GONIOPORA CORAL CARE OVERVIEW

• LIGHT: MODERATE (100-200 par) is what we find best. It is important to keep in mind that it is far easier to damage coral with too much lighting so in our opinion when it comes to lighting, less is often more for LPS corals. You can learn more about Lighting and it's overall impact on your reef tank in our article Lighting and your Reef Tank

• FOOD: We don't feel that Goniopora corals require any special feeding regimen. They will catch and consume most food particles in the water column. Like most corals they capture nutrients from the water and will do best when supplied a healthy amount of food. Our method is high import, high export. You can learn more about Feeding and Filtration in our article Feeding, Filtration and your Reef Tank.

• FLOW: MODERATE. Goniopora Corals benefit from moderate water movement which will be enough to keep the coral clean of any detritus and debris while bringing food to its many polyps. Enough flow should be provided that the Goniopora's polyps gently sway back and forth while allowing them to inflate to their maximum. Too much flow, especially direct flow, can cause damage to the corals tissue or an inability to capture food. You can read more about Flow and its overall impact on your reef tank in our article Flow and your Reef Tank

• DIFFICULTY: MODERATE-ADVANCED. There are few corals quite as beautiful as Goniopora. Many people like to add these to their reef tanks due to the movement and beauty they provide. That said, there have been mixed results in keeping Goniopora long term. More recently, success has been found although we would still rate this coral as moderate to advanced care. They are susceptible to many coral diseases like white band disease and brown jelly or other infections. Wild colonies will often have dead skeleton exposed at their base (which is like that when they are collected) due to being buried in the substrate.  Goniopora prefer to be placed on the sand bed but must be kept clean of debris. Like with all corals, specimens have been seen to do well in captivity when the right combination of Food/Light/Flow and Filtration are achieved. 

• PRICE: MODERATE. Goniopora aren't the most readily available in aquaculture varieties although there have been a few successes with more and more found each day. For the most part large colonies are imported and fragged then sold directly to the consumer. These frags often do not have the best outlook for the long term. Found in many color varieties from varying shades of green from mint to neon, dark red, bright red, pink and every shade between and even metallic/rainbow varieties have been seen. Due to their limited aquaculture availability, slow growth rate, and difficult long term success the prices tend to be high.

• COLLECTION ZONE: Indo-Pacific

• SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Goniopora, often called flowerpot coral, is a genus of colonial stony coral found in lagoons and turbid water conditions. Goniopora have numerous daisy-like polyps that extend outward from the base, each tipped with 24 stinging tentacles which surrounds a mouth.
  

• AGGRESSION: PEACEFUL. We have not noticed any aggressive tendencies from Goniopora coras. Still, ample room should be provided for health and success. We suggest that you aim for 2-3" apart from other types of corals.

• NATURAL TEMPERATURE: 82 °F / 28 °C  although most corals can adapt and survive in temps as low as 77 degrees and as high as 84 degrees. You can read more about temperature and how it affects your reef tank in our article Temperature and your Reef Tank.

• PH: Recommend 8.0-8.4, we tend to run around 8.2-8.3 over 24 hours. You can read more about pH in our article pH and your Reef Tank

• NITRATE: 5-10, try to keep stable. You can read more about nitrate and our approach to maintaining it in our article Nutrients and your Reef Tank

• PHOSPHATE: 0.05-0.1, try to keep stable. You can read more about Phosphate and our approach to maintaining it in our article Nutrients and your Reef Tank

• ALKALINITY: Recommend 8-9 dKh. You can read more about how we maintain our alkalinity in our article Alkalinity, Calcium and your Reef Tank

• CALCIUM: Recommend 400-450. You can read more about how we maintain our calcium in our article Alkalinity, Calcium and your Reef Tank
  

More About Goniopora Corals

Goniopora, often called "Flowerpot Coral" or "Daisy Coral" is a large polyp stony (LPS) coral found in lagoons and turbid water conditions. Goniopora have numerous daisy-like polyps that extend outward from the base, each tipped with 24 tentacles which surround a mouth. Goniopora Corals come in a variety of colors including pinks, greens, creams, tans, and grays. Goniopora belong to the Poritidae family.

Goniopora are sensitive corals that when probed will usually contract. Goniopora can thrive in a wide range of lighting, depending on species. High lighting is not recommended. We recommend 100-150 PAR.  Goniopora corals must also have some water movement so their polyps can move freely. However, it should not be directed right at the polyps or the movement might be too vigorous and could damage the flesh of the coral. One of my favorite things about Goniopora is the beautiful movement they can add to your reef tank with their billowing polyps.

Through their symbiotic relationship with a photosynthetic algae, known as zooxanthellae, they receive many of their nutrients. They also filter-feed on the nutrients in the water column. It is a good idea to provide them with additional foods like microplankton or other foods designed for filter-feeding invertebrates. There must be adequate amounts of calcium and iron in the tank to help their skeletal development. Make sure to monitor your water levels.

Placement of your Goniopora in your reef tank is also important. When placing Goniopora they must have enough room to grow. Goniopora can be aggressive and will sting other corals with their sweeper tentacles.