Scientific
Name: Goniopora sp.
Classification: LPS
Common Names: Flower Pot Coral, Goniopora Coral
Description:
Typically rounded or oblong colonies with polyps that have 24 tentacles.
Similar species Alveopora, always has 12 tentacles. Color most
often seen is green as seen in the baby above. Other more colorful
variations exist including pink and purple as shown above.
Veron: Colonies are usually
branching, columnar or massive but may be encrusting. Corallites
have thick but porous walls and calices are filled with compacted septa
and columellae. Polyps are long and fleshy and tentacles are
normally extended day and night. Polyps have 24 tentacles.
Different species have polyps of different shapes and colors.
Natural Environment:
Veron: Low to moderate current areas such as
lagoons and often associated with turbid water conditions.
Care:
Hardiness: Goniopora is delicate and
long term survival (>12 months) is probably less than 10%. Not
recommended for the beginning hobbyist, although success is as much luck
as skill at this point in our understanding of this coral. It does
appear that the more colorful short tentacled specimens, like the pink and
purple shown above are more hardy than the more common greenish brown versions with
long tentacles.
Lighting: Seems to like moderate lighting in general. Brightly
colored specimens seem to like the highest
intensity lighting. The specimens above are all kept 24" under 400W 10K MH
lamps.
Water Current: Seem to prefer moderate water motion which keeps their
polyps gently waving in the water current.
Temperature: Does well within a range of at least 77º to 84º F
Aggressiveness: Appears to be low.
Feeding: Goniopora is photosynthetic and does not take any
known foods. The method of death when a specimen dies is usually a
long period of decline that may be caused by nutritional deficiency.
What is lacking is unfortunately so far unknown. Its natural
habitat of turbid lagoons indicates that it may benefit from less than
pristine water.
Supplements:
Maintaining correct calcium and alkalinity levels is undoubtedly important for
skeletal development
Tank Positioning:
Best positioning is in moderate water flow, in a moderate to high light area of the
tank.
