Whats wrong with my Goniopora?

[Willbiker]

Hi all

I have had a red goniopora frag in my tank for 3 weeks. I first placed it under a cave with low flow to let it settle in. It would have its polyps open but they wouldn't extend out. Then I tried moving it out on the sand bed indirect light near my zoas in med to high flow. It would extend a little when I target fed it but a few days later it would retrieve back with its polyps still open. Then it fully closed and has remained like this for 3 days.

I have now moved it to a low flow area of the sand bed but its fully closed still. What do you think could be wrong? My other goniopora frag is doing fine as are my other corals. Here are my parameters

Salinity 1.025
Temp 25c
Alk 8.7
Calc 420
No3 10
Po4 0.04

Thanks!

 

[Willbiker]

And ph =8.2

 

[Dkmoo]

They are notoriously finicky and sensitive. Moving them too much and they become unhappy too and staybclosed for weeks even if its the right condition. Esp red/pink ones bc they also have wide range of "happy zones" - some like high light/flow other like low.

Best think I can think of is asking the LFS where u got it for their lighting/flow and param nfo and where they put it. And match that

Otherwise, keep it in low light/low flow and leave it alone. Usually low/low combo is safer than high/high combo

 

[dhnguyen]

maybe bump the temperature up a little too. 77F is on the cooler side of running a reef tank.

 

[Sam816]

is it opening during mornings or evenings? if yes then try moving it to lower light. how much flow is it getting right now?

 

[Willbiker]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I just checked it early this morning and I can see about 3 or 4 polyps are slightly extending so its not dead which is a relief. 2 days ago I moved it to an area in light but shielded from flow. Barely any flow. I'll put it in low light low flow and will regularly feed and will leave it alone for few weeks to see if it comes back out. Thanks

 

[R33fDaddy]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I just checked it early this morning and I can see about 3 or 4 polyps are slightly extending so its not dead which is a relief. 2 days ago I moved it to an area in light but shielded from flow. Barely any flow. I'll put it in low light low flow and will regularly feed and will leave it alone for few weeks to see if it comes back out. Thanks

Let us know how it works for you

 

[Willbiker]

Let us know how it works for you

Its alive! I placed it in a low flow low light area and its now starting to open slightly. Small extension earlier but still only half the polyps open. I have read that they need regular feeding so I will do this every few days to see if it helps.

 

[R33fDaddy]

Its alive! I placed it in a low flow low light area and its now starting to open slightly. Small extension earlier but still only half the polyps open. I have read that they need regular feeding so I will do this every few days to see if it helps.

I have a Yellow Goni doing the same thing. It comes out about half way and no further. It was thriving in my Quarantine Tank but since moving to the Main tank with better water parameters it just hasn't been the same. My friend at WWC said to have atrger feed them often so I just purchased an Algae Scrubber so I can feed more.

Here is a picture of it in Quarantine:

 

[TuxUrchin07]

Maybe move it to a higher flow area? I heard lots to treat it like an sps

 

[TuxUrchin07]

Oh nevermind I heard wrong lol. It said NOT to treat it like an sps. Sorry

 

[Ando1231]

I had a similar situation with mine, stayed closed for almost a month, couldn’t ever get a glimpse of it open, then one day it opened up and almost never closes.

 

[Lovefish77]

It is a crry finicky coral you are not alone. Once my red honi starts to flourish I dont touch it literally. I dont even move it 1mm in the tank. They like low flow, low light and some n and p.

 

[Willbiker]

Just an update. My goni is now looking great. Low light low flow area seemed to do the trick. Or maybe it just wanted to be left alone! Also regular feeding with reef roids.

 

[Mikedawg]

Nice piece. I keep my pink and yellow ones in high flow and have to cut them back from time to time as they outgrow tank space; I think you found the secret - leave them alone.

 

[R33fDaddy]

Just an update. My goni is now looking great. Low light low flow area seemed to do the trick. Or maybe it just wanted to be left alone! Also regular feeding with reef roids.

That's Awesome. What are your Nitrates? I'm having the same issue with one that hasn't opened fully for months.

 

[Willbiker]

That's Awesome. What are your Nitrates? I'm having the same issue with one that hasn't opened fully for months.

Ive heard they can be very hit and miss. My nitrates stay pretty constant at 10ppm and phosphate 0.04.

 

[R33fDaddy]

Ive heard they can be very hit and miss. My nitrates stay pretty constant at 10ppm and phosphate 0.04.

My Nitrates are around 20ppm, getting them down now. Hopefully I have good results once they are within range.

 

[editour2]

I've had a rose colored goni in my tank for nearly a year...no issues. Recently it closed and has not reopened for more than a week now. I've experienced this b4 with my pink goni but I should have recorded how long it stayed closed b4 resuming normal schedule. My question is can you still target feed these guys when its closed? Is it beneficial to feed them when they are closed up?

 

[R33fDaddy]

I've had a rose colored goni in my tank for nearly a year...no issues. Recently it closed and has not reopened for more than a week now. I've experienced this b4 with my pink goni but I should have recorded how long it stayed closed b4 resuming normal schedule. My question is can you still target feed these guys when its closed? Is it beneficial to feed them when they are closed up?

I can still see the Polyps so I hit then with Reef Energy AB+ plus daily.

Mine haven't really been extended for months.

Did you have high Nitrates or anything when yours closed up?