I made the classic NewB mistake of making a purchase of a beautiful specimen of goniopora with out doing any research. Well surprise, surprise, after 5 months my Gonio is starting to shrink. Have tried feeding w/Mysis, dried rehydrate Phytoplankton, you name it. I have used an elongated eyedropper to place food items gently on the extended polyps. No luck. Is it doomed? Any suggestions on what to try. Also how often do these guys need to eat. Placement in the tank, is that a major factor? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
This site should be quite helpful. I can tell you they are hard to take care of, do some research on that site, maybe even contact Jen or Kerry, they are nice helpful people as well.
Well surprise, surprise, after 5 months my Gonio is starting to shrink. Have tried feeding w/Mysis, dried rehydrate Phytoplankton, you name it. I have used an elongated eyedropper to place food items gently on the extended polyps. No luck. Is it doomed? Any suggestions on what to try. Also how often do these guys need to eat. Placement in the tank, is that a major factor? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Normally, mysis and brine shrimp are too large for Gonis' to comfortably eat. You have to have a really healthy specimen with larger polyps, longer tentacles, and larger mouths for mysis to be of any benefit. I rarely see goniopora offered for sale in excellent health; even newly imported ones. That means that their tentacles won't hold food very easily and that the diet needs to start off more liquid.
Goniopora (in general) need to have a decent feeding of meaty foods about once every 3 days. Try mashing your mysis shrimp with some frozen cyclopeeze and use that to target feed (mashing makes it more liquid, more appealing to the coral, and easier to capture/eat). It takes about a month or two of regular feeding before a goni really begins to "shine".
Placement in the tank is very important. You want to be real careful not to cook your goni with the lights and not to forcefully blow water on it to the point of keeping it retracted. I usually place mine in an area where food gently passes by, but out of direct water flow. Also, contrary to what most people think, regular water changes are important.
Gonioporia are extremaly hard to keep longer than 6-8 months. and when they start to go down that pretty much it. I read and artical on them a while back by Sprung, I think. He said that he manged to keep one in his sump for something like 2-3 years and has come to the conclusion that our tanks are just not "dirty enough". He seemed to think that in the sump the coral was able to get the food it needed to survive unlike the tank which was devoid of any particulate matter the gonio's could use as food! Odd huh. He also said that the red gonio's were actually much hardier than the other colors.
I have tried a few of them, and alviopora (sp) and never had good luck. Along with Elegance I really think they are some of the most difficult, though beautiful,t corals to keep. Thats why we just keep spending our $$ .. we just can't stop trying... the :rescuebug: and works it's magic.
sarah
Hi my name is sarah, and I've got the Upgrade Bug! Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons for you are crunchy and good with ketchup!!!!
Well in spite of intensive feeding my Goniopora continues to wilt. The problem is that my LFS has a beautiful, full looking red gonio. I have just about convinced myself that I should take another shot at it. My main reason is that I think if I had started feeding my current gonio sooner things would have worked out. Some one please give me a virtual slap in the head and stop the madness!! :twisted:
Just read an interesting article in advanced aquarist about Goniopora and the need and role of Iron and Magnesium in aquariums. This author states he believes that the wasting is a type of bleaching that has little to do with feeding, and more to do with depletion of these elements. He also points out that species of Goniopora often due better in macro algae refugia because of the increased iron as well as plankton and stuff. Who thinks I should start Iron and magnesium supplements?
Going, going, Goniopora!
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Originally Posted by AquaSquid
He also said that the red gonio's were actually much hardier than the other colors. 
Along with Elegance I really think they are some of the most difficult, though beautiful,t corals to keep. Thats why we just keep spending our $$ .. we just can't stop trying... the :rescuebug: and works it's magic.
