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by Albert J. Thiel, Thiel Technologies
So far we have covered quite a few aspects of maintaining Goniopora Corals. I have listed many of the reasons hobbyists may fail and have made some recommendations in both Part I and II as to what should be done that may help prolong the life of this coral in captivity in our tanks.
Whereas in the previous two installments I have stressed water motion a great deal, I want to clarify this point a little: we want strong current so the tentacles move in all directions.
We do "not" want the current to be so strong that the tentacles bend and remain bent in one direction all the time. So, what we are really after is a strong swaying, thanks to good water motion. Permanent bending of the tentacles is not good and is not what we want.
Iodine supplementation is definitely going to help, if not because the coral needs it, then because of the antiseptic properties of it, especially because this coral is so prone to bacterial and other diseases. Monitor your levels regularly and make sure you keep them high. If you have a test try to keep them higher than NSW levels (0.065 mg/l). How much of your supplement you need to put in your aquarium depends on the strength of the one you use. There are several types on the market.
Whereas the corals may live in murky water, this does not mean that they do well in water where "nutrient" levels are high. Several authors, including P. Wilkens, suggest keeping the nitrate levels real low, as indicated in an earlier installment. More searches I did come up with the same suggestions, so my recommendation is to certainly watch your NO3 if you plan on keeping Goniopora. The level recommended goes from a high of 2 to 5 ppm. That is the total nitrate.
Dana Riddle suggests providing Goniopora with very high intensity lighting: two 250 Watt MHs supplemented by actinic lighting. He indicates that two 175 watts MHs and actinic lighting supplementation appears to be the minimum you can get by. This will provide the corals with between 200 and 600 mE (microEinsteins). You can read up more on lighting and photosynthetically active radiation in the series of articles that are based on my interviews with Dana which can be found on Thiel Technologies.
Dana is also of the opinion, as I indicated earlier myself, that supplemental feeding is necessary. Plankton appears to be a very important component of success with these corals. Delbeek and Sprung make the same suggestion.
I did some more research on the Ostreobium alga situation that Peter Wilkens brought up in a 1976 publication. Unfortunately based on the type of alga this is, an obligate symbiont, it is hard to endorse his statements. I checked references in various books on phycology and come up with the same result: the symbiont thrives well even under conditions of lighting with high wavelengths and thus low energy, which can only be seen as a positive factor and, in my opinion, not as a negative.
Since no definitive research on the impact of Ostreobium exists, at least not to my knowledge, it is difficult to make a recommendation or suggestions in this respect.
I will continue to investigate this and if I can find any substantiation for P. Wilkens' claims, I will certainly update this multi-part article.
Beware of predators. Bristleworms and some snails may damage your coral. Nudibranchs of the Aeolid type are often found on this coral too (Spurilla sp. type). These are small and drab and can easily hide amongst the tentacles. As such you may not see them when you buy your coral. Most Aeolid Nudibranchs are from colder waters but some do make it in the warmer waters where Goniopora is collected.
This is a good reason to really clean the coral well when you receive it, and before putting it into your tank. Rinse it well but do not touch the polyp or tentacles with your hands or fingers. Goniopora does not react well to this. Aeolid Nudibranchs found on this coral are greyish so they blend even more in between the tentacles. The better known Dorid types are very colorful but are not a concern here.
Besides a good cleaning I suggest bathing them in a SW bath to which iodine has been added as a preventative treatment against infections. Use a dosage about 2.5 to 3 times as high a NSW and leave the entire coral in it for about 3 to 4 minutes maximum.
Another suggestion is to place the coral lower in the tank if it does not open well. The darker types like less light and benefit from being in a less intense lighted spot. If it does not do well in a particular location move it and determine after a few days whether it is opening up more. It needs to to feed.
Keep Caulerpa algae away from this coral. It appears to be very sensitive to the toxins released by the alga.
If the coral starts to develop a lot of mucus a bacterial infection of the white toothpaste type may be the cause and it is imperative that you immediately rinse the coral and bathe it in iodine.
Never buy corals with missing polyps or bare spots of the skeleton visible. This is a diseased and damaged coral.
Note that the tentacles are actually extensions or outgrowths that come out of the large polyp that makes up the coral. This polyp stretches when expanded and is then very susceptible to being damaged.
Reproduction by small buds forming on the main colony and then detaching is observed in aquariums and is normally the manner in which hobbyists experience the reproduction of this coral.
Albert Thiel
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