Green Gonipora is not happy, any ideas?

[blackstallion]

In the past several weeks, my Gonipora has been on a decline. Not fully extending the polyps, and today, was starting to pull in and retract into the base. What are some of the things to look at to try and id why it's not happy? Most of my other LPS/softies are happy.

Water parameters as follows:

Temp: 79F (verified with multiple probes)
Salinity: 34ppt (refractometer)
Alk: 9.0 (Hanna checker)
pH: 8.2 (Milwaukee MC120 monitor)
Calcium: 440ppm (Hanna checker)
Magnesium: 1320 (Red Sea Pro tester)
Nitrate: 1ppm (Red Sea test)
Phosphorus: 15ppb (Hanna checker)

Running low skim on Reef Octopus skimmer to try and get Nitrate and Phos levels up...subsequently, I have been dosing Brightwell NeoNitro and NeoPhos last several weeks.

Couple times a week I'll target Red Sea AB+ or Reef Roids.

Running 3 Radion XR30 G4's at about 60%, mainly blue's and violets with some reds/greens and whites.

Flow with Gyres but where the Goni is placed there is not constant insane direct flow. It's been in this position for a while and when it's happy will extend polyps, although I've questioned whether flow is an issue.

I have not been running activated carbon. Should I consider it? Although the other LPS/softies seem to be doing well so not sure how something in the water would only be affecting the Goni.

 

[blackstallion]

Bump. I know the picture is bad, but you can see some of the polyps pulling back into the base.

Anyone have similar experiences with their Goni? I've heard these can be difficult to keep.

 

[vetteguy53081]

These are moody coral. Moderate light and water flow is essential. Too much flow or brightness causes them to shrink a little. Location also important as they do best in the mid to lower part of tank.
If yours is struggling to open up, try moving it to an area of the tank with lower flow. This coral still needs a decent amount of current, though, in order to keep it clean and help carry food into its polyps. Water flow that is too high or the wrong level of light intensity may be the cause. These corals also tend to curl up if touched by food particles from direct feeding. They may also stay closed if you have fish that are constantly rubbing against them. It can also take a few days for Goniopora to reopen once placed or moved in a tank, so you may just need to give it some time to get comfortable.
Goniopora coral is largely photosynthetic. Like many corals, they have a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae which is a marine algae that lives in the soft tissues of corals and helps them convert light into glucose, glycerol, and amino acids in order to meet their nutritional needs.
Most Goniopora will need additional feeding, though. They usually do well with very small particles of food like phytoplankton, oyster eggs, and sometimes brine shrimp. You can also try a liquid food specifically designed for these corals. Since Goniopora tend to retract easily, it's usually best to introduce food a little ways away from the coral so the water stream will carry it to the polyps instead of injecting the food directly above the heads.
hopefully this guy does well for you. It has a cousin called alveopora. Difference is alveo has 12 petals instead of 24 that goni has.

 

[blackstallion]

These are moody coral. Moderate light and water flow is essential. Too much flow or brightness causes them to shrink a little. Location also important as they do best in the mid to lower part of tank.
If yours is struggling to open up, try moving it to an area of the tank with lower flow. This coral still needs a decent amount of current, though, in order to keep it clean and help carry food into its polyps. Water flow that is too high or the wrong level of light intensity may be the cause. These corals also tend to curl up if touched by food particles from direct feeding. They may also stay closed if you have fish that are constantly rubbing against them. It can also take a few days for Goniopora to reopen once placed or moved in a tank, so you may just need to give it some time to get comfortable.
Goniopora coral is largely photosynthetic. Like many corals, they have a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae which is a marine algae that lives in the soft tissues of corals and helps them convert light into glucose, glycerol, and amino acids in order to meet their nutritional needs.
Most Goniopora will need additional feeding, though. They usually do well with very small particles of food like phytoplankton, oyster eggs, and sometimes brine shrimp. You can also try a liquid food specifically designed for these corals. Since Goniopora tend to retract easily, it's usually best to introduce food a little ways away from the coral so the water stream will carry it to the polyps instead of injecting the food directly above the heads.
hopefully this guy does well for you. It has a cousin called alveopora. Difference is alveo has 12 petals instead of 24 that goni has.

