Goniopora care and troubleshooting

[droplet]

Hi,

I've got four goniopora / flowerpot corals in my 130g DT, but I'm not entirely sure of the specific types. I've got a light green one, a green/purple one, a pink one, and a red one.

My red goniopora, which is my favourite, has been struggling for two weeks now - its polyps are retracted into its body. Relocating it isn't an option since it's glued in place, so I'm unsure whether I should just leave it alone or try something to help it recover.

My tank parameters are as follows:

- Salinity: 35ppt
- Alk: 8
- Ca: 450
- Mg: 1350
- PO4: 0.08 (Hanna URL)
- No3: 0.2

Recently, I made a significant change by reducing nutrient levels through carbon dosing.

Interestingly, my pink goniopora is now thriving, while the red one is struggling - it used to be the other way around.

I feed them two to three times a week, using a mix of Reef Nutrition products and ReefRoids. I've had these corals for between six to twelve months now.

-droplet

[talonix]

I'm having a similar issue with my own corals since I started carbon dosing. I'm starting to think that certain species, like our red ones, actually thrive in slightly 'dirtier' environments. My green and pink ones are doing fantastic, but the red one's looking pretty down in the dumps. Guess I'm just hoping someone with more experience chimes in with a solution.

[brixo]

It seems carbon dosing might be the issue here. My goniopora corals actually thrived in a tank with higher PO4 levels, often reaching 0.5, and plenty of algae/diatoms. However, since switching to daily Goniopower feedings, I've noticed accelerated growth. I'd suggest stopping the carbon dosing and GAC use, then gradually increasing the organics/food in the water column to see if that resolves the issue.

[talonix]

I'm willing to trade off a struggling coral for a tank free of Green Hair Algae. To me, the aesthetics of a clean tank outweigh the loss of a single coral. I've seen the devastating effects of GHA firsthand, and I'm not eager to go back to those days. By dosing carbon, I've managed to eradicate it completely, and I'm happy with the results. If that means my red Goni isn't as happy as it once was, I'm willing to make that sacrifice.

[droplet]

I've been carbon dosing from the start, albeit at a low dose, but I suspect I messed up the dosing process. Using a non-sealed container and possibly diluting the carbon source too much might have led to nutrient build-up and algae issues.

Fortunately, I don't have any GHA problems, but I do have Lobophora Variegata plating, which is basically brown algae that looks black and is harming some corals. It's not a major issue, but it's unsightly and hard to get rid of. Lower nutrient levels seem to be keeping it under control, and my skimmer is pulling out more waste than before.

I'm going to cut back on the carbon dosing and let nutrient levels rise a bit. I'm also introducing a Naso tang to help with the Lobophora algae, as they apparently love it. If I can find a balance that keeps all my corals happy, I'll stick with that. Otherwise, I'm with talonix on this one.

Is it a well-known fact that red Goniopora need 'dirtier' water? If so, what do we mean by 'dirty' - is it NO3/PO4 levels, suspended particulate matter, or both? I don't use mechanical filtration, just a skimmer and carbon dosing.

[droplet]

Also, I was wondering - if the polyps remain retracted, what's the timeframe before it's too late? Is there a general guideline on this, or does it vary depending on the coral and tank conditions?

[felinxo]

I've had a bunch of goniopora colonies, over a dozen, and my oldest one - it's been with me for over three years now - will sometimes close up for a couple of months at a time. But then it just reopens, and each time it comes back even bigger than before. I used to worry something was wrong, but I've just learned to roll with it, seems normal for this particular one.

[stardog]

I've got a trio of gonioporas - red, green, and purple - and they're all doing pretty well, especially that purple one. I did notice a change in the red one, though. It started when I began dosing vodka. The polyps were really retracted and didn't look too great. Stopped the vodka and decided to give the coral a little TLC. Placed it on the sand bed, threw a cut-down fizzy drink bottle over it, and started target feeding ReefRoids every other day. Worked a charm - it made a full recovery after a few weeks.

[brixo]

Red goni sensitivity to cleaner water seems to be a recurring theme here. Appears they're more finicky about nitrate and phosphate levels, or perhaps it's the rapid change that's the real issue - water getting too clean, too fast.

[copperkit]

I've got three gonioporas - a pastel pink/purple, a deep red, and a bright green. The green one's the oldest, been with me about a year. Six months ago, the red one started to retract, had some RTN which I managed to stop by blowing off the bad tissue. It stayed closed up for about four months. Then I stumbled upon a post about someone having success with gonis by dosing iron and vitamins like Reef Plus. Figured I had nothing to lose, so I gave it a try. Now the red one's back to its old self, all three are full and colorful. I know it's not a scientific result, but the red one wasn't coming back until I added those supplements. Everything else in the tank's doing great, by the way - 50G with a mix of SPS, LPS, NPS, and clams.