Gonipora coral

[Pedro Nuno Ferreira]

I hate to be blunt, but keeping a Goniopora alive for 2 months is effectively meaningless. Usually they appear fine for a few months and then, after 2-6 months in captivity, slowing begin to go down hill and eventually waste away. People say that they are difficult because of the tens of thousands that have been imported into this country, perhaps a few dozen people have had any real success with G. stokesii (the species most commonly available and commonly bought). That's a success rate of maybe 0.0001%, at best.

Based on the few cases of repeatable success that have been reported, and the pattern of decline, the corals are simply starving to death in captivity and thus far it is very challenging to provide them with enough of the right kind of food, where feasible at all. Methods that allow many other corals to flourish simply don't work for G. stokesii.

The only cases of frequent success are with some of the less common species, such as the red one cultured by ORA, and the secret to their success seems to be that they are less demanding of food. Even these are challenging though and I've seen many, many cases of them collapsing in the tanks of even very successful aquarists.

cj

Hi Chris
:approve:+1

So expected decline is at 5 or 7 months? was there any particular reason? or they just call it quits?

I agree tentacles but most people were saying near impossible.

They can be extremely challenging and even if successful, the amount of food that many of the species require, can lead to a tank crash!!!

Justin Credabel has worked on them ... you can read about it here and here
I don't know what you are feeding it, but recently some specific food has been or will be made available, do remember that this food is new and Justin has long experience and means that the majority of hobbyists do not have. This specific food has negative buoyancy, this means it will sink and land on the Goniopora polyps ... if the current is not to strong, so you should consider that beforehand, the same applies for any other coral, you have to tailor your system according to the needs of the critters that you want to house in it and not the other way around.

Pedro Nuno
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/10/aafeature2

 

[dragonblood]

....

Try to supply it with iron and magnesium supplement....I'm still have my green goniopora colony(almost a year now)...that supplement good for macro algae too......I have very clean water parameter too ....

 

[ReefnQueens]

Try to supply it with iron and magnesium supplement....I'm still have my green goniopora colony(almost a year now)...that supplement good for macro algae too......I have very clean water parameter too ....

Same here man with the green goniopora only I've had mine about 4-5 months I haven't done anything special to care for it besides placement in the tank....at first it was midway in the tank with med to heavy water flow now I have it placed up high in the tank with less flow and it looks like it gets bigger by the day I got it about 7" and now looks about 11-12" fully opened I don't see it dying anytime soon the thing looks freakin awesome and best of all it's in a 28gal nano cube lol

 

[MIKE NY]

I never had any luck with them over the years until I got an ORA red w/blue eyes. I have it about a year now and has almost doubled in size in that time...I have a lot of anthias so I feed heavy with small particle foods which I'm sure is helping along with it being on the bottom with indirect light and a med -strong flow....

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

Unfortunately sold mine but will eventually get ahold of one again. I will make sure I keep it for over a year and post back on the thread. I'll see if I can get ahold of a red one though. The green/blue was nice but red would be a nice change.

 

[ReefnQueens]

Nothing crazy about the color but "IT'S ALIVEEE".....

 

[gfk]

over a year yet?

 

[ReefnQueens]

over a year yet?

Not a year when I first got them a few months back they didn't open at all now the thing is growing like crazy.....if its growing why would it die? After a year they usually decide to drop dead?

 

[BaaMNYC]

I made the mistake of having that as my first coral purchase. newbie mistake listening to a LFS. Ive had it for a few months and its been declining for quite some time.

 

[gfk]

They usually starting to die after a few months... from fully open to not open at all. The dieing process take a few months as well.