Flower pot quick death?
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1journeyman
Active Member
Do a search on these forums...
"Quick death" can be a relative term.. sometimes they slowly die over several months.. which is a quick death compared to their life expectancy in the wild.
Either way, they should only be attempted by expert, dedicated aquarists.
"Quick death" can be a relative term.. sometimes they slowly die over several months.. which is a quick death compared to their life expectancy in the wild.
Either way, they should only be attempted by expert, dedicated aquarists.
ophiura
Active Member
The "missing link" is missing. If people knew how to keep them longer it wouldn't be an issue with quickly dying. What seems clear is that certain people or tanks keep them exceptionally well. Others have dismal success with them. IMO, it is one to stay clear of until there is a better idea of what definitely works.
grumpygils
Active Member
I have had my gonaporia for 5 months and it is doing well. I routinely blow it off with a water syringe to remove any micro detris and crud. I also move it around the tank every two weeks or so. It has to have atleast medium to heavy flow. Tentacles must be moving to facilitate gas/food exchange. They do best in cloudy environments but that does not mix with my viewing goals so I stir up the substrate near it when I do water changes. It needs medium to heavy lighting and does best under halides. Mine would look even better if a turbo snail didn't suck a hole in it.
GG
GG
rsd
Member
Flower Pots are awesome but they almost need a species tank.
the Flower pot was my first coral when I knew nothing about keeping a reef tank.
It did absolutely awesome and increased in size tremendously the first 2 years.
However, nothing else in my tank did.
Back then conditions:
Lighting:Sucked. 6 x 40 watt NO Fl. lamps. 1/2 actinic 1/2 10k.
Filtration: 1 protein skimmer
Water: chemically adjusted tap water. Phosphate, silicate, and nitrate in measurable quantities.
No Refugium, 1/2" sand bed, lots of rock, no fish, and mostly stuff like buttons and zoos.
The outcome. My flower pot grew to be 14" across when expanded (an increase of 3 inches). My zoo's and buttons did great. My hammer, frogspawn, and all hard corals did crappy. I also had hair algea problems and diatoms.
As I "cleaned up my tank" the flowerpot became less and less healthy. Each step was done over 6 weeks so as not to "shock" my system. But every step made other things grow and the flowerpot die off.
1st step: RODI water. Algea began to die back. Phosphates and silicates dropped.
FP didn't open every day for a week or so... some bleaching/color change.
2nd: Add calerpa and such to refugium and new protein skimmer, add carbon in filter.
Flower pot began to open less.
3rd: Introduce 1st set of PC lighting.
FP had first bout of tissue regression.
4th: replace the rest of the lights with PC (over all an almost triple in the amount of lighting)
FP had second bout of tissue regression. Didn't open all the way anymore, and eventually gave in about 8 weeks later.
It's sad to say that everything else went nuts and the Flowerpot did not. I believe they are keepable and have been watching a friend who has been running a "dirty tank" for 2 years. The stuff he keeps alive just boggle my mind. Feather stars, flowerpots, feather dusters, sponges, etc... but he is forever fighting algea (and always will).
Good luck.
the Flower pot was my first coral when I knew nothing about keeping a reef tank.
It did absolutely awesome and increased in size tremendously the first 2 years.
However, nothing else in my tank did.
Back then conditions:
Lighting:Sucked. 6 x 40 watt NO Fl. lamps. 1/2 actinic 1/2 10k.
Filtration: 1 protein skimmer
Water: chemically adjusted tap water. Phosphate, silicate, and nitrate in measurable quantities.
No Refugium, 1/2" sand bed, lots of rock, no fish, and mostly stuff like buttons and zoos.
The outcome. My flower pot grew to be 14" across when expanded (an increase of 3 inches). My zoo's and buttons did great. My hammer, frogspawn, and all hard corals did crappy. I also had hair algea problems and diatoms.
As I "cleaned up my tank" the flowerpot became less and less healthy. Each step was done over 6 weeks so as not to "shock" my system. But every step made other things grow and the flowerpot die off.
1st step: RODI water. Algea began to die back. Phosphates and silicates dropped.
FP didn't open every day for a week or so... some bleaching/color change.
2nd: Add calerpa and such to refugium and new protein skimmer, add carbon in filter.
Flower pot began to open less.
