Flower Pots

[brahm]

Anybody here have good results with flower pots? What is the best practice to keep them thriving?

[Acoustic]

From my very limited knowledge of this coral it needs the following to survive:

 

1) Placement on sand.

2) Very nutrient rich water.

3) Some type of food on the sand as this coral does "mopping"

4) I understand this to be a non-photosynthetic coral.

 

(I'm not exactly sure how to describe it but thats the best I can scooby doo.)

 

I MAY be wrong. But this is the impression that I have gathered from hitting the SEARCH BUTTON!

[brahm]

Yea I came across somebody talking about placing it in the sand as well, but the my LFS store was saying I should place it High up close to the light?!?!? Which seems to contradict that. (go figure)

[Dave ESPI]

You can not keep it under Powercompact.

 

Also FWIW, the sucess rate for longer than 6 months with these Gonipora corals is less than 10 %.

 

I'd simply stear clear of them.

 

There are still some corals that are better left in the ocean untill we know more about them

[dchisenh]

Ditto to what Dave said.

 

From what I can tell, it's a species that's really not suited to most home aquariums. It would need high light in the form of metal halides at least, high levels of nutrients in the water for it to absorb directly, abundant planktonic food and an increadibly rich sandbed for it to "graze" on, and slow water currents. Basically, you'd have to recreate a lagoon-type habitat and since most people don't like the look of algae in their tanks (which would inevitably blossom in the conditions listed above) and they can't get the knack of growing sea grasses, these corals are best left in the ocean.

 

-Dan

[phishhead]

I have a type of gonipora that i keep high on the LR close to the light. I have 132 watts PC's. It seems to be doing alright and hasn't lost any color but i want to get rid of it. Anyone want to trade?? PM me if you want it. JB

 

[adinsxq]

sadly, some glow too

[brahm]

Thanks for the quick replies! Much appreciated. I think i'll be steering clear of this one. Although not to sounds like i'm fishing for "the answer I want to hear", but has anybody had any sucsess with these?

[jdsabin1]

Originally posted by brahm

...has anybody had any sucsess with these?

 

You may want to post this question over at Reef Central although I doubt you'll get any different answer. They do great for a period of time then for some reason they die. It's funny too as some people will post pics saying 'HA! HA! For al you naysayers I've had these in my tank for a few months and look at how great they are doing!'. Then when somebody asks them how they're doing after a few more months you never hear from them again.

 

[brahm]

Thanks.. I'm going to be making at stop at home, and then a deposit at my LFS at lunch today.

 

Seems like ever source i've checked besides my LFS are all basically saying the same thing (w/slight variation). The score is 3 to 1

 

I think I've got my answer.

 

Thanks again.

[Dave ESPI]

3 years was my longest stint with a flowerpot. I grew a little bit, but they are VERY sussceptable to tissue damages and bacterial infections.

 

Mine started to recede and eventualy Brown jelly nailed it's coffin shut. Yeha they are nice to look at, but then so are pictures

[brahm]

well, I lied.. I came home that day, and was all ready to return the flower pot, I decided to read some of the threads on reefC and found some nice size debates over flower pots, after sifting through them all.. I started to find more and more people having sucess with these things, and seemingly the same people chanting there failure with them over multiple threads. Confused I decided to consult my LFS before attempting to return it or not.. I took some pics of the flowerpot with me to show the LFS how it was doing the placement extra, and after 1-2 hour talk with my LFS. I've decided to give it a try.

 

According to him the majority cause of death with flower pots, is worms infecting them from the exposed underside. Proper placement making it more diffcult for worm infesting will help it's chances, and with everything thing i've read one other thing I've found. Is that they like slighty sub par water. Which is great for how my tank is setup, some corals..and a little to many fish. From what i've read people who feed there fish a good amount, and have green algie seem to have success with flower pots.... So basically i'm back on the fence, it's been kicking ass since i placed it in, opening up real nice, bright color, and good extension.. So if anybody is intrested i'll keep updating it's progress.

[Dave ESPI]

My Gonipora died today

thread title awaited.

