GONIOPORA/FLOWER

[pudd'ntang]

I aquired what I think is a goniopora. It looks like a rock and when it opens up it has tentacles coming out. I've read where they like intense light and slow current. I had it high up in the tank and it like it for 4 days and since then it has not been opening up all of the way. I moved it to the tank bottom thinking it needed stronger footing, because I found it a couple of days ago on the bottom of the tank upside down. I did a partial water change and got some coralvite and added stron/calc/molboy/iodine and it still looks weird. By the way the mushrooms are growing all over the place and the frogspawn is growing too. Any help with this pink goniopora??

 

[playtime]

well, I have heard many people on the board who suggest not getting goniopora because they are a difficult coral. Of coarse, this advise came after I already had mine for 2 weeks. I have a 25gal reef and the only lighting I have is a small power compact light (smart light, a prizm protein skimmer, and a empiror 280 for filtration. if you check out my web page, you can see that my goniopora is doing great. it opens all the way every day and looks healthy to me. I suppliment my tank with coral-vite and calcium daily and iron weekly. I don't know if this has helped any but I thought I would share my experience. Good luck with it.
playtime

 

[pudd'ntang]

Playtime,
I looked at your website and the tentacles on my what I think is goniopora aren't that long or its a baby. I need an ID.

 

[pudd'ntang]

OK I did some more searching and it looks like a POLYPS (Parazoanthus gracilis). It's hot pink. Its not a goniopora. Any help in keeping it healthy.

 

[tonga]

goniopoura comes in many color morphs, pink,purple,blue,white,green,red and a few others, it doesn't always have to be GREEN.

 

[playtime]

pudd n: Can you show us a pic? If the tenicals ( as you called it) are long then it isn't a polyp. see if you can find a pic. Did you check out the ones on swf's site?
playtime

 

[pudd'ntang]

The tentaticles are not long. I looked at the flowerpot on this site and it looks like the picture but the tentaticles are not that long. That's why I thought it was something else. Since my last post I've given it DT food and it seems to be perking up. Any recommendations on coral food I will be going out of town for two weeks and I have to have someone else feed my corals.

 

[tonga]

sounds like a short branching goniopoura, I dont have the scientific name handy but in my expierence they seem to be harder to keep then the traditional gonios` .. it needs strong current and INTENSE light to thrive, I also would feed it baby brine shrimp with a turkey baster mixed in with some phytoplankton (DT`s, kent phytoplex, etc)
Good Luck!

 

[indy1]

From what I have read and heard, they are the hardest to keep and are short lived in captivity. They have some sort of special diet , I think? But, they are beautiful!!!!!!!

 

[playtime]

I haven't tried to feed him with anything specific. I feed my whole tank every other day using the saltwater multi pak. I use a diffrent one each feeding. My pink skunk clown has become best friends with my goniapora so maybe he is feeding him as he would an anenome. I don't know. Like I said earlier, I use coral-vite and calcium daily and iron weekly. I am sure that he is getting what is needed. I know that my lighting isn't quite enough but I have place him close it the light soarse and as you can see in the pic, he is doing great. Even though his life may be short lived, he has been a beautiful addition. I hope he stays around for a while. I hope you have good luck with yours. I really do love mine and will try everything to keep him healthy.
playtime

 

[pudd'ntang]

Thank you all for your suggestions, but I have some questions, Playtime what coral pkg food are you giving? DT seems to help, but I would like to try yours. And as far as water current anytime a crab or shrimp touches the coral it closes up, So it stands to reason if I move the rock it is behind and move it into the current is this a good thing or is it still adjusting to my tank? its up near the top of the tank, getting strong light.Any more suggestions?