Goni's not extending polyps..

[ReefFan]

Rigt now I have 4 kinds of Goni's in my MT, all diffferent colors. Im really at a loss as to why they just wont extend their tentacles nearly as much as they should. Could it be fish (angels) nipping, water quality? (i do ALOT of water changes), There is a alot of flow and circulation in the 75 gallon tank (two large koralias, a mag 7 and mag 5 in sump shooting down at the barebottom, as well as another small rio blasting into the back right corner to keep detritus in the forefront where i can easily suck it out.) I feed these things what I feed my filter feeder fuge, a mix of lightly vita-soaked oyster eggs, rotifers (Reef Nutrition's), "reef caviar" (fish eggs), frozen cyclops, baby brine shrimp, as well 2-3 times a week dosings of Phycopure's live phytoplankon. Yes I know, probably overkill but its this very formula that has keep this fuge a filter feeder's paradise. Every single one of my Christmas Tree worms have been alive n well for 2 years with this stuff, with new forms of dusters propagating everywhere, even on the glass.

Back to the point though, if feeding, circulation/flow, water quality and light isnt an issue, what else could it be? Oh btw I have them under a dual 150w(10k) metal halide/4 actinic fixture.. Current's 3 footer.

If anyone who has some experience and knowledge on the Goniopora species comes across this thread, i'd be grateful to hear any advice you may have on this issue. They do extend. But all four not nearly as much as they were seen in the store.

Thanks in advance

 

[Obsessed]

The greens are alot harder to keep then the reds. The greens tend to only live a year or so. The best way I have found to keep them alive is to pull them from my tank every 2 weeks, put them in a 20 gallon tank with a maxijet 400 and put enough home cultured phytoplankton in the tank to cloud the water. I leave them in for up to an hour then put them back in my tank. I also have them sitting on a fine sand bed in my tank with turbulent flow, not too hard though. I also found that any phytoplankton that you buy that has been refrigerated for more then a week is no longer live. This is why I culture my own. Hope this helps.

 

[Dre]

:bump:

 

[Dre]

How long you have them ? And have you ever seen them fully extended? Some of them don't extend far and others species extend up to 8''.This one i picked up at the last swap, i had to move it to get more water flowing over it .

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

Damn my goni's suck too man they are almost all died off I had purple, green and I think the other was red. They are barely there the green comes out a lil bit on the few polyps left the purple is hangin in a lil but doesn't extend at all and the other one disappeared lol. I got these in a package deal I never would have bought them otherwise.

 

[tosiek]

Sometimes with goni's its not about having alot of flow, its about having just enough and having that flow non linear. Just changing the flow pattern to be more wavy and softer where the goni's are coupled with just enough light might fix your problem. All the goni's i've kept and seen flourish prefer med to low light.

Goni's have always been hard to keep. They typically tend to barely survive more than a few months without alot of work like obsessed went through.

 

[richardhmc]

I agree with tosiek - move them around.

I heard that green gonis last only a year. how long do red ones last?
What is it that causes them to die off so early?

 

[tosiek]

There shouldn't be a life expectancy. There are living growing organisms like any coral. I don't remember seeing a born on date or an expiration date on the last goni I purchased.

Here is the advanced Aquarist article on goniopora's.

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

 

[ReefFan]

wow, great replies guys. Ty vm. Its been a while since I've been here but these unfamiliar names are a welcome sight ..not that prior members and mods werent extremely helpful lol

Ty Tos for that link, great info. I will DEF try that technique Obsessed, great idea!

 

[ReefFan]

both worked out great. I had moved em around last night to siphon the BB just after phytoplanktion feed. There coming out noticably longer, even the dying one i took off a LFS for $5. Goni's really are great.

 

[ReefFan]

Phycopure. Great product.

 

[RARECLOWNSNJ]

Use Rods

Use Rods Food

When i feed my tank rods food i always see my gonis polyps pull in and then come out 10 min later.

I can only assume they are eating the phyto in the food.

 

[ReefFan]

The greens are alot harder to keep then the reds. The greens tend to only live a year or so. The best way I have found to keep them alive is to pull them from my tank every 2 weeks, put them in a 20 gallon tank with a maxijet 400 and put enough home cultured phytoplankton in the tank to cloud the water. I leave them in for up to an hour then put them back in my tank. I also have them sitting on a fine sand bed in my tank with turbulent flow, not too hard though. I also found that any phytoplankton that you buy that has been refrigerated for more then a week is no longer live. This is why I culture my own. Hope this helps.

Dude I really loved this reply. What shocked me was the comment of the live phytoplankton products, dying well before their "expiration date". I've had alot of faith in Phycopure. I shake the stuff daily to make sure gravity doesnt cause the microscopic animals from suffocating themsleves. Are you sure about that man? Cuz I've been tempted to culture my own green water, possibly rotifers and up, as this whole ocean food chain has me fascinated (the biology geek in me). When my system was at its best, I had so much bio diversity in that fuge it became more interesting than my MT. It was like my system was running on live phytoplankton, just like in nature. But somehow a balance was disturbed and I no longer get mysis shrimp blooms, swarms of pods darting above the mud like so many gnats. I hope I can reestablish this full representation of the food chain again one day. As it is I have a 125 and a 225 filling up with RO water as i type this. But thats for another post

I will definetely be doing the same thing you do, with your goni's. One question though. Seeing as their is no feeding response (at least that I can see), when exactly are these animals feeding? Is it only when their tentacles are expanded? or can they be almost totally retracted and your 2 hour greenwater soak method work? Cuase I have a feeling if I move them, they will all retract.. ya know what, im gonna try this right now. With my possibly dead Phychopure. I'll letcha know what happens

thanks again man. Youre obviously a valauble source for expert advice.