# Indo Pacific Goniopora Care



## rrutter81

Ok so I saw a flower pot coral at the LFS and it was on it's way out. I know he doesn't care for his corals and fish much as he feels either they make it or dont. I'm also hesitant on his advice due to the fact forums contradict a lot that he says.

So this Flower Pot coral is looking so bad, a bit of his skeleton is showing on the top and 1 stalk was out a few millimeters while the rest were inside the skeleton with the polyps hanging out. It looked like a furry baseball to be honest.

I thought, "well, he isnt going to make it anyway so lets see if I can nurse him back to health." Unfortunately my iphone was dead, so I could not research this difficult coral to keep as I still have my doubts.

I dumped half a bottle of phytofeast in my tank and introduced him and he blew up like a balloon (obviously to stress or something) and then quickly deflated again looking sadder than ever....

The LFS told me to put him in moderate to high flow, and lighting didnt matter since they flourish wherever you put them. (rigggghhhttt)



I mixed some cyclopeeze in a shot glass of tank water (with a little squirt of phytofeast), turned off all my powerheads and let them land on the flowers shown as such....




At this point above, he looks the same way I originally got him. There was virtually no change, and I shut off all the lights to give him some peace and quiet until morning.

Again, I swished in some cyclopeze in a shot glass of water with phytofeast, filled the syringe with 10ml of the concoction and scared my peppermint shrimp out of the way doing so.
At this point I am getting worried so I moved the coral back a little bit more as the current sometimes had a bit of turbulance that would retract the polyps. At the end of the day though, i started to see some stalks emerge.... cool

Today....
This goniopora is turning brown (supposedly from growing zooanthelae?) on the tips and one stalk where the dead looking spot is completely brown, devoid of all color. I found on another forum the same exact goniopora (with better pictures) and was asking the question if it was dyed as that was what instantly came to mind. Seeing the exact species, I felt a bit relieved as the goniopora does not have a dyed skeleton.

Here is what he looks like today....

(Sorry about the quality of the pictures and brightness, it is very difficult to snap a clear picture)





While I know Im not out of the woods, and that this coral needs ALOT of work to keep, I am fully aware I may have to give him to a better home (if one has high nutrients such as mine) as these corals rarely last the year mark, and mine is already in such a pitiful shape.

I'm so paranoid i'm feeding him 3-4x a day.

Some questions.....
I have observed that several times the goniopora will inflate like a brain coral balloon and then retract....only to have the stalks come out further. It appears almost like it is stretching it's stalks. Is this normal? 

Is the browning good like i saw on another forum? or is it going down the tubes?

The neon green is turning yellow as well. Is this good? bad? am i bleaching it?

Has anyone had any decent success with this coral?

My tank is a 215 gallon display with an 80 gallon refugium shown here

I have two mag 12s for each overflow, biopellet and GFO reactor, 30 lbs of miracle mud in the fuge with a ton of macroalgae and pods. (I have a mandarin goby), dual plug 150w 10k metal halides (3), two 54 watt t5 actinic, 3 maxijet 1200s in the DT, and an underperforming ASM G2 skimmer.

My water parameters are not ideal for a pristine reef but they are always stable.....

14 dKH
650 PPM Calcium
80 PPM Nitrate
0 PPM Nitrite
0 PPM Ammonia
1500 Magnesium
0 Phosphate (undetectable)
8.0 PH
1.024.5 Gravity
Temp 79-82

Definitely not the ideal saltwater tank as I overfeed the crap out of it. (fish fed morning and night)

(The elegance is another story as i may return him)


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## coralbandit

Can't really be specific about your coral but your nitrates and calcium are sky high for reef.Ca 450 max(aprox) and you need your nitrates to around 20 tops.
Depending on the lighting the coral was under when you got him your lighting could be stressing it also(bleaching?).


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## rrutter81

coralbandit said:


> Can't really be specific about your coral but your nitrates and calcium are sky high for reef.Ca 450 max(aprox) and you need your nitrates to around 20 tops.
> Depending on the lighting the coral was under when you got him your lighting could be stressing it also(bleaching?).


What will "sky high" calcium do that is detrimental?

Nitrates i have been fighting for a while.

The coral was under a 450 watt 20k bulb about 5 feet above the frag tank. TBH the 20k bulb made the colors "pop" more but my light looks WAY more intense maybe because i cant see it's spectrum or it was spread among the whole frag tank which was 3 ft by 3 ft roughly.

Both corals came from his frag tank that had 50 PPM nitrate.

He kept his SPS in the 5 PPM one.


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## coralbandit

Besides messing with your alkalinty and burning up your pumps,I have no solid knowledge of troubles from calcium.But upon further investigating 420 is the recommended high for it and even 500 is considered to high.I really imagine it isn't good for the corals(unless you have stoneys,and even keeping it high all the time for them isn't good).
Is your bio pellet running correctly.I use bio plastics and when they run right I have 10-20 nitrates.I don't feed nearly as much as you (and this could be source of your nitrates),but I feed like every 3 days sometimes only on weekends.I feed all my fresh water fish daily,but honestly besides everyone being hungry haven't had any issues or death from lower feedings.I originally started this feeding pattern on my 120 fowlr as all the fish in that tank will grow large and figured I could keep them longer if they grew slower.My lionfish and groupers are still growing pretty fast even though they are only fed 3 times a week max.


