goniopora

[suebedube]

Hello,

My name is Susan and I've been reading your boards for the past month now and my 10 gallon nano has been up for 3 months. I have green star polyps, some shrooms, and some macro algae. So I thought I did enough homework as far as lights, current, etc. I ended up believing the sales person and ended up with 2 goniopora. 1 is a flower pot. the other is a metallic green ball goniopora. Someone please give me some encouragement (like; I've had one for years, or they do better in nano with no skimmers, etc) cause now I feel horrible that I got them.

I also have a false perc. ( think it's false it's really young though so it is hard to be sure.) and a long tentacle plate coral. Will the clown host with him? (I don't have a Sebae)

[Kapelakin]

I'd see if you can trade it back to the lfs for something else.  Barring that possibility, you might try the boards at www.aqua-link.com  Fish Whisperer on that board has had success with a goni for a decent length of time.  He says 'dirty' water is the secret, since they're from nutrient rich lagoon habitats.  I'd feed it quite a bit and with a variety of foods, and not skim, and do frequent water changes instead.  Someone on this board mentioned that their goni opened better when he used natural sea water, so if that's an option you might try it.

 

Good luck!

[quiksilver5768]

The host might take the long plate as a host.

 

About your gonipora...sorry but there is no encourangement in this subject. They really dont last for years and thats the problem. Mine lasted 11 months and then the tissue started to receed and it died off. Theres really nothing you can do since they are missing some important type of nutrient which we have not figured out yet. Yes, we have calcium, strontium, iodine, etc...but this is not what it needs. It lives in a nutrient rich muddy water part of the ocean. There is really no way yet that we have discovered to duplicate the water from its environment. Sorry to tell you but I have not known anyone who has been able to keep gonipora/flowerpot corals alive for any more than a year.

[suebedube]

Thank you both!

I'll try to take them back. It sucks they even sell them...

So just so I understand what is dirty water? Water that has nitrates in it? Or do you mean nutrient rich? How do I make nutrient rich water? Will Zoe work? And I just ordered a Mangroove for denitratification? If I still get it will that be good or perhaps bad for a goni?            

You really think the plate will work as a host? cause I really like the plate.

[Kapelakin]

My dirty water, yes nitrate would be part of that equation.  From what I understand, that would be just a part of the DOCs (dissolved organic compounds) in lagoon water.  Part of the problem is that it's easier to run a larger tank with more nutrients going through the system, so most successes with gonis are in larger systems that have gone skimmerless.  I'd think that the mangroves would strip your water of some of the DOC's that might be beneficial to the gonis.

 

Zoe is basically vitamins, so it wouldn't work.

 

If you go up to the general discussion forum, there was a goniopora thread a few days ago where I linked to a couple of articles.  Your best bet really is to take it back, though.

 

When I had a long-tentacle plate, my pink skunk clowns loved hanging out in it.  Yours would probably go for that, or a frogspawn or hammer.

[pulpsmack]

Even if someone had an encouraging anecdote it is of little practical use today. Unfortunately there are no established procedures for long term care of flowerpots. Those who claim any sort of long term sucess have no common variables with others, so as a community we have no idea on how to keep this yet and it is unfortunate that LFS dealers are so unscrupulous as to unload it on the unwary

[NanoReefer53]

One thing for sure though is the needed for great water conditions. I've noticed that a lot of people that have attempted to keep gonis haven't had their set-up for very long and stable as possible. My neighbor on the other hand had his set-up for 2 years before he had his goni. His water I would consider to be very nice. How else would you be able to keep acros and clams under 4x65 in a 75g ? And by this I mean growing well and looking very bright. So far it's been alive for 3 years and doing incredibly well.