flower pot coral, realistic to keep or not?

[tikki50]

I was curious of the success rate in captivity of this speciem. Has anyone actually successfully kept these alive for over a year or so? I have a local reefer thats selling it and always thought they looked really nice.

Thanks
Tik

 

[Jolieve]

Gonipora is really beautiful. I think there are a couple of advanced aquarists that have been able to keep it alive for longer than six months, but... for the most part, flower pot coral has a really bad success rate in our hobby. It generally doesn't make it much past the six month mark, if it even makes it that far.

I'm really sorry to say this, but this coral just doesn't live. I wish it did, I'd love to have some myself.

J.

 

[tenshi]

I've been trying to keep one for the the last 7 months also and I think it might have a couple of months before it finally kicks the bucket. My clown's made a home of it after about a month after I got it. It was very nice intially, but now I just feel sorry for it. I should've done some research on it before I got it, but remorsefully I didn't. So in my opinion this is a expert coral only. Damn LFS employee that told me it was an easy coral!!

 

[Jolieve]

The old lfs got in a gonipora once... and put it in their coral tank, where they had a pair of ocellaris that had managed to survive having an entire bottle of copper dumped into their tank.

The owner pointed out the gonipora to me and said, "This coral doesn't live and this is part of why it doesn't. Clownfish will harrass it to death more often than not." I have a pair of ocellaris.

Ever since that day, I've avoided gonipora.

J.

 

[Anonymous]

Most of the success people have with gonis are the easier species, particularly the red or branching ones. The most frequently imported one (sorry, forget the name) is pretty much impossible long term.

I have an aquacultured frag of a bright orange encrusting goniopora that is growing nicely and encrusting. I think it will do well but it is very atypical, tiny polyps maybe a millimeter tall and wide...

 

[ricky1414]

i have a pinkish red goniopora, and now i'm saddened to hear that he possibly won't live too long. I have had him for approx 3 months now. He still looks great, having even grown a bit. I don't want him to die!

 

[tikki50]

Thanks, that confirms exactly what I've read. This local reffer wast 40 for it but after reading this I would only pay 5 since it will die.

 

[Anonymous]

ricky1414- I wouldn't start the funeral yet; sounds like you might have one of the easier types, and if its really growing thats a good sign.

 

[ricky1414]

heres a pic of him, the blue is too strong in this pic, but he is a reddish rose color.