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Goniopora Corals are Large Polyp Stony Corals - or LPS Corals.
These Corals grow in circular clumps and have stalks with Polyp heads and small tentacles at the end of each stalk.
This gives them an almost floral-like appearance, which is why they're often referred to as Flower Pot Coral, Sunflower Coral, or Daisy Coral.
Species of Goniopora can be found in the Persian Sea areas, the Indian Ocean, and various tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific Ocean. Various species live as far north as Hong Kong (where they are the dominant colonial non-Reef-building Coral) and southern Japan.
These Corals come in a variety of colors. The most common are green and brown, though they can be found in hues of pink, purple, blue, gray, teal, yellow, and cream. There is also a beautiful red variety that has recently become popular for both its stunning color and its hardiness.
This Coral does not get along well with others, and will try to sting and kill any other Coral in its vicinity, especially LPS Corals such as Frogspawn .
You also shouldn't place two different species of Goniopora in a tank together.
Additionally, you should place Goniopora Colonies in areas where they can spread their tentacles without coming in contact with other Corals.
These Corals can secrete a toxic chemical that will kill Colonies of a different species.
There are several different varieties of Goniopora Corals, all with different requirements when it comes to all aspects of tank conditions.
Lighting Requirement
Some species are highly sensitive to light and will need to be kept in more shadowed areas of your tank.
However, most Goniopora will do well in medium to high light.
These Corals are Photosynthetic so they generally need a good, strong source of light. It is possible to expose them to too much light, though, depending on the type of Goniopora you get and the requirements of the specific colony in your tank.
If you see signs of bleaching, try moving your Coral to a more dimly lit area of the tank.
Bleaching is when the color starts to fade from a Coral and can occur when a Coral is exposed to too much light, or experiences a rapid increase in light intensity without a suitable adjustment period.
A suitable PAR to target is probably about 100, +/- 20% (Range: 80-120)
Water Flow
Goniopora appreciate low to medium flow, but preferably with some randomness to it.
That way you will get that gentle waving motion which helps keep the Coral clean and brings food past the colony.
These Corals seem unusually sensitive to contact and will curl up their tentacles when touched by almost anything, including food particles and too-strong Water Flow.
If your Goniopora is struggling to open up, try moving it to an area of the tank with lower flow.
This Coral still needs a decent amount of current, though, in order to keep it clean and help carry food into its Polyps.
Because of this, you should never place your Goniopora in an area of the tank with little to no current.
If you see the tentacles violently thrashing about, that is probably too much flow and it would benefit from being relocated to a more calm section of the tank.
Water Parameters
Here are some quick stats about the ideal water chemistry for
Gonipora Coral care
- Hardness: 8-9 dkH
- Calcium: 400-450 ppm
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Salinity: 35 g/L
- Nitrates : 2,5 and 10 ppm
- Phosphates: 0,03-0,2
- Magnesium: 1200 - 1350
- Strontium: 8 - 10
- Temperature: 76° - 80° F
- Salinity / Specific Gravity: 1.023 - 1.025
Diet / Nutrition
Goniopora Coral is largely Photosynthetic.
Like many Corals, they have a Symbiotic relationship with Zooxanthellae, a marine algae that lives in the soft tissues of Corals and helps them convert light into Glucose, Glycerol, and Amino Acids in order to meet their Nutritional needs.
Most Goniopora will need additional feeding, though.
They usually do well with very small particles of food like Phytoplankton, oyster eggs, and sometimes brine Shrimp.
You can also try a liquid food specifically designed for these Corals.
For example, they can be directly fed with a syringe (avoiding a hard, straight flow into the polyps or that triggers them to close up) or food can be sprinkled on the top of the Tank and let to reach the Goniopora on its own.
However, direct feeding seems to work best.
Since Goniopora tend to retract easily, it's usually best to introduce food a little ways away from the Coral so the water stream will carry it to the Polyps instead of injecting the food directly above the heads.
Alternately, Plankton can be placed in the tank with all filtration systems off so the food does not get swept away.
The filters should be turned back on after one to two hours to keep the tank clean and livable for all of the creatures.
Fragging / Propagating
Goniopora can produce both sexually and asexually.
It is very difficult to get them to produce sexually in captivity, so your best bet for propagation is through the asexual development of daughter colonies.
This occurs when the original cluster of Goniopora starts to develop a smaller, secondary colony that will slowly grow out of the side of the original.
These daughter colonies can eventually break off on their own in time, but most enthusiasts prefer to break them apart manually (aka fragging).
Alveopora . What is the difference from Goniopora ?
Alveopora is a genus of colonial stony Corals in the family Acroporidae.
Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region and are often found on reef slopes in turbid water.
Alveopora are Large Polyp Stony (LPS) Corals that have numerous daisy-like Polyps that extend outward from the base, each tipped with 12 tentacles which surround a mouth.
They appear similar to Goniopora Corals, but Goniopora have 24 tentacles surrounding their mouths. Alveopora are known to be a bit more forgiving than Goniopora in the reef keeping hobby.
Alveopora has a very light and porous skeleton consisting of interconnecting rods and spines.
The colonies are either massive or branching and often have irregular shapes.
The corallites have walls that are very perforated and septa that are mostly composed of fine spines which may meet in the centre forming a tangle of columella.
The Polyps are large and fleshy and are normally extended both day and night. They have twelve tentacles, often with swollen knob-like tips.
They have Symbiotic Zooxanthellae in their tissues and are usually white, pale grey, cream or light brown, sometimes with contrasting coloured tentacles.
Alveopora can thrive in a wide range of lighting, depending on species.
High lighting is not recommended .
Somewhere around 100 - 150 PAR is more than sufficient for .
Alveopora Corals prefer moderate 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 .
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.
Placement of your Alveopora Coral in your Reef Tank is important.
When placing Alveopora they must have enough room to grow and move their tentacles.
