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Flowerpot coral

Started by Mike62, July 11, 2012, 07:25:07 AM

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Mike62

About a week and a half ago, without doing some research, I added a green flowerpot coral to my tank, seeing as in the LFS, the clowns seemed to be trying to use it as a host. Since then, I have discovered that this coral is probably one of the hardest corals to keep alive in a tank.  :( Serves me right for not doing my research.
However, does anyone on the board have any experience with this kind of coral, and can give me some tips so that I can try to keep it alive. As well, there seems to be a tiny bit of algae growing on top of the coral, is this safe, and if it isnt, would it be harmful to the coral if I were attempt to gently pluck it off?
Life is full of questions. Chocolate is the answer.

NanoSF

There hasn't been any consistent advice on what keeps Alveapora and Goniapora alive in aquariums. People even argue about amount of flow and light with little consistency in findings. It seems at this point to be somewhat luck based success with them. Overall there is very little success. Algae is usually the first sign they are not going to make it. That and they start coming out shorter and shorter in length. I would say let it close up by disturbing it and then clean the algae. Tissue damage is not the problem with these corals so cleaning is better IMO. If you have Alveapora (less petals on the "flower") you have a better chance in general. Although I had a red Goniapora for a little over a year which isn't too bad, and my Alveapora only lasted 6 months. For me the tank I had the Goniapora in was not as clean and well kept as my current tank. So maybe they are like some softies and like a bit of nitrates or some other element in "dirty" water. Again it's all just a guessing game.

kole18

I've got my red flower pot from mscape a year ago it was only frag from about 7 heads starting from that it grew like crazy now it's like more tentecles than before. I would say the green 1 tend to be harder to keep than the red 1, really my fluorescent green flower didn't last long in my tank. Lps i'd find a bit dirty water it will do well.

az

feed reefroids or phytoplan and it will never die but grow.
if you want to clean algae you can, just make sure to close it up.

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NanoSF

You always say that AZ, but you may be one of the lucky ones. I feed both Phyto and reefroids and it did grow at first. Looked great for a while then all of a sudden it starts to come out less and less. Most of the time you don't have the corals for long enough to see what happens after a year or more AZ  :)

Pete did you have yours for more than a year yet?

az

ok less coming out after a while is water quality/flow/light/temp related, if you are saying there is no food then you should see slow death starting from the bottom. I must add I also use fine part of spirulina brine esp on those tanks more.
AQUA VALLEY    
1158 Ogilvie Road, Ottawa

2016 Hours
Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri >> 12-7pm
Sat, Sun >> 11-5pm
Mon >> CLOSED
Tel: 613 695 6961 Fax: 613 695 6532  
www.aquavalley.ca

Ottawa's BIGGEST SALTWATER Selection

Tel: 613 695 6961 Fax: 613 695 6532     www.aquavalley.ca

redbelly

I visited the Fauna Marin coral facility while I was at Interzoo in Germany and never mind growing goniapora, they were propogating them.
Not propogation via fragging...
The colonies were dropping single polyps baby frags and Claude was growing them all out so he had single polyps frags all the way up to golf ball sized colonies.

I have not developed the pics from my visit yet, but when I do I will post a pic.

Thunda

We've been lucky so far with ours... we have a couple different greens, about 7-8 months old which are doing well.

NjOyRiD

370g System

220g tank, 65g Sump. octopus Cone skimmer xp-5000, vertex zf-30 nitrate reactor, RX6 DUO Ca reactor, Mp60w Ecotech pump, 2x 400w MH XM bulbs 15k. All controlled with DA RKE-net controller, Water Blaster HY-3000 return pump, Vertex Zf-15/Carbon, Vertex Zf-15/GFO