Thank you for the reply. I may consider moving him to a lower flow area and perhaps physically lower in the tank to reduce the PAR it's exposed to.

 

[Auto-pilot]

Do you spot feed it??
I have a Goni Just like yours and if I don't feed it it declines

 

[JonChicago]

I have a rather large Goni, probably 3-4 inch arms on it waving in the flow. Looks amazing! Every once in awhile it'll shrink down much like your photo for 2-3 days at a time. I always think its the end but then I come home from work and it looks great again. I don't do anything out of the ordinary routine prior to these instances nor do I do anything different while it's like that. Just sort of does it's own thing and bounces right back. Hopefully thats the case with yours. Good luck!

 

[blackstallion]

Do you spot feed it??
I have a Goni Just like yours and if I don't feed it it declines

I do spot feed with Reef Roids and recently purchased Reef Chili and now some Phytoplankton.

 

[blackstallion]

I have a rather large Goni, probably 3-4 inch arms on it waving in the flow. Looks amazing! Every once in awhile it'll shrink down much like your photo for 2-3 days at a time. I always think its the end but then I come home from work and it looks great again. I don't do anything out of the ordinary routine prior to these instances nor do I do anything different while it's like that. Just sort of does it's own thing and bounces right back. Hopefully thats the case with yours. Good luck!

Mine used to do the same, but now has been on the decline for several weeks.

 

[boacvh]

If it was happy in the spot you had it and you haven't changed your light or your flow, personally I wouldn't touch it. Mine get moody sometimes for weeks, then come back in full force. Give it some time before rushing to move it.

 

[blackstallion]

You can see some black "sludge" on the skeleton, not sure what that is. And today I also noticed other opaque strand's coming off, sort of like when some coral extend strand's for feeding, almost like it was melting away. Every other coral in the tank is doing well, so I don't think my Radions are to high (about 60% intensity with blue and violet at 100%).

Water parameters this morning were: pH 8.2, Alk 9.2, Ca 423, Mag 1460. Last I checked a couple days ago Nitrates were right around 1-2ppm and Phosphates around 0.04ppm. Water temp is 79.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Goni doesnt look that bad. Black stuff you mention may be expelling of zooxanthellae
For feeding, suspend feeding is best as these corals also tend to curl up if touched by food particles from direct feeding. They may also stay closed if you have fish that are constantly rubbing against them. Foods for them are phytoplankton, oyster eggs, and sometimes brine shrimp.

 

[Auto-pilot]

Hmmmm the only thing I can think of is maybe your water is too clean for it. Goni's are usually found in lagoons or dirty water from what I have read; my tank is Dirty in comparison to yours. I have Nitrates at 10-20 and phosphates at .08 to .15 ppm.

 

[blackstallion]

Hmmmm the only thing I can think of is maybe your water is too clean for it. Goni's are usually found in lagoons or dirty water from what I have read; my tank is Dirty in comparison to yours. I have Nitrates at 10-20 and phosphates at .08 to .15 ppm.

Yea, interestingly enough, when my water had 0 nitrates and phosphates several months ago during a 3 month fallow period, it was doing its best with full extension! I then started dosing Brightwells Neonitro and NeoPhos in hopes "dirtier" water would help it even more... although I can't link the dosing of these to its slow decline. I'm hopeful feeding it Seachem Phytoplankton will help it begin recovery.

 

[blackstallion]

Goni doesnt look that bad. Black stuff you mention may be expelling of zooxanthellae
For feeding, suspend feeding is best as these corals also tend to curl up if touched by food particles from direct feeding. They may also stay closed if you have fish that are constantly rubbing against them. Foods for them are phytoplankton, oyster eggs, and sometimes brine shrimp.

Yea, I have noticed target feeding him has caused him to retract, so I try to suspend the food around him with low or no flow.

In the spot I moved him into the tank 2 weeks ago my Yellow Tang is constantly agitating him, so that could be exacerbating the condition.

 

[HuduVudu]

Gonipora need iron and manganese.

 

[Stuartmercer]

Props to this guy for giving us perameters without us asking.

 

[Auto-pilot]

Cool I dose iron and manganese but for my algae not for Goni