Help with Goniopora

[sundog101]

I've had my goniopora for about six months now and recently it's been going downhill. It's closed up most of the time and is fading in color. I've read that a lot start to decline after 6 months. It's placed in med/high light and medium flow. I have a 29g biocube with a kessil a160. I target feed dt oyster eggs every other day. I'm thinking my phosphate might be too low, but I'm not sure how to raise it. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

Parameters:
Nitrate- 1
Phosphate- 0
Calcium- 440
Alkalinity- 9

Here's a pic (ignore the bubble algea)

 

[Reefing Madness]

@Tahoe61

 

[surfnsalt]

Is that a toadstool leather in the background? If all parameters are in check and lighting and flow isn't an issue. I've read certain leathers give off toxins that can bother other corals and even slow growth in a small tank. Do you run carbon? I'm not saying that's your problem. Hopefully others with more experience chime in.

 

[buckroe07]

How clean is your water? Do you do water changes, protein skim, and use carbon? My experience with Goni's/ LPS corals is that they like dirtier water.

 

[cperry7467]

Check after lights out with a red light for amphipods. I had amphipods eating mine.

 

[sundog101]

Surfnsalt, that is a toadstool and I'm not running carbon. I'll do some more research on that.

How clean is your water? Do you do water changes, protein skim, and use carbon? My experience with Goni's/ LPS corals is that they like dirtier water.

I do a 2 gallon water every week and run an algae scrubber. No protein skimmer or carbon, but I do use chemi pure. Nitrate is around 1 and phosphate reads 0 on my Hanna checker.

Check after lights out with a red light for amphipods. I had amphipods eating mine.

I'll check for amophipods

 

[sundog101]

So over the past week I've cut down on feedings because of some algae issues. I checked for amphipods and I haven't seen any on the coral. It's still not looking good... any other thoughts?

 

[cperry7467]

Do you run GFO? That's the only other thing I noticed with mine. I stopped GFO for a few weeks and then started running a reduced amount.

 

[frogman_reefer]

Check after lights out with a red light for amphipods. I had amphipods eating mine.

Eating them? Or cleaning them!? Never heard of an Amphipods eating a flower pot

 

[cperry7467]

Eating them? Or cleaning them!? Never heard of an Amphipods eating a flower pot

Again, my theory is there was dead tissue and they ate that but in turn hurt live tissue. I put mine on a frag rack up off the ground and the damage stopped immediately. Only other thing I did was stop GFO.

 

[frogman_reefer]

Again, my theory is there was dead tissue and they ate that but in turn hurt live tissue. I put mine on a frag rack up off the ground and the damage stopped immediately. Only other thing I did was stop GFO.

I haven't ever heard of them eating a coral. Now, they do eat micro fauna and maybe it was cleaning. But I would think the GFO and the system being too clean would have been more the issue, but then again. Nothing is impossible in this hobby!

Glad it healed up!

 

[cperry7467]

I haven't ever heard of them eating a coral. Now, they do eat micro fauna and maybe it was cleaning. But I would think the GFO and the system being too clean would have been more the issue, but then again. Nothing is impossible in this hobby!

Glad it healed up!

I've seen them eat my Goni and stylophora first hand. Prime example, I had a large stylo frag on the frag rack for probably a month, just fine. Put in on the rocks and the next morning half an inch of eaten tissue. Had to take it out, cut it in two frags and put it back on the frag rack. Again, no tissue loss since being on the rack. I'd be happy to document it if someone wants to give me $30 to cover my stylo frag that will die.

 

[robert]

Six months is pretty typical for many of the longer tentacle variety green...if they don't infect with brown jelly - they slowly fade, quit extending and recede, exposing more and more of the skeleton.

I doublt it is that the water is too clean judging by the other corals you keep and the bubble algae.
My guess is that its not clean enough - It could be allelopathy, bacteria or lack of some yet to be determined micro nutrient. But I would guess bacteria and allelopathy.