3rd: Introduce 1st set of PC lighting.
FP had first bout of tissue regression.
4th: replace the rest of the lights with PC (over all an almost triple in the amount of lighting)
FP had second bout of tissue regression. Didn't open all the way anymore, and eventually gave in about 8 weeks later.
It's sad to say that everything else went nuts and the Flowerpot did not. I believe they are keepable and have been watching a friend who has been running a "dirty tank" for 2 years. The stuff he keeps alive just boggle my mind. Feather stars, flowerpots, feather dusters, sponges, etc... but he is forever fighting algea (and always will).
Good luck.
achilles18
New Member
oh its VERY true. almost impossible to keep alive
I always laugh when people say this. They are not impossible to keep by any means...
What seems clear is that certain people or tanks keep them exceptionally well.
yes, because the people who have them feed them...
they need an abundant diet of phytoplankton, with some micro-invert larvae such as cocopod larvae, or amphipod larvae on the side... the majority of their diet does indeed need to be phytoplankton.
A refugium helps with this.
I also move it around the tank every two weeks or so
Hum, better not get attached, you might want to get it in a spot it and you feel comfortable and leave it be.
They do best in cloudy environments but that does not mix with my viewing goals so I stir up the substrate near it when I do water changes.
I would say no, like I said earlier, they just need to be fed. and Stiring up the substrate near it when you do water changes is not going to make a huge difference long term, and what your doing has minimal if any at all benifit to the creature itself.
It needs medium to heavy lighting and does best under halides.
Depending on the species, most do quite well under powercompacts or VHOS
Metal Halides are not good for goniopora stokesii (the common flowerpot available in lfs's) they seem to do better under Powercompacts or VHOS, the MH are a bit too much for their zooxanthellae it seems... they bleach and then die in most cases if not placed in an apporpriate possition within the tank.
I would suggest that if you have a MH lite system to place a goniopora stokesii at the bottom or partly shaded..
I believe they are keepable and have been watching a friend who has been running a "dirty tank" for 2 years. The stuff he keeps alive just boggle my mind. Feather stars, flowerpots, feather dusters, sponges, etc... but he is forever fighting algea (and always will).
Thanks for that comment... once Again I say to all, they just need to be fed!
I always laugh when people say this. They are not impossible to keep by any means...
What seems clear is that certain people or tanks keep them exceptionally well.
yes, because the people who have them feed them...
they need an abundant diet of phytoplankton, with some micro-invert larvae such as cocopod larvae, or amphipod larvae on the side... the majority of their diet does indeed need to be phytoplankton.
A refugium helps with this.
I also move it around the tank every two weeks or so
Hum, better not get attached, you might want to get it in a spot it and you feel comfortable and leave it be.
They do best in cloudy environments but that does not mix with my viewing goals so I stir up the substrate near it when I do water changes.
I would say no, like I said earlier, they just need to be fed. and Stiring up the substrate near it when you do water changes is not going to make a huge difference long term, and what your doing has minimal if any at all benifit to the creature itself.
It needs medium to heavy lighting and does best under halides.
Depending on the species, most do quite well under powercompacts or VHOS
Metal Halides are not good for goniopora stokesii (the common flowerpot available in lfs's) they seem to do better under Powercompacts or VHOS, the MH are a bit too much for their zooxanthellae it seems... they bleach and then die in most cases if not placed in an apporpriate possition within the tank.
I would suggest that if you have a MH lite system to place a goniopora stokesii at the bottom or partly shaded..
I believe they are keepable and have been watching a friend who has been running a "dirty tank" for 2 years. The stuff he keeps alive just boggle my mind. Feather stars, flowerpots, feather dusters, sponges, etc... but he is forever fighting algea (and always will).
Thanks for that comment... once Again I say to all, they just need to be fed!
mudplayerx
Active Member
I have had two flowerpots for about 6+ months. The red jewel one is growing well and seems in great health. The yellow one is growing as well, but always gives me stress as there are some days where it is fully inflated and magestic, and other days where it doesn't open much.
The yellow one just recently let out asexual buds, none of which survived.
I feed mine every three days with phyto and spot feed them with meaty foods minced very finely.
If growth of new tentacles and increasing size are any indication of success with these corals, then I must be doing something right. However, I am about a month and a half shy of the 8 month mark that most flowerpots tend to die at (according to most experts).
