Is anyone successful with gonis with filter socks?

[Miami Reef]

I’m trying to understand why I’m struggling with almost all my goniopora.

Ps, do not suggest manganese/iron, it had NO effect whatsoever.

I use 100 micron filters socks cleaned twice a week

I use a large protein skimmer


I also use strong T5 lighting. I probably need to remeasure par, but it’s probably around 250 par at the bottom where the gonis are.

I bought one as a small rainbow frag. It grew, but now it’s shrunk and looks really bad. Almost all my Goniopora are receding in some place.

Acros, clams, and trachyphyllia, and euphyllia are doing great.

Parameters:
Alk 9
PO4 0.08ppm
NO3 5.5ppm

@Big E Please offer me advice.

 

[Miami Reef]

I bought it around September 2022

This is it throughout the year

The last photo was September 2023

Why did it last basically a year? Why does it look so ugly now? I still use the same lights. I still use filter socks. I’m SO confused.

The green one on the bottom? I only had it for a few short months. They are all doing bad at the exact same time. It makes me feel like something is wrong with the tank.

I just send out my first ICP MS (Oceamo) today. I’ll update with the ICP results. I am so frustrated and am beating myself up. Why am I failing?

 

[JGT]

I have about 40 gonis. All doing pretty well for 3+ years. Most have grown and spread onto the rock. I have 200 micron filter socks changed weekly, large skimmer and UV. I also dose Manganese regularly and iron every so often. I run my nitrates around 20-25 Alk around 8.5 and po4 between .08-.12. Dose phyto once or twice a week as well.
Don’t think yours look that bad. I have noticed they are very reactive to changes in no3 and po4. Had 1 that was orange and due to a rise in PO4, turned purple. Similar situation with pink one that bleached almost white then came back after I lowered no3 and po4.

 

[Seansea]

I feel ya bro. I just lost 2 out of the blue died over 3 days. Have no idea why. Getting good coral growth on all my other stuff but not sure why the gonis. Just bought 2 aquacultured ones but they were short tenacle. Dont look as cool as my last ones.

 

[Miami Reef]

Dose phyto once or twice a week as well.

What type of phyto? How much par are yours getting?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

have you double checked salinity in a while?

maybe just more food types, have you tried benepets reef food?

 

[V_Sh]

I’m trying to understand why I’m struggling with almost all my goniopora.

Ps, do not suggest manganese/iron, it had NO effect whatsoever.

I use 100 micron filters socks cleaned twice a week

I use a large protein skimmer


I also use strong T5 lighting. I probably need to remeasure par, but it’s probably around 250 par at the bottom where the gonis are.

I bought one as a small rainbow frag. It grew, but now it’s shrunk and looks really bad. Almost all my Goniopora are receding in some place.

Acros, clams, and trachyphyllia, and euphyllia are doing great.

Parameters:
Alk 9
PO4 0.08ppm
NO3 5.5ppm

@Big E Please offer me advice.

Hi,

did you change the amount of circulation? or any change in wave makers? did you change their position? or add any new rock near them?

I have little experience with goniopora but I've seen many lost them because of changes in water circulation and changing their place

 

[Miami Reef]

have you double checked salinity in a while?

maybe just more food types, have you tried benepets reef food?

Yes, my salinity is about 35ppt.

I have’t tried benepets, but I’ve heard good things about it.

 

[MrGisonni]

I have a green goni, purple and a laffy taffy. They are all way off to the sides of my lights. Less than 100 par on all of them,in moderate flow. I run a filter sock, skimmer and a tiny UV sterilizer in my sump. I feed a miniscule amount of reef roids to the tank occasionally. Alk around 9 nitrates 15-25 ppm. Not exactly sure of phosphates right now waiting for a new Hanna checker.

 

[fodsod]

I have 6 Gonis on a single large rock all different colors and types (long and short tentacles). At least one is pouting every so often for no apparent reason. Most of the time they are doing what Gonis do. They get good flow and about 220-230 par in their current location. I run filter floss (polyfil) in place of filter socks.

I spot feed a mix of Goni power, Reef Roids and Benereef with Dinkins phyto once or twice a week. Normal range on parameters that one would expect to grow acros/SPS but also support LPS and softies.

