As soon as the light comes on, they grow to almost 3x their size, and make the tank look amazing with the way they flow around.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Im sure with todays led systems all corals can be grown without issues. Gonis do best on the substrate, I've placed them higher on rockwork but they do not like to be blasted with light. When happy, they expand their polyps far, and soon after you will notice tissue growth.

Po4 must be low, and nitrate, I've kept them happy in systems with 5-10ppm without issues. Flow does matter to them, currently I have them putting some color in my sps system, and have a pump hitting them with tons of direct flow. Ive noticed frags grow much faster with higher flow.

As soon as the light comes on, they grow to almost 3x their size, and make the tank look amazing with the way they flow around.

Funny, I was thinking too much flow probably not good.
Any par range you recommend?

I had one the same as in my photo a few years back. Lasted 2 years, & then died. Why is this a common occurence in your opinion?

 

[Reefcowboy]

Funny, I was thinking too much flow probably not good.
Any par range you recommend?

I had one the same as in my photo a few years back. Lasted 2 years, & then died. Why is this a common occurence in your opinion?

I think 100-150 par is a safe. Anything higher is hit or miss.
I think the common green(long polyps) gonis that used to be common a few years back(indo?) were the ones that gave this coral a bad reputation. They would last a year or so and vanish. Red, purples are more common in the aquarium trade in the recent years and are very tough. They will endure bad conditions, and like mentioned grow fast.

 

[hart24601]

I have fragged ORA red goni few times over the years and had success with the couple of goni and green alvea in the pic (Ora red, 2 other goni and the alvea) until I sold them.

All under LEDs, variety of led brands and spectrum. High random flow, medium light -100-200par.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Red, purples are more common in the aquarium trade in the recent years and are very tough. They will endure bad conditions, and like mentioned grow fast.

Good to know as they are much more expensive. But if their tough, thats OK

Thanks for your info.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I have fragged ORA red goni few times over the years and had success with the couple of goni and green alvea in the pic

How long have you had a red Goni lasting?

 

[hart24601]

How long have you had a red Goni lasting?

Oh goodness. I guess that photo was from 2014 there. So 4 years maybe more. And few frags of it to local people and I know they have fragged their frags a whole lot more than I have. There have been a minimum of a dozen frags of that one in the pic if you count frags of frags haha.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Oh goodness. I guess that photo was from 2014 there. So 4 years maybe more. And few frags of it to local people and I know they have fragged their frags a whole lot more than I have. There have been a minimum of a dozen frags of that one in the pic if you count frags of frags haha.

How were the frags cut, in halves or quarters from the original piece? On a band saw?

 

[hart24601]

Quarters with band saw and the skeleton at the bottom cut flush if that makes sense since they are normally semi circular ish.