One of the keys to keeping these corals alive is feeding with meaty foods. I'm not claiming to have the key to success with flowerpots, just that so far, feeding them seems to at least be prolonging their lives.
ps- I am also convinced that flowerpots come to the lfs loaded with parasites. Both of my flowerpots came with parasites that I had to kill with a combination of super glue gel and direct trauma over a period of months.
The yellow one just recently let out asexual buds, none of which survived.
I feed mine every three days with phyto and spot feed them with meaty foods minced very finely.
If growth of new tentacles and increasing size are any indication of success with these corals, then I must be doing something right. However, I am about a month and a half shy of the 8 month mark that most flowerpots tend to die at (according to most experts).
One of the keys to keeping these corals alive is feeding with meaty foods. I'm not claiming to have the key to success with flowerpots, just that so far, feeding them seems to at least be prolonging their lives.
ps- I am also convinced that flowerpots come to the lfs loaded with parasites. Both of my flowerpots came with parasites that I had to kill with a combination of super glue gel and direct trauma over a period of months.
mudplayerx
Active Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
I have heard the majority of the diet should be zooplankton, not phytoplankton, or at least food of a pretty small particle size.
I also usually turn the filters off for an hour and squeeze the juice out of some meaty food around the flowerpots.
I have heard the majority of the diet should be zooplankton, not phytoplankton, or at least food of a pretty small particle size.
I also usually turn the filters off for an hour and squeeze the juice out of some meaty food around the flowerpots.
mudplayerx
Active Member
One side note... have a decent skimmer and be prepared to empty it often if you have flowerpots. With all the feeding I do, the skimmer goes absolutely nuts.
achilles18
New Member
i fed mine every 2 days, it died
Sounds more like it died of acclimation shock... what where your water perimeters ??? and how did you acclimate the coral?
I have heard the majority of the diet should be zooplankton, not phytoplankton, or at least food of a pretty small particle size
NO AFFENCE at all... but then you havent read very much of Julian Sprungs work with Gonipora and Alveopora corals in the wild...
Coral Magazine, January-December issue of Pygmy Angels I believe it is... Coral Nutrition and IRON... there is all the info youll need on it
I encourage you to read up on it...
I have had a Super Bright Green Goniopora Stokesii for 6 months now, of course not claiming "SUCCESSSS" just quite yet... I may start uttering it in 12 months or so knowing me! haha
anyway... the only reason why I decided on this coral is because of its beauty and health... also because I was convinced I could keep "flowerpot" corals for long periods after I read up on them extensively through books, websites, personal experience, the experiences of others, Julian Sprungs research and also several people who have kept them...
I received an Alveopora about 9 months ago and decided I would do things differently with this coral... after reading I decided to do "phyto" baths in the tank every 3 days for 2 weeks or so for an hour each "bath"... what I did was go out and purchase some DTS LIVE MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON and simply tripple the dosage, adding it into the tank with the MAIN filtration off and just powerheads in the tank running... I did this and saw the LARGEST improvement of health to the point where I had to STOP feeding it so much because of its growth... since this time it has been fragged twice and the frags sold to local people which I clean tanks for ... and the frags have grown considerably since...
my mother colony continues to grow to this day... and Im about to frag it again...
2 months later with such considerable growth and improvement in overall health of the colony I decided to get a Goniopora Stokesii, the one I have today, and basically do the same thing... feeding DTS as such I did before and also, Cyclopeze too for other corals and to see if I got a response from the goniopora, knowing it was a bit more of a "predator" than that of its "cousin" the alveopora... seeing that it did partake of the cyclopeeze and I suppose DTS I continued to do this and also saw great improvement in the colonys health... ( knowing it was eatting because of the food that was visable inside the polyps ).
I also usually turn the filters off for an hour and squeeze the juice out of some meaty food around the flowerpots.
Just curious, but what are you squeezing? hamberger meat? haha just kidding...
this would be interesting to know....
Oh, I forget to mention...
also, the Gonioporas growth has been consistent and has since asexually reproduced once and I now have a small baby colony the size of a quarter when open, it too is showing great growth... putting out new tenticles quite quickly for LPS...
Sounds more like it died of acclimation shock... what where your water perimeters ??? and how did you acclimate the coral?
