Unique Goniopora Advice

[XFeathersx]

I picked up this goniopora a few weeks ago and this week I noticed the polyps on top of the frag weren't opening so I moved it to a lower light and lower flow area but it isn't opening at all now. My next move is same light but more flow. I've tried to find pictures of a similar goni online and can't find one, so does anyone have experience with this type of goni in particular? I have 3 other more typical gonis that I've had for 4 months now and they're doing great. This one I put next to 2 of them in med light/med flow but over time he didn't seem to like it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[MnFish1]

I picked up this goniopora a few weeks ago and this week I noticed the polyps on top of the frag weren't opening so I moved it to a lower light and lower flow area but it isn't opening at all now. My next move is same light but more flow. I've tried to find pictures of a similar goni online and can't find one, so does anyone have experience with this type of goni in particular? I have 3 other more typical gonis that I've had for 4 months now and they're doing great. This one I put next to 2 of them in med light/med flow but over time he didn't seem to like it.

Thanks in advance!

I cant tell how big yours is - but I have one that is almost identical in coloration. I would say I never have seen it look like your top picture. I.e. usually, the polyps retract completely inside rather than sitting there 'flat' on top of the skeleton. Do you happen to know the PAR level that you have in your tank where the goniopora is? Mine like a high flow (at least it seems that they open nicely when the flow is high). They also seem to open 'the furthest' during the morning - when sun directly hits the tank. I have a couple suggestions - 1. give it time. 2. Stop moving it around 3. If it continues to look 'poor' - I would lift it up and 'smell it' - if it smells 'rotton' or 'bad' - I would consider that perhaps there is some disease - and it will likely 'disintegrate'. I guess lastly - did it look 'good' in the lFS? - have you tried to match the parameters from teh tank it came from to yours? In any case - these can be hard to keep - seeming to do well for weeks - and then they just 'die'. I hope this helps some

 

[XFeathersx]

I cant tell how big yours is - but I have one that is almost identical in coloration. I would say I never have seen it look like your top picture. I.e. usually, the polyps retract completely inside rather than sitting there 'flat' on top of the skeleton. Do you happen to know the PAR level that you have in your tank where the goniopora is? Mine like a high flow (at least it seems that they open nicely when the flow is high). They also seem to open 'the furthest' during the morning - when sun directly hits the tank. I have a couple suggestions - 1. give it time. 2. Stop moving it around 3. If it continues to look 'poor' - I would lift it up and 'smell it' - if it smells 'rotton' or 'bad' - I would consider that perhaps there is some disease - and it will likely 'disintegrate'. I guess lastly - did it look 'good' in the lFS? - have you tried to match the parameters from teh tank it came from to yours? In any case - these can be hard to keep - seeming to do well for weeks - and then they just 'die'. I hope this helps some

It's about half a ping-pong ball large. Are the polyps on yours very small compared to typical gonis? When it was open the polyps were less than 1/8" wide, instead of the >1/4" you typically see. You can see in the picture the "mouth" is also offset from the "center" of the polyp. If yours is similar to that then I'll keep the higher flow in mind. How about yours, does it like higher light than typical gonis or lower? I'm just running stock Biocube LED lights and my reference for the bottom of the tank is 64 PAR.

I agree, my other gonis open more in the first half of the day and close up when the lights start ramping down.

 

[HuduVudu]

Goni's need iron and maganese. Without adequate levels these will retract and eventually recede and die.

 

[MnFish1]

It's about half a ping-pong ball large. Are the polyps on yours very small compared to typical gonis? When it was open the polyps were less than 1/8" wide, instead of the >1/4" you typically see. You can see in the picture the "mouth" is also offset from the "center" of the polyp. If yours is similar to that then I'll keep the higher flow in mind. How about yours, does it like higher light than typical gonis or lower? I'm just running stock Biocube LED lights and my reference for the bottom of the tank is 64 PAR.

I agree, my other gonis open more in the first half of the day and close up when the lights start ramping down.

I was going to say - I looked at my smaller ones - after feeding - they did look similar - but not that flat - I would be patient.

 

[MnFish1]

Goni's need iron and maganese. Without adequate levels these will retract and eventually recede and die.

I have never fed iron nor mangenese. But. I have heard this

 

[HuduVudu]

I have never fed iron nor mangenese. But. I have heard this

 

[vetteguy53081]

These type of corals will always be challenging but with a few simple steps can grow into a large softball full of polyps. It is possible to expose them to too much light, and depending on the Goniopora you get and the requirements of the specific colony in your tank. If you see signs of bleaching, try moving your coral to a more dimly lit area of the tank. Bleaching is when the color starts to fade from a coral and can occur when a coral is exposed to too much light, or experiences a rapid increase in light intensity without a suitable adjustment period.
You should place Goniopora colonies in areas where they can spread their tentacles without coming in contact with other corals. This coral does not get along well with others, and will try to sting and kill any other coral in its vicinity, especially LPS corals such as Hammer.
Goniopora is pretty sensitive and can be closed for a number of reasons. Water flow that is too high or the wrong level of light intensity may be the cause. These corals also tend to curl up if touched by food particles from direct feeding. They may also stay closed if you have fish that are constantly rubbing against them. It can also take a few days for Goniopora to reopen once placed or moved in a tank, so you may just need to give it some time to get comfortable.
Goniopora coral is largely photosynthetic. Like many corals, they have a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae, a marine algae that lives in the soft tissues of corals and helps them convert light into glucose, glycerol, and amino acids in order to meet their nutritional needs.
Most Goniopora will need additional feeding, though. They usually do well with very small particles of food like phytoplankton, oyster eggs, and sometimes brine shrimp. You can also try a liquid food specifically designed for these corals. Since Goniopora tend to retract easily, it's usually best to introduce food a little ways away from the coral so the water stream will carry it to the polyps instead of injecting the food directly above the heads.

 

[MnFish1]

Yeah - I have seen this video before - and I actually did try it - I wonder if my salt mix contains manganese - because I've never seen a problem with my goniopora. One has doubled in size from about a 2 inch 'base' to 4 inches the other from about 3 inches to 6 - extended they are about 10 inches in total diameter. My smaller red and blue have not grown as quickly. I also did at one point feed a powder I think it was called gonipower - but I ran out.