My purple one was baseball sized then suddenly withdrew, bleached and almost died. Over a couple of days, I dipped it for pests, removed the vermetid snails that had collected around it on the rock, dipped it in Iodine and put it in the shade. It took about 6-7 months before I saw that it was ready for more par and slowly moved it back to it's original location. All total, probably a good 8-10 months before it fully recovered.

I've since had 2 other that withdrew for a week+ due to no reason that I could see so I did a similar approach over a few days. Dipped for pests, removed vermetid snails (I have a lot ) from the rock, dipped in Iodine and then left them alone (kept them in the same location since they weren't bleaching). All have recovered, some faster than others.

If you know your water quality is good/stable then I'd say look at pests (especially vermetid snails), try an Iodine dip and gently spot feed them at least once a week. Goni power is supposed to be designed with Gonis in mind. Marketing? Maybe, but it's an cheaper to try than buying a new Goni. Good luck.

 

[jkcoral]

Are you feeding them regularly? In my experience, feeding them twice a week has helped them thrive.

Also, are you running carbon? Back in the day when I had many, I had some chemical warfare going on between gonis, and the carbon helped out.

They are also moody and temperamental. Especially the wild ones that are relatively new to captivity. Maybe it isn’t happy anymore with the flow and light in the spot it’s sitting? Maybe you could try moving it to a lower light/lower flow area for a bit and see if it perks up

 

[Miami Reef]

I wrote this on another forum:

I am a carbon doser. I dose vinegar.

I do regular water changes and dose manganese and iron.

I dosed Tropic Marin K+

No difference.

I really don’t think carbon and trace elements are the issue.

I sent off an ICP MS to Oceamo. If any element comes undetectable, I will highly consider dosing them. I broadcast BRS Reef Chilli 1-3 times per week. I think it worked better when I target fed them?

I’m really at a loss. Here’s what I think could be causing my issues:

Lighting too strong
Not feeding enough/proper foods
Some trace element is depleted or too elevated

 

[fodsod]

I run Chemipure Elite pretty much all the time and I dose NOPOX and TM AFR also for my 90g that has the Gonis. My lighting is a ReefBreeders Photon V2 pro. Forgot to add those earlier.

 

[JGT]

What type of phyto? How much par are yours getting?

It’s live phyto. Grow my own. I have pods living in it as well so I does both phyto and pods in one shot. Don’t know par but I have 7 xr15s over an 8’ tank but I have gonis at the bottom, middle and top all doing well. Flow is fairly brisk as well.

 

[mizimmer90]

I wrote this on another forum:

I am a carbon doser. I dose vinegar.

I do regular water changes and dose manganese and iron.

I dosed Tropic Marin K+

No difference.

I really don’t think carbon and trace elements are the issue.

I sent off an ICP MS to Oceamo. If any element comes undetectable, I will highly consider dosing them. I broadcast BRS Reef Chilli 1-3 times per week. I think it worked better when I target fed them?

I’m really at a loss. Here’s what I think could be causing my issues:

Lighting too strong
Not feeding enough/proper foods
Some trace element is depleted or too elevated

But have you tried praying to the Goni Gods?

 

[Miami Reef]

It’s live phyto. Grow my own. I have pods living in it as well so I does both phyto and pods in one shot. Don’t know par but I have 7 xr15s over an 8’ tank but I have gonis at the bottom, middle and top all doing well. Flow is fairly brisk as well.

What species of phyto?

 

[Jimbo662]

I've struggled with goni's in the past too. I've currently got 4 of them. Earlier this year I started dosing manganese and iron based on an ICP test. They've all been doing good since that point. About a month ago I started dosing live phyto and I'm starting to see growth in all of them.

 

[JGT]

Not sure. Started with a multi-species blend but then as you cultivate your own it becomes the 1 dominant species so whichever is the most dominant that’s what I’ve got.

 

[Miami Reef]

I've struggled with goni's in the past too. I've currently got 4 of them. Earlier this year I started dosing manganese and iron based on an ICP test. They've all been doing good since that point. About a month ago I started dosing live phyto and I'm starting to see growth in all of them.

What manganese and iron product do you dose?

 

[dwest]

I’ve tried gonis a few different times in my 30 year reefing history. I’ve never had good luck with them for an extended period of time. I believe my reluctance to spot feed corals may be one of the reasons for my lack of success.