For most corals that are fading (bleaching) and shrinking, I would suggest less light and flow - but for gonnies I've found the reverse usually buys the most time - more flow and maybe higher light. I've had short tentacle reds which have come back around the edge to regain health but unfortunately never a green long tentacle.

As far as pods eating them - I wouln't be surprised to see pods on infected tissue. I've not seen pods on a healthy goni - not saying it doesn't happen - just never have seen it.

 

[frogman_reefer]

I've seen them eat my Goni and stylophora first hand. Prime example, I had a large stylo frag on the frag rack for probably a month, just fine. Put in on the rocks and the next morning half an inch of eaten tissue. Had to take it out, cut it in two frags and put it back on the frag rack. Again, no tissue loss since being on the rack. I'd be happy to document it if someone wants to give me $30 to cover my stylo frag that will die.

I believe you. Just never heard of it. But I haven't heard of a lot of things . I'll watch that in my tanks too cause I have 30,000 Copepods and Amphipods in my tanks for my mandarin, CBB and scooter blenny. Maybe they keep them under control.

Thanks for the info

 

[sundog101]

Robert, I'll tweak the lighting a little and see if that helps. Do you think a dip would be beneficial?

 

[robert]

If there is brown jelly then yes - but otherwise no. If its the slow wasteing away - where the tentacles quit extending - the colony pales and eventually becomes a skin with holes developing - then its starved and likely won't recover. At least thats been my experience. Gonis are beautiful corals - but they can be very tough to keep. Reds are easier and short tentacles are easier still. But if you like the look and color - Alevoparoa - are pretty close and can be much easier long term.

 

[hsingh]

- The carbon/gfo comments struck a chord with an issue that i am having with Red Gonipora. I recently made 2 changes to my tank, moved my Wav pumps to the rear of the tank and then also added a gfo & carbon reactor. This was in addition to a gfo reactor that i already had. Noticed my gonipora go down rapidly. Initially i thought it was the flow as it was on the high side (though i read that gonipora likes high flow), but now thinking that it might be the carbon perhaps water is too clean?
my parameters are:
Parameters:
Nitrate- 10
Phosphate- 0.1
Calcium- 482
Alkalinity- 7.9

-note i have been working on bringing my nitrates up as my cheato in the refugium was just not growing, Managed to bring it up to 10 from 2.5, wondering if that is the cause?

 

[BeejReef]

I hate it when there are two changes at once. I'm not talking about you either... about me.
You finally get a few hours to work on the tank and you're supposed to just fix one issue?? lol.

What was your phosphate level before you started GFO? Stuff can be potent and a big swing can affect livestock as much as the ultimate level.

Only you can judge how much more flow it's getting now. If I'm guessing, I'm guessing gfo, but I'd still start with the powerheads. You could put them back right where they were and see if there's an improvement over the course of a few days or a week. If not, you probably have your answer.

FWIW, you're keeping nice parameters. I'd be surprised if a move up to 10N would do much.

How long has your goni been unhappy for?

Is the carbon in you reactor in there snug enough that it's not tumbling around?

 

[hsingh]

Hey Beejreef,
my phosphate levels were at 0.25, then i brought in the gfo and did some vodka dosing, and slowly brought it down to 0.1, But though out all this the gonipora seemed fine. Its just over last week that i saw my alveopora growing like crazy and the goni was not, so i looked at the stone it was on and saw some dead colonies. I have now moved its position so its in less flow (but still enough to move the heads). lets see what happens. Carbon is snug. Did a test again and saw that my nitrate levels have gone up to 25, finally starting to see growth in my cheato in the refugium. I am hoping this will grow and take all the phosphates and nitrates. Lets hope my gonipora grows back
I was checking my photos and on the 12th of September it was fine, seems to have gone down after the 2 changes. Let me roll back the pump changes and see if that makes things better

 

[hsingh]

Hey Beejreef,
Happy to report that the goniporanis now getting back to normal. Saw the changes within a day of switching off the gfo and carbon reactor. As this was a dual reactor, not sure If it was the gfo or carbon or both? I have a separate gfo reactor that I left running. Never expected this though? Any ideas?

thanks