Goniopora for the beginner: is it a hardy coral?

[foxrun]

I just got a Goniopora and the LFS guy made it sound pretty straightforward. He said medium light and medium flow would be fine, so I stuck it in the middle of the tank.

But then I heard from someone here that it's actually kinda tricky to keep... Can someone walk me through what I'm getting myself into? What are your experiences with Gonioporae?

Right now I just have this and a GSP, so I'm hoping I didn't just set myself up for disaster.

[foxrun]

Here's a picture of my Goniopora now. I almost forgot to ask, the base of the coral is white/tan - is it bleaching or something?

[talonix]

I've had two Gonioporas and I gotta say, they're tough to get started, but once they settle in, they're pretty resilient. Key is to take your time acclimating them – I'm talking over two hours, super slow. I learned this from Bluezooaquatics when I got my first one 8 months ago, and it's been thriving ever since.

Here's what I've picked up from my experience:

* They don't do well in super clean water, so I try to maintain a bit of balance.
* Every month or so, I gently blow them with a turkey baster to clear off any accumulated debris – not too hard, just enough to keep them clean.
* Spot feeding isn't necessary, but it helps; I feed mine about once a month and it's grown about an inch since I got it.
* From what I've read, most people struggle to keep them alive past a year. I think it's because detritus builds up and they rot – my two cents, at least.
* Mine seem to prefer the sand bed, but they don't like touching the sand, so I've got them on a small, flat rock and they're happy.

Best of luck with yours, and I hope it thrives for a long time – I'm a big fan of these and their cousins, the Alveopora.

Here's a pic of one of mine – the lighter green area up front is new growth, and it usually opens up a bit later than the rest.

And here's my Alveopora for comparison.

[tortu]

OP, I'm a bit concerned about that picture of your goni - have you ever seen it with its polyps extended? To me, it looks more like a skeleton than a healthy coral.

[talonix]

I didn't catch the picture at first. I'm inclined to agree with Nina on this one - if it's completely white and stays that way for over a day, I'd say it didn't survive the acclimation process.

Can you walk me through your acclimation process? How long did it take, and what method did you use? I've come across some LFS that give questionable advice, and I think some of them genuinely don't understand just how delicate Goniopora can be.

It's worth noting that corals like Zoas and some LPS types are a lot more forgiving during acclimation, and I think that's what some LFS base their recommendations on - but that approach doesn't quite apply to this coral.

[Eonix99]

I gave Goni a shot, fed it like crazy, every other day. Polyps grew, mouths got bigger, I was on top of the world, thinking I'd cracked the code. But then, out of nowhere, around the one-year mark, the polyps shrunk, stopped eating, and the whole colony started dying off. I'm talking months of decline, then poof, gone. I was left scratching my head, wondering what went wrong. I mean, I thought I was doing everything right. It's a shame, 'cause they're stunning corals. Anyone out there have a Goni success story that's lasted 5+ years?

[dazed_knots]

There are many types of Goniopora out there, with varying levels of hardiness. Generally, they tend to thrive with regular feeding. A tank with a deep sand bed and diverse microfauna can also help them do well.

I came across an excellent article on Goniopora by a renowned expert aquarist. It's definitely worth checking out for those interested in learning more about these corals.

[Flyer1]

Honestly, it does look dead. In my opinion, wild caught Gonioporas can be super tough to keep alive. If you're really up for the challenge, I'd say go for an aquacultured piece from a reputable place like ORA or ReefGen.

[felinxo]

Honestly, it does look dead. In my opinion, wild caught Gonioporas can be super tough to keep alive. If you're really up for the challenge, I'd say go for an aquacultured piece from a reputable place like ORA or ReefGen.

I completely agree with Flyer1. In my experience, it's a much safer bet to go with aquacultured Goniopora from reputable sources like ReefGen or ORA. I have a collection of ReefGen's Goniopora and ORA's red Goni, and all are thriving.

[florapin]

Anyone know where to get ReefGen corals? I thought ORA was the only option for aquacultured Goniopora. Looking to add one, but my past experiences have been pretty rough.