I have a few interesting reads on Goniopora.
With this being one of the hardest of corals to keep, and yet it seems
to have the most appeal to new hobbyists, it is imperative that we learn
what makes this coral tick. If we don't we will surely loose this
beauty forever.
I have dedicated my last 6 years of the hobby to this
coral. I have much knowledge to share and will be writing an article
detailing everything that went on with my tank, and the
reproduction, as soon as i get my journals out of storage.
FlowerPot (Goniopora Lobata)
See reproduction pic
here and here
| Origin |
Indo-Pacific |

Taken with the DS-7 Digital Camera
Image copyright 2001 DETS.COM
|
| Lighting |
Moderate to High |
| Current |
Moderate-High (Keep tentacles swaying but not to the
point of "flapping" in the current) |
| Temperature |
74-80 |
| Hardiness |
3-4 |
| Aggression |
7 |
| Reproduction |
Sexual, but Probable Asexual Budding |
| Propagation |
?? |
Add your flowerpot to the database, or see the results
from other users. Please contact me at Rad@dets.com
if you have suggestions for additions to this database.
TAKE NOTE:
There are some notes that need to be heeded with this coral.
They are indeed hard to take care of. Here are a few things that I have
noticed over the last few years of keeping them. There CAN be good results
with this coral. Here are my findings.
(and I'm not saying this as truth, just my experience.)
1. They require fairly clean water. I have
found that ORP reading between 250 - 300 they like.
2. The water motion must be in a moderate flow, and it is best to have a
wavemaker. I have found that 45 seconds to 1 minute gives the best
results. It is also important not to have the "Arms/Tentacles"
perform a severe flapping motion. Slight flapping during the water
current change is fine. But not on a constant basis. Think
"Wafting" as guideline for current.
3. They do like intense light. No Goniopora should be kept without a
bare minimum of VHO lighting
4. And lastly be ever so careful of tips and falls. Snails can
easily push them off their base. I highly recommend an underwater
epoxy to help this coral stay in place.
5. Elegance corals seem to do this guy an injustice. With the
combination of the demands of the elegance for pristine water quality (ORP
325 - 350) and its aggressiveness, these two are not really suited as tank
mates, in tanks of 75 gallons or less. (In my experience)
You may also want to read up on an article
by Albert Thiel on Goniopora.