 

 

TTI ...BOOKMARKED !

[kennerd]

subscreebed meeself.

[TxGal20]

hi guy's

i being with the forum about 2 months, i heard a lots and read a lots, i brought one flower pots home, and my newphew's saying its hard to keep, any way i took it back the LFS, they said, its hard to keep too, and they gave me the money back, which i brought it for 19.99. I also heard the LFS man said "unless u have the 12 stems flower pot, they are very easy to keep." i thoughts that might be interesting , so i share it with you guy's...)

[Dave ESPI]

Branching flowerpots are very uncommon.

 

They often times are mistaken for Alveopora

[tinyreef]

unless u have the 12 stems flower pot

i agree with dave, i think the guy is talking about alveos (12 tentacles/septa). i guess that's what he means by 12-stems. ??? gonios have 24 tentacles/septa.

 

are alveos easier?

 

hmm, kinda like $50mil is less than $100mil but i probably won't see either in my lifetime.

[Aquariareview]

There are so many coral that survive well that taking Gonipora corals that almost never survive should be against the law.

 

Ethical aquarist will not buy these as their actual survival past 3 years is 0% (very few last more than 3 months). In the wild these animals live very long lives. If we take them only to let them die, collectors and pet stores will keep bringing then to market

 

I have many aquariums from a 5 g NANO to a 225g reef and I refuse to buy things will not survive. I go one step further and I will not buy anything that I can not "Prop" in my system.

 

Skip the flower pot and get some nice zoos

[brahm]

well it seems i might have rescused this one from my LFS, I know it's only been a month but it's still doing great..which can't be said for the two other flower pots still at the store.. both of them have bleached

[RobD]

So it's better that this one dies in the first year and your money sit's in the store owner's wallet? Seems like that's not helping the hobby very much.

 

Maybe this thread can become one of those infamous "a friend" did it sources of urban fishlore.

 

By doing great you mean it hasn't started visibly decaying yet, right? Have you identified the mysterious thing that it needs that people don't know so that it isn't slowly depleting it from your tank and itself?

[Dave ESPI]

awwwww... they just need soft sweet sweet luvin' and sum kissie wissies frum daddie waddie and lill' shnoogums will be happah 4 Lyfe !

 

 

 

 

or ... well.. meh, perhaps it's worth a shot to sweet talk it to grow. They say that houseplants seem to do well with sugar water, Classical music and talking to with a soothing voice....

[brahm]

No I haven't, but unfortunetly when I originaly purchesed it, it was under bad advice from my LFS. After taking it home I started to do some research, and hence this thread was started. I was on the fence for a bit, and pretty sure I was going to take it back. After reading as much as I could, and knowing that there was no way I would be able to get the money back from my LFS. (= LFS making a profit off flowerpot regardless) I came to the conclusion that I would try to learn as much as I could about it, and do my best to keep it alive. Knowing full well that if I just gave it back to the store chances are it would just be sold to somebody else who had no clue what it was, and ontop of that most likely wouldn't bother spending as much time as myself trying to figure out how to keep it alive. Ontop of that If I returned it and the LFS sold it again, they would be making Double Profit off the same item which hence promote them to bring in and SELL even more!

 

I don't want to come off like an sounding like an ass, but I've been a vegiterian for a good portion of my life, I don't KILL for my own neurshment the last thing I want to do is KILL for my Hobby.

 

I'm not trying to say everybody run out and by one, or I found the key..but so far I've been keeping it in the conditions my research has conculded was the best and it's doing well.

 

But robD and Dave, If your feel so inclined to flame me as the flowerpot is so dear to you, why don't we go 1/3rds on shipping it back home and have it reinserted into the ocean. Sound fare?

[Dave ESPI]

flame ? not at all. Your cause is just and knoble good Sir Knight of the Reef table.....

 

At least you are puting forth the effort to TRY and learn and keep the coral as to your best ability, and then some. I actualy commend you for acknowledging your errors, and atempting to do the right thing. Honestly, the ONLY alternate course that is proper is to return it to the wild where it came from, but it isn't exactly like an injured bird or anything like that.. hehehehe.

