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

[Scrubber_steve]

Thanks!
Recommendations:
1.) Scour the net for as much as you can on these. Posting your success/struggles and asking for input (like this thread) help not only you, but the rest of us Goni lovers.
2.) <150 PAR (as previously mentioned.
3.) I have run a wide range of nitrates 1-25ppm and PO4 (0.006 - 0.060 ppm). I for one cannot say any of these are bad (or necessarily ideal.
4.) I read to feed the fish hard so they poop a lot. I've done that and my Goni's survived a number of months at ULNS - - before I started dosing NO3 and PO4.
5.) I added a macro refugium to help steady my nutrients (NO3, PO4) and provide pods for my mandarin gobi and my Goni's. I highly recommend a macro refugium - - but, if I recall correctly, you have one already.
6.) Stability, consistency and keep things as constant as possible (is that redundant? ). I think this is the key and is more important for G.Stokesi than even for most SPS.

My sense on point 6 is more about the bacteria and other microbes on our corals. After reading/watching some recent scientific findings on bacterial infections of corals, I am starting to think that harmful bacteria are always present on our corals, but the coral keep ahead of those "bad" bugs so long as the coral stays healthy and strong. Healthy coral must be hosting some other micro fauna that keep the "bad" bugs to low enough level or they produce enzymes and proteins that do that. I believe Julian Sprung also postulated this about a decade ago.

This is an interesting quote from an article by Justin Credabel, The Successful Aquarium Culture of Goniopora Species, "Our display system has many things in common with people who have had success in the past. They often had no mechanical filtration, little or no skimming, deep sand beds, and refugiums. The use of some or all of these methods in system design encourage the growth of a variety of small zooplankton and plankton-producing organisms (by spawning, larvae in water column). All of the systems I keep Goniopora in also support Acropora, Montipora, Porites, and other SPS".

further "Goniopora is a genus of coral. When most people think of Goniopora, they think of Goniopora stokesi. No wonder everyone thinks you can't keep Goniopora successfully; those things are hard! Goniopora stokesi comes from turbid, nutrient-laden water on a soft substrate. They eat a lot. When I do not feed them five times a week, they shrink".

 

[sghera64]

This is an interesting quote from an article by Justin Credabel, The Successful Aquarium Culture of Goniopora Species, "Our display system has many things in common with people who have had success in the past. They often had no mechanical filtration, little or no skimming, deep sand beds, and refugiums. The use of some or all of these methods in system design encourage the growth of a variety of small zooplankton and plankton-producing organisms (by spawning, larvae in water column). All of the systems I keep Goniopora in also support Acropora, Montipora, Porites, and other SPS".

further "Goniopora is a genus of coral. When most people think of Goniopora, they think of Goniopora stokesi. No wonder everyone thinks you can't keep Goniopora successfully; those things are hard! Goniopora stokesi comes from turbid, nutrient-laden water on a soft substrate. They eat a lot. When I do not feed them five times a week, they shrink".

I've read just about everything Justin Crebel (a.k.a. Justin Credable) has written on the net about Goni's I think he had an influence on my Goni hudbandry. I was feeding my G.Stokesi about 3-6 times a week before it started spawning - - and 2x per day on Saturdays. I would even eat crunched up Formula One flake food. I had a picture (somewhere on my hard drive0 of a flake being eaten and then going down the throat of one of the polyps. I have a few pics of the G.Stokesi eating blood worms too.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I've read just about everything Justin Crebel (a.k.a. Justin Credable) has written on the net about Goni's I think he had an influence on my Goni hudbandry. I was feeding my G.Stokesi about 3-6 times a week before it started spawning - - and 2x per day on Saturdays. I would even eat crunched up Formula One flake food. I had a picture (somewhere on my hard drive0 of a flake being eaten and then going down the throat of one of the polyps. I have a few pics of the G.Stokesi eating blood worms too.

Bloodworms ???? wow. didn't know they would eat anything that big.

