Goniopora What are your sucess stories and failures?

[sub trate]

I made the attempt to discuss this earlier.....Mixed my opinions on some people in with the last post. And the Reefkeeping Taliban or Hitler or comunist(wichever you choose) decided to close the post before the actuall topic was disscussed.......So I am actually wondering. What is your success stories or sad ending stories realteing to Goniopora? Please respond if you have had experiance....I dont really care what you have heard or been told I am wanting experiances....I am just curiouse to know...-Sub

 

[Bodine]

When I first started in this hobby about ten years ago, this species was common and cheap.

Kinda like buying a flower arangement(pun noted)
Looked great for a while but died. I bought several and they all lasted anywhere from six months to a year. Havent owned one for at least five years.
Much has changed since then. Gone are the days of wet/drys and ozone.
DSB, refugiums, DT`s, fedding...etc.....Perhaps one day we can keep these.
Right now my opinion is.....
For the one success story, there are 100 who will die......

 

[Roadrunner]

I've had 2 in my 3 years of reefkeeping. I have just about everything in my tank from SPS to a sun coral that many don't have luck with. Both Goniopora looked great when I bought them and slowly died back over 6 months. Even my LFS jokes with me now how they are great sellers but they always die in 6 months or so......makes great repeat business......RR

 

[Carpentersreef]

I got one 2 1/2 years ago, and it declined until I found a few small worms burrowing into the skeleton from underneath. Got out my Dewalt cordless and drilled the little buggers out. Didn't seem to make much difference, and the goni was still receding. Changed the location to one where the water kinda churned, and the goni started to come back. It's still hanging in there, but since I've cleaned and re-arranged my LR, I've yet to find the new sweet spot.

Don't worry, I will!
What's really frustrating, is that my LFS has his goni's producing new babies regularly!

Mitch

 

[MaryHM]

I just got some aquacultured Gonioporas from the Marshall Islands. I'm going to hold on to a couple and see how they do over the course of several months.

 

[dmentnich]

My first or second coral was a gonipora (the LFS told me that it was an easy to keep coral.

) Anyhow, I have had it 8 mos now and though it is not thriving it is looking a bit better than the day I bought it. It is happy no matter where it is in the tank and it has been in a dskimmerless tank since I got it. I realize that one year is the bench mark so I'll just wait and see. With that being said I would not buy another until more is known about their requirements and care.

 

[Ben1]

I have never tried one but hav seen one thriving in the tank of RichK, his reproduce by dropping off buds as well. He has had his for many years.

 

[Chucker]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by sub trate:
<strong>I made the attempt to discuss this earlier.....Mixed my opinions on some people in with the last post. And the Reefkeeping Taliban or Hitler or comunist(wichever you choose) decided to close the post before the actuall topic was disscussed.......</strong><hr></blockquote>

I am not responsible for the content of the previous thread, only its closure. I cannot say that I am fond of the Hitler or Taliban references either. That being said, this thread stays open as long as the topic stated in the original post is retained, and flames are not visible.

 

[gka]

I had a goniopora for about a year and just removed it from my tank a couple of weeks ago. It did fantastic for about six months. It then went on a gradual decline until I removed it. It started with not as much extension on the polyps and ended with significant tissue recession to the point that there was no hope. I posted several times regarding this and the one item that seemed consistent was that goniopora that people said did well were in lightly skimmed (or not at all) tanks. The beginning of the downturn for mine started just after a Skimmer upgrade on my tank - may just be coincidence but it's a data point.

 

[Scott D Passe]

Hi All,

I am on of those who has had some long term success (5+Years) with Gonipora.

I also attribute this success to my systems, which were un-skimmed, and featured a DSB in the main tank and a algae filtered mud bed sump.

I still steer people away from this coral in general, but believe that we are closing in on systems capable of supporting them.

Regards,

Scott

[ December 20, 2001: Message edited by: Scott D Passe ]</p>

 

[fish tales]

Well mine did fine for about 8 months and then slowly withered up and then died. I keep the skeleton in the tank to remind myself about buying things that I shouldn't.
Jeff

 

[reefer madness1]

It would help if people would tell us what kind of goni they have(had). I bought the blue/green type early on after being told they were fairly hardy. They obviously arent and I think this is the type that most peopple are reporting failures with. I now have a brown branching goni and also a red one. Almost a year later both are doing quite well in a heavily skimmed tank.

 

[JeremyR]

FWIW,

RichK's tank is heavily skimmed.. but also heavily fed. I think saying a skimmerless thick DSB or ATS tank is an ideal habitat is simplistic at best, because I know people with all of those that have failed miserably with gonio. I do however know a good number of people having success and growth with alveopora...

 

[Chucker]

Another note on RichK's tank- he is one of the few people I know that runs a plenum.