 

Good luck with it.

 

FWIW, google for some essays by Goesmen, Shimmek, Alderman, and Jaubert. I'll dig up what I have stashed away in a few magazines and my "library" should I come across it, and post info that is more obscure about them in captivity.

 

You can have some decent increases sucess if you stirr up the sand bed and make a "messy storm" everynow and then

[RobD]

So the "bad" advice from the LFS ->MADE<- you buy something?

 

I don't want to come off like an sounding like an ass,...

Really? It doesn't seem like that at all. Why else would you personalize it when someone disagrees with you? That's what you meant to do when you made the remark about paying right?

 

As far as vegetarians not killing animals, I'm curious if you had thought about the habitat that was destroyed by raising food crops. Do you wear leather shoes or have leather seats in your car, you know where that came from right? This was just another part of the lash out reaction right?

 

Anyway, back to the real point, which is don't buy these things and perpetuate the problem.

 

..but so far I've been keeping it in the conditions my research has conculded was the best and it's doing well.

When you say research, you mean that in the sense of web searching or investigation of existing materials right? I'd like to clarify that. Not any sort of controlled research right? Here again "it's doing well." means not visibly decomposing right?

 

Let's not be too L33tarded in the Advanced Topics Forum, ok?

 

Here's a link of interest and if you see the connection between this thread and the concept of the article...no need to spell it out.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-11/eb/index.htm

[brahm]

So the "bad" advice from the LFS ->MADE<- you buy something?

 

No my LFS recommended it as a "hardy coral" they didn't make me buy it they lead me to believe it was a good addition to my tank... Which in turn has resulted in my lack of trust in that employee of the lfs, and now I refuse to deal with him.

 

 

 

Really? It doesn't seem like that at all. Why else would you personalize it when someone disagrees with you? That's what you meant to do when you made the remark about paying right?

 

Personalized? You were responding to my Post, how much more personal was that? Just because you didn't mention my name that makes it a general post? OK If you say so.

 

 

As far as vegetarians not killing animals, I'm curious if you had thought about the habitat that was destroyed by raising food crops. Do you wear leather shoes or have leather seats in your car, you know where that came from right? This was just another part of the lash out reaction right?

 

The habitat that is destroyed to raise cattle is MUCH greater then that to raise crops as you must feed the cattle as well as house the cattle. We all draw the line in the sand somewhere. No I don't wear leather shoes, "GO Jamie Thomas!!" My Seats are not leather either. Do I know where they came from? Do not be-little me like some 14 year old girl who just found out Justin Timberlake doesn't eat meat in the latest addition of teen beat. I've been vegetarain for a good portion of my life and I think I've learned a thing or to in that time frame.. Maybe something not as complicated as that LEATHER comes from a ****ing COW.. but thanks to your help I will change my evil ways.

 

 

Anyway, back to the real point, which is don't buy these things and perpetuate the problem.

 

If you spent a little more time reading my posts instead of trying to come up with clever ways to respond and boost your ego you would have releazied I already stated where I stand. Thus reapeating it all would be a waste of our times, just click back to page 1 and re-read.

 

 

 

When you say research, you mean that in the sense of web searching or investigation of existing materials right? I'd like to clarify that. Not any sort of controlled research right? Here again "it's doing well." means not visibly decomposing right?

 

I researched with what resourses that I am able to make available to myself. Wether it be Via-internet, books, or going to every LFS that i'm aware of and harassing the employees. Your solution is much better maybe tommrow I should go out and buy 3 more flowerpots and place one in each of my tanks under diffrent conditions. Would you like to be my lab buddy? We could conduct this expertment together.

 

 

 

Let's not be too L33tarded in the Advanced Topics Forum, ok?

 

"WHAT JUST CAUSE A GUY READS SOME COMICS DOESN'T MEAN HE CAN'T START SOME SH1T!." - Brody

 

(oh so clever making fun of my avatar qoute which just happens to by a pardoy in it's own rite)

 

So what next Rob your going to start dissing my mom?