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## Reefing Madness

To much Calcium and the corals can't absorb it readily. Makes it to hard to use. Only clams, and I mean a bunch of them would be able to run down that amount of Calcium. 
I can't believe that a Goni was in a tank with 50ppm Nitrates and surviving, I don't think thats right. Even Softies get ticked off with that much Nitrates. Doesn't sound right to me.
This would be a hard one to nail down, I don't see any number in your tank remotely close to what its supposed to be.


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## rrutter81

coralbandit said:


> Besides messing with your alkalinty and burning up your pumps,I have no solid knowledge of troubles from calcium.But upon further investigating 420 is the recommended high for it and even 500 is considered to high.I really imagine it isn't good for the corals(unless you have stoneys,and even keeping it high all the time for them isn't good).
> Is your bio pellet running correctly.I use bio plastics and when they run right I have 10-20 nitrates.I don't feed nearly as much as you (and this could be source of your nitrates),but I feed like every 3 days sometimes only on weekends.I feed all my fresh water fish daily,but honestly besides everyone being hungry haven't had any issues or death from lower feedings.I originally started this feeding pattern on my 120 fowlr as all the fish in that tank will grow large and figured I could keep them longer if they grew slower.My lionfish and groupers are still growing pretty fast even though they are only fed 3 times a week max.


Im using Dr Tim's Biopellets and they have just broken in maybe 10 days ago. 450 MG though, so it may be too little for this size tank.

The issue is that i have a melanurus wrasse, and he is a hungry one. I was under the assumption he should be fed 3x a day, even if i feed him twice currently.

I've done water changes several times to get the calcium down and it is INCREDIBLY difficult as with the nitrates. My system is just large to do that kind of change over night and im one to let it happen slowly....not immediately. I have no clue why my calcium stays sky high as I dont supplement anything but magnesium and strontium during water changes. I use an RO/DI unit as well as Kent Reef Salt mix.... this usually leaves me with a 1200 MAG level.

TBH I think my substrate is leaching nitrates and or calcium but I cannot be sure, but even after two 50 gallon water changes and a 90 gallon 3 weeks ago, the issue still persists. 

It is just a lot of water to keep changing continuously.


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## Reefing Madness

Stop changing the water. Quit dosing. The MAG and CA will gradually come down, albet, it will take quite some time for that to happen though. Tough to lower CA when the salt keeps adding it back into the system, doing water changes would take you a long time to cut it back down. The MAG should however come down with the WC, as I don't know of any Salt Mix that is that high when mixed.
Nitrates in a system that size can be brought down in other ways.


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## rrutter81

Reefing Madness said:


> To much Calcium and the corals can't absorb it readily. Makes it to hard to use. Only clams, and I mean a bunch of them would be able to run down that amount of Calcium.
> I can't believe that a Goni was in a tank with 50ppm Nitrates and surviving, I don't think thats right. Even Softies get ticked off with that much Nitrates. Doesn't sound right to me.
> This would be a hard one to nail down, I don't see any number in your tank remotely close to what its supposed to be.


The goniopora was dying, and had a section of skeleton showing on the top. It wasnt necessarily surviving by any means. The indonesian elegance I also received from this tank and they too usually perish.

Yea I don't know. Hell, by internet standards the corals and all my inverts should be dead. They were living in off-the-charts nitrates prior. 

I AM very cautious on changing my water conditions due to the fact I hear that these corals need "dirtier" water. As pristine water may play a part in their demise in other systems?

I'm more curious of anyone who has actually successfully managed these corals as I believe pristine conditions will kill them. (thoughts?)

thanks


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## rrutter81

Reefing Madness said:


> Stop changing the water. Quit dosing. The MAG and CA will gradually come down, albet, it will take quite some time for that to happen though. Tough to lower CA when the salt keeps adding it back into the system, doing water changes would take you a long time to cut it back down. The MAG should however come down with the WC, as I don't know of any Salt Mix that is that high when mixed.
> Nitrates in a system that size can be brought down in other ways.


I dont believe dosing strontium or mag is the issue, but maybe you have experience with mag levels being too high?

I just tested strontium which is 6 ppm. Supposedly my Elegance needs this or 'likes" it. 

Alk and Calcium I leave to the sea salt.... Never had an issue.


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## coralbandit

mag helps hold your calcium.I wouldn't add any for awhile and see if it helps with the ca.Madness knows his stuff and I would follow his ideas.ask him about vodka dosing to control your nitrates.The bio platsic(bio pellets ) may do the trick but they will aprox. 1 month to kick in to gear.


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## rrutter81

coralbandit said:


> mag helps hold your calcium.I wouldn't add any for awhile and see if it helps with the ca.Madness knows his stuff and I would follow his ideas.ask him about vodka dosing to control your nitrates.The bio platsic(bio pellets ) may do the trick but they will aprox. 1 month to kick in to gear.