I have heard the majority of the diet should be zooplankton, not phytoplankton, or at least food of a pretty small particle size
NO AFFENCE at all... but then you havent read very much of Julian Sprungs work with Gonipora and Alveopora corals in the wild...
Coral Magazine, January-December issue of Pygmy Angels I believe it is... Coral Nutrition and IRON... there is all the info youll need on it
I encourage you to read up on it...
I have had a Super Bright Green Goniopora Stokesii for 6 months now, of course not claiming "SUCCESSSS" just quite yet... I may start uttering it in 12 months or so knowing me! haha
anyway... the only reason why I decided on this coral is because of its beauty and health... also because I was convinced I could keep "flowerpot" corals for long periods after I read up on them extensively through books, websites, personal experience, the experiences of others, Julian Sprungs research and also several people who have kept them...
I received an Alveopora about 9 months ago and decided I would do things differently with this coral... after reading I decided to do "phyto" baths in the tank every 3 days for 2 weeks or so for an hour each "bath"... what I did was go out and purchase some DTS LIVE MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON and simply tripple the dosage, adding it into the tank with the MAIN filtration off and just powerheads in the tank running... I did this and saw the LARGEST improvement of health to the point where I had to STOP feeding it so much because of its growth... since this time it has been fragged twice and the frags sold to local people which I clean tanks for ... and the frags have grown considerably since...
my mother colony continues to grow to this day... and Im about to frag it again...
2 months later with such considerable growth and improvement in overall health of the colony I decided to get a Goniopora Stokesii, the one I have today, and basically do the same thing... feeding DTS as such I did before and also, Cyclopeze too for other corals and to see if I got a response from the goniopora, knowing it was a bit more of a "predator" than that of its "cousin" the alveopora... seeing that it did partake of the cyclopeeze and I suppose DTS I continued to do this and also saw great improvement in the colonys health... ( knowing it was eatting because of the food that was visable inside the polyps ).
I also usually turn the filters off for an hour and squeeze the juice out of some meaty food around the flowerpots.
Just curious, but what are you squeezing? hamberger meat? haha just kidding...
this would be interesting to know....
Oh, I forget to mention...
also, the Gonioporas growth has been consistent and has since asexually reproduced once and I now have a small baby colony the size of a quarter when open, it too is showing great growth... putting out new tenticles quite quickly for LPS...
mudplayerx
Active Member
How do you frag a flowerpot?
grumpygils
Active Member
Wait until it dies and put zoos in the holes? Just kidding! I am just trying to keep mine going well. So far so good. I am curious on that frag Q 2.
Mc
Mc
john kelly
Member
Originally Posted by Achilles18
... but then you havent read very much of Julian Sprungs work with Gonipora and Alveopora corals in the wild...
Where can I read up on this other than the 2002 AA article and Coral Mag? Specifically, with his work on Goniopora and Alveopora in the wild.
... but then you havent read very much of Julian Sprungs work with Gonipora and Alveopora corals in the wild...
Where can I read up on this other than the 2002 AA article and Coral Mag? Specifically, with his work on Goniopora and Alveopora in the wild.
john kelly
Member
Originally Posted by mudplayerx
How do you frag a flowerpot?
With a hack saw blade for cutting metal. (fine toothed)
How do you frag a flowerpot?
With a hack saw blade for cutting metal. (fine toothed)
iamquockie
New Member
THIS WAS ALSO MY FIRST CORAL THAT THE LFS SAID WAS SUPER EASY TO KEEP. THEY ASSURED ME AND TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY. IT HAS BEEN ABOUT 7 MONTHS, AND THE ONLY DANGER SIGNS ARE THE TISSUES LOOK TO HAVE RECEDED FROM THE EXOSKELETON JUST A TINY BIT WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH OF HAVING IT. SINCE THEN, NOTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT IT. IT HAS GROWN QUITE LARGE AND I DO NOT DOSE MY TANK WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN SLIGHT IODINE AND TRACE MINERALS. OH YEA, CALCIUM TOO. MY CLOWN EVEN FOUND A NEW HOME IN IT!
mudplayerx
Active Member
My red jewel flowerpot died at the 8+ month mark when I made my alkalinity raise to high. I gave the yellow one away to save it. The red one was doing poorly for about 3 weeks before the accident. I won't buy a goniopora again.