# What is the secret of keeping Goniopora?



## TBemba

I picked up a frag of this beautiful coral about three months ago. It appeared to be doing okay for the first two months but then algae started to grow on the corner of the frag plug. I tried removing most of it but it the goniopora started to recede on that side. The last week or so it started to brown and polyps melted and disappeared.

I just removed it from the tank and scrapped ofF the brown, dying section.

I really like this type of coral and would like to save it if I could.

I try feeding reef roids and liquid coral food like fuel. But the coral is very sensitive to movement and the polyps will retract quickly so spot feeding isn't possible.

Any help would be great.


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## uniboob

TBemba said:


> I picked up a frag of this beautiful coral about three months ago. It appeared to be doing okay for the first two months but then algae started to grow on the corner of the frag plug. I tried removing most of it but it the goniopora started to recede on that side. The last week or so it started to brown and polyps melted and disappeared.
> 
> I just removed it from the tank and scrapped ofF the brown, dying section.
> 
> I really like this type of coral and would like to save it if I could.
> 
> I try feeding reef roids and liquid coral food like fuel. But the coral is very sensitive to movement and the polyps will retract quickly so spot feeding isn't possible.
> 
> Any help would be great.


Container that you can fill with tank water, mix up some reef roids(fairly dense as it won't go to waste), remove frag from tank and let sit in reef roid solution with general light in room.

Leave for 5-10, then put frag back in tank and dump your "dip" solution in tank for everything else.

Have used this method to save gonipora before .

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## TBemba

uniboob said:


> Container that you can fill with tank water, mix up some reef roids(fairly dense as it won't go to waste), remove frag from tank and let sit in reef roid solution with general light in room.
> 
> Leave for 5-10, then put frag back in tank and dump your "dip" solution in tank for everything else.
> 
> Have used this method to save gonipora before .
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


So removing corals every week and doing this isn't bad for them?

Will they ever be able to be feed in tank?

Thanks for the advice I will definitely start doing the container trick.


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## Crayon

I have about 12 different gonis and find that there are some which do great and some that are really tough.
I feed reef chili, reef roids, sometimes Reef Nutrition liquid food and sometimes I make a cocktail of various things from the above list. I dose the tank with Fuel once a week. I feed in tank heavy once a week by turning all pumps off, leaving gyre on low, and doing a random broadcast feed targeting some of the acans and other LPS, but not really the gonis. Through the week I do a light feeding for the nps, and the other corals pick up a bit from the daily feeds.
The easier ones are the Reds and greens. But I also have a lime green and a rainbow which are awesome. The blues and purples are harder, and generally at about 3 months I will know if it's going to thrive or not. Very poor success rate with the blue and purple and I even had someone else try and recover one with no success.
Our tank runs higher nitrates. They seem to like that. I keep them low in the tank, with good flow. Not too fast and not too slow. Lighting is reasonable, not shaded, but not bright. Although I do have one gold Goni which is in bright light and happy. And in crazy high flow.
I have a red Goni that got a little bleached which I think came from phosphates climbing up. It is now recovering, but the big thing I found is that they can be pretty forgiving as long as there are no sudden changes. No big swings in alk or calc or phos or nitrates.
These are my findings, I hope it helps. Some of my gonis are close to 2 years old, which is about how long this tank has been running. They grow really slowly.
Alveopora are fun too. Similar requirements, only have 12 petals.


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## TBemba

The frag I have is white with light green petals, looks like daisy's.

I tried the dish and reef roids but it is very sensitive to being moved. Even too strong of current will make it retract into its honey comb skeleton. I left it in the mix for 15 min and it never extended. 

If I touch it it will extend after 5 10 minutes. I have moved it several times and have it just an inch off the bottom and in partial shade with medium current.


Why are some of the corals I like are so hard to keep. It wasn't expensive like $14 for the size of a quarter but now about the size of a nickel.


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## notclear

I now have a collection of 10 types. Same here the hardest one is the purple/blue one. It closes most of the time.

I target feed them together for the tank, from high enough above as not to cause them to close, with a mixture of reef roids, reef chilli, coral frenzy, and phyto once a week.


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## Bullet

I can't add much to what my esteemed colleagues have posted but I wanted to weigh in on my my experience with this coral 
Currently, I have an electric red color (that's what I call it) and a pink goni in my zoa / lps tank - I have had both for over 2 years and I agree that growth seems to be slow 
Great polyp extension and my wave pattern is same as described, not causing the tentacles to flail around but allowing some movement. Both are on elevated (1 inch) chunks of live rock on top of the sand bed 
Lighting is 2 Kessil A360WE at 75% and tank depth is 21 inches
As for feeding, I turn off all pumps and turkey baste the gonipora with roids, phyto, as well as a food called: Goniopwer, made by Two Little Fishies. This food is specially designed for gonipora because particle size needs to be extremely small for the goni to utlize. After basting, the tentacles do retract temporarily which I assume means that they are taking in the food. I leave the pumps off for about 15 mins and then feed the whole tank after pumps on. I repeat this every 4 or 5 days. 
You may want to check out this food or PM me and I can get you a sample of mine to try and I also suggest that you continue your research as it does seem to be a challenging coral 
Good luck 
SamB


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## TBemba

Thanks for the tips Sam. I'll keep trying different things and everyone's suggestions until I find something that makes them happy


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## creature55

Any luck TBemba?
I'm in the same boat. I tried a reef roids dip and then spot feeding, but my unhappy goni is still not doing well at all. Polyps are all slowly dying...only 3 or 4 left now and they never extend. 
Funny thing is I have another goni in the same tank (different type though...I think it's a lemonade) and it is doing quite well. Polyps come out every day. 
Would love any additional suggestions!


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## TBemba

I moved it down to the sand bed and and out of direct flow but it's polyps just don't seem to like it or give full extension. Moving them to feed is really out of the question. They take hours to settle down and open up again even with reef roids, squirts of mysis particals or juice. I use fuel on the tank as well but nothing works.


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## Bullet

In my experience the polyps should react quickly
When I target feed, the polyps retract when food hits them but then extend again within a minute and I guess they continue to feed 
Note that as I posted previously turn off all pumps when feeding so the food lands directly on them - 15 mins is enough 

Also, flow is ok for this coral and I would keep the polyps slightly swaying 
If you need proof of this, check out the big Goni in SUM's display tank. That one is flaying around pretty good and is fully extended and as big as a basketball !

Note: if you guys have been feeding regularly, I would suggest that you hold off for a few days to give it a chance to regain itself, if that makes sense


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