Yea i did extensive research on bio pellets and got the GFO due to the fact a person experienced elevated phosphates after 6 months of using the bio pellet reactor.

I dosed vodka before I put any fish in to see if the initial nitrates after the cycle would clean it up by the skimmer but all it did was create a bunch of white flemmy bacteria that i had to scoop up with a net when i did water changes by turning the pumps off and then back on. (guess they got lodged in the return piping)

Soon afterward I put miracle mud in my sump and tried several different macro algae. Chaeto melted to nothing, but the dragon breath and caulpera are doing amazingly well. (the center fuge is low flow)

I only ask or shoot out ideas because I'm an engineer and want to know "why".

thanks


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## Reefing Madness

rrutter81 said:


> I dont believe dosing strontium or mag is the issue, but maybe you have experience with mag levels being too high?
> 
> I just tested strontium which is 6 ppm. Supposedly my Elegance needs this or 'likes" it.
> 
> Alk and Calcium I leave to the sea salt.... Never had an issue.


Its all yours CB.


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## rrutter81

Reefing Madness said:


> Its all yours CB.


lol leave me to the wolves ahahah


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## Goby

A half a bottle of phytofeast? Really? :ISh_the_Fish: And you're feeding 3-4 times per day? *o2

I'm keeping a large green Goni in what I consider pristine water conditions for softies and LPS, with less than success. Feel free to Google those water parameters yourself...they're available at every reefing blog and retailer on the web. My Goni is located low in my reef with access to moderate flow and indirect full spectrum LED lighting. It does not like direct bright light. It's hanging in there, but it's touch and go. It will be a miracle if it's still alive 6 months from now. I've had it since last Fall. It grows, but it's weak. I feed it lightly, a couple times per week AT MOST.

I'm having a difficult time believing a LFS would have a frag tank with nitrates of 50. *L1 If that's true, I estimate it won't be long before they no longer have a frag tank . As far as a portion of the Goni's skeleton showing...it could have simply been injured at some point during harvest/import...a little skeleton doesn't mean it's "going out". The fact that it was green at the store and has since turned light yellow in your tank, however, suggests to me that it's "going out" now. Your water parameters are not fit for a Goni or most coral for that matter. 

If my reply seems harsh it's because you're buying delicate marine animals such as Goni's and Elegance Coral and taking them home to an out-of-whack system and justifying it by claiming they were dying anyway? Was your intention to put them out of their misery? And how can you justify returning an Elegance Coral you've poisoned? *sh 

Both RM and CB gave you good advice. Respectfully, take it. I applaud them for sticking with you for as long as they did. Beyond that, your Goni can't be saved.


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## rrutter81

Goby said:


> A half a bottle of phytofeast? Really? :ISh_the_Fish: And you're feeding 3-4 times per day? *o2
> 
> I'm keeping a large green Goni in what I consider pristine water conditions for softies and LPS, with less than success. Feel free to Google those water parameters yourself...they're available at every reefing blog and retailer on the web. My Goni is located low in my reef with access to moderate flow and indirect full spectrum LED lighting. It does not like direct bright light. It's hanging in there, but it's touch and go. It will be a miracle if it's still alive 6 months from now. I've had it since last Fall. It grows, but it's weak. I feed it lightly, a couple times per week AT MOST.
> 
> I'm having a difficult time believing a LFS would have a frag tank with nitrates of 50. *L1 If that's true, I estimate it won't be long before they no longer have a frag tank . As far as a portion of the Goni's skeleton showing...it could have simply been injured at some point during harvest/import...a little skeleton doesn't mean it's "going out". The fact that it was green at the store and has since turned light yellow in your tank, however, suggests to me that it's "going out" now. Your water parameters are not fit for a Goni or most coral for that matter.
> 
> If my reply seems harsh it's because you're buying delicate marine animals such as Goni's and Elegance Coral and taking them home to an out-of-whack system and justifying it by claiming they were dying anyway? Was your intention to put them out of their misery? And how can you justify returning an Elegance Coral you've poisoned? *sh
> 
> Both RM and CB gave you good advice. Respectfully, take it. I applaud them for sticking with you for as long as they did. Beyond that, your Goni can't be saved.


So if the Goni has brown jelly disease, does that make it even worse? 
Sadly mine does have it and I guess it "cant be saved".

I will update with pics and such as I have time and my actions for each event as all I hear is more of the same that anyone can tell you. I learn for myself many many things and my inverts never died at off the charts nitrates.

It is also well known that some LPS dont thrive in SPS conditions.

Ill keep this thread posted....


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## coralbandit

Brown jelly is pretty brutal.I lost a duncan to it last year.My LFS recommended "coral RXP" as a dip.I used it (correctly) and it seemed to work,but then 2 weeks later it came back.I even removed damaged (infected) parts to no avail.
I have since considered "coral RXP" to be similiar to melafix/primafix which IMO are both bunk products.
Check out the RXP but even it it could work you need to get your parameters straightened out.What salt do you us?.You can't do freshwater volume water changes on a 215 gallon tank so you need to figure another approach.
When you said you dosed vodka before your fish was this only once?Vodka dosing done correctly is a 2x aday forever treatment that like the