Alveopora help

[Leighton79]

GHA = Green hair algae

[kay-bee19]

Originally Posted by Leighton79

They are known to do poorly in captivity, just like the relative goniopora.

Alveopora was one of the first corals I had gotten when I entered the SW hobby in 2006. I didn't research this coral and took the LFS worker's word when he said that alveopora was hardy and very easy to keep.

I originally had gone there to get some mushrooms and zoanthids but they were having a 'buy 2 corals get one free' sale so I ended up getting the alveopora as the free coral.

I then learned of this coral's difficulty.

Mine did great and looked like this for about a year....


...before going into a 6-month downward irreversible spiral of declining health (starting with little polyp extension, then no polyp extension, followed by tissue recession).

[Gregcoyote]

These were once considered the hardiest of corals to keep...because they took a while to die. I have heard they like turbid water and the our reef water is too pure for them. Maybe that's a wives tale, but I never had any long term luck with them. I am sure there are folks here that have had some success with them, but I didn't and I can grow just about anything I want to (within some limits!).

[Tmyboy]

Originally Posted by Rich42082

Great it's one of my favorite corals by far. Has anyone had any luck with this coral?

I love my alveapora. It was one of my very first corals and while it was a little finicky to start......hes been doing very well ever since.

I have noticed that if I move him at all, he sulks for about 2 days, but always comes right back.

I do think theyre fairly tough though because when I first had him in the tank, he gor knocked over bt a large turbo right into the middle of my torch coral below. I freaked out and he stayed fully closed for over a week. I thought I was gonna lose him, but he did come back just fine. Even the section pf him that was literally bathing in the torch came back. I was shocked.

Good luck buddy.

[Rich42082]

Well no luck yet. I moved it and changed lighting schedule but still no luck. It turned into a neon green color. It opens a little bit but nowhere as near as it did when I first got it.

[Rich42082]

What's wrong with this picture?









No luck with my alveopora coral. I've tried moving it to a lower light lower flow and nothing. All my other corals are doing great. All levels are good.

[Rich42082]

Has anyone experienced the same with this coral. It changed to a neon green and won't fully open. It's been like this for a little over a month.

[Rich42082]

It's almost dead. Should I remove it from my tank?

[Flreefer]

I'd just let it ride, if it takes a deuce, it will make a nice piece of live rock! . I've gotten a couple pieces of my live rock that way, and I'm sure I'm not the only one!

[Sniperhank]

If it is anything like the flowerpot, any minor injury will end up leading to its death. It is very obviously bleaching and doing so quickly...if nothing was changed I am looking at that large gash on top of it that might have been the fatal blow. This might not have even occured while you owned it, but it most def is not natural.

I agree with leaving it in and having a nice new piece of LR. I have several dead corals that now help me out with that. Sorry can't be of any help, but I know the feeling. I have 500 bucks of 3 show quality corals that were nuked in my tank sitting in the sun on my porch that will at some point become bases for future coral. Much easier way to get LR than that...

The only other option on its death would be the cause of your algae issues. I'm sure your nitrates and phosphates are testing 0 right now, but it would be the cause of the growth. Do you run any GFO or a refugium? If not, it will help that get in check as will weekly water changes after physical removal of some of the algae/scrubbing it.

[Rich42082]

Yes I have a phosban reactor and a refugium sump. Not sure what picture you are looking at but I hardly have any algae.

[Sniperhank]

Well dont see it in that picture. So, back to that gash as the cause of death.