Anyone have good/bad success with a red flower pot coral?

[Brenden]

Just wondered if anyone has tried these.

 

[DragonForce]

I currently have a green one that is doing great. I have heard many bad things about flower pots and their survival rates. Mine has actually grown back some in some of the spots that had died off when I made the purchase at the LFS. I couldn't imagine the red kind being anymore difficult?

 

[HoopsGuru]

If no one chimes in here, you may want to contact Mark on the staff of RC, he has a very large red Goniopora.

"JENnKERRY" also are getting pretty knowledgeable on them and have part of their site dedicated to them: http://www.reefcraze.com/

 

[ZoozFishMaster]

As far as I know, the red goniopora is a little hardier than the green variety. I had a red goni for about three years in a 7 gallon nano tank under 28 W PC lighting. It seemed to thrive and I actually thought it may have been growing back it some spots that had receded at the LFS. The nano tank had no skimmer, with 10% partial water changes weekly. If I had to guess, nitrates were probably approaching 20 ppm.

After about 3 years, I moved the goni to a larger system (50 gallon) under 192 W PC lighting, that utilized a skimmer and macroalgae refugium. Nitrates in this system were undetectable. After the move, I began directly feeding the goni phytoplankton and cyclopeeze. It quickly began to deteriorate and it was dead within a few weeks. From what I have read and gathered, gonioporas may actually do better in systems that have higher nutrients. This is the only reason I can come up with regarding why it thrived in the 7 gallon, but not in the 50. HTH.

 

[Brenden]

Thanks hoops. I read there info. They swear by liquid life.

 

[ZoozFishMaster]

As far as I know, the red goniopora is a little hardier than the green variety. I had a red goni for about three years in a 7 gallon nano tank under 28 W PC lighting. It seemed to thrive and I actually thought it may have been growing back it some spots that had receded at the LFS. The nano tank had no skimmer, with 10% partial water changes weekly. If I had to guess, nitrates were probably approaching 20 ppm.

After about 3 years, I moved the goni to a larger system (50 gallon) under 192 W PC lighting, that utilized a skimmer and macroalgae refugium. Nitrates in this system were undetectable. After the move, I began directly feeding the goni phytoplankton and cyclopeeze. It quickly began to deteriorate and it was dead within a few weeks. From what I have read and gathered, gonioporas may actually do better in systems that have higher nutrients. This is the only reason I can come up with regarding why it thrived in the 7 gallon, but not in the 50. HTH.

 

[DragonForce]

You know, when my nitrates hit around 20 ppm my flowerpot was probably the most open it had ever been, same with my bubble coral.

 

[JG]

I have a green one, which seems to be doing fine. I do not run a skimmer, so thre is plenty of organics for feeding. I ran across an article discussing the merits of feeding it Tang poop. So with my turkey baster in hand, I tried it out. They do seem to go wild for the stuff. I also occasionally will feed it daphnia.

 

[afilter]

A few months ago I saw a couple for a good price at LFS and almost bought one. Fortunately the LFS employee knowing I was faily new to corals encouraged me to do a bit of research first (lost the sale, but I go back for honesty). After looking it up I decided not to due to reputation for being difficult.

If you get one let me know how it goes. They still have them at the LFS and look like they are doing well under less than ideal lighting.