 

[WetPets]

www.marinedepot.com/Two_Little_Fishies_Goniopower_Advanced_Zooplankton_Diet_30_grams_Powder_Coral_Food-Two_Little_Fishies-TL50053-FIFDDRPC-vi.html

Justin is the best at growing goni. He has a nice purple called fairy feather fast grower.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

www.marinedepot.com/Two_Little_Fishies_Goniopower_Advanced_Zooplankton_Diet_30_grams_Powder_Coral_Food-Two_Little_Fishies-TL50053-FIFDDRPC-vi.html

Justin is the best at growing goni. He has a nice purple called fairy feather fast grower.

And I cannot buy his purple goni, being in Australia

 

[sghera64]

Bloodworms ???? wow. didn't know they would eat anything that big.

Found those photos. Some of flake food and some of blood worms.

 

[Waynerock]

Just for fun, I made a time-lapse video of a new goniopora as it opened up over a couple hour period:

Boy those snails move! What R U feeding them

 

[Sea MunnKey]

I do know as a matter of fact that not all Goni's are compatible to their own species. I've had some (longer tentacles) that stung the shorter tentacled Goni's. Some would take months to recover albeit missing some tissue.

I have 13 Goniopora's in my system and majority are Indo and at least 2 are Aussie's. I'm on the hunt for one Indo encrusting type Goni that I used to own. It's blood red and has long extended sweepers!

 

[Dburr1014]

I just got this pink with purple center one last month. It's doing great so far. The green one I just got from a club member but it was in rough shape, don't think that it will make it. Fingers crossed.

 

[Dburr1014]

Just for fun, I made a time-lapse video of a new goniopora as it opened up over a couple hour period:

Makes that rock to the left look like a race track. Lol, nice vid.

 

[SuncrestReef]

Boy those snails move! What R U feeding them

I feed LRS Reef Frenzy twice a day, and the snails pick up what’s left over.

I have another time-lapse video of the whole tank in my build thread. It’s hilarious to see the snails & hermit crabs scurrying around:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/s...efer-xl-425-build.358990/page-13#post-5094458

 

[Sense of nature]

Are the red/pink ones just as photosynthetic ( rely on light spectrum to produce food?)as the greens?

 

[Dburr1014]

Are the red/pink ones just as photosynthetic ( rely on light spectrum to produce food?)as the greens?

As far as I know, yes
But they all enjoy a meaty snack.

 

[roberthu526]

Just for fun, I made a time-lapse video of a new goniopora as it opened up over a couple hour period:

I really loved how the snails moved. Can’t stop watching it...

 

[SuncrestReef]

I really loved how the snails moved. Can’t stop watching it...

If you liked that, you'll love this whole tank time lapse. Notice the hermit crab on the right that hitches a ride on three separate conchs!
(sorry to the OP; I don't mean to hijack your thread...)

 

[rizkisofani]

I have 13 Goniopora's in my system and majority are Indo and at least 2 are Aussie's. I'm on the hunt for one Indo encrusting type Goni that I used to own. It's blood red and has long extended sweepers!

Like this one?

 

[neltel_7]

new gonni going well

Did you buy them this big?

 

[andrewkw]

While I have had a few colonies over the years, I don't believe they grew as fast as this frag I got back in May.

Taken just now after I finished going through the thread

Hard to tell from the picture but it has encrusted quite a bit for a little over 6 months. Relatively high under kessils with good flow. I target feed once a week. While the bleached pink may look a little nicer it is a lot darker and healthier now. It was a fresh cut when I got it.

I need some more flowerpots!

 

[Jenghis]

I have a goni I think they are not hard to keep they grow well on my tank no direct feeding my light is just a 4 dollar 40 watt blue bulb from walmart with a diy aluminum baking sheet as hood for the bulb....so far my goni only likes low flow .

 

[Jenghis]

I think goni are not hard to keep mine is a yellow green thrives well in low flow , no direct feeding, light source is just a 4 dollar 40 watt blue light bulb from walmart with a diy aluminum baking sheet as lighthood....I heard they are hard to keep anyways don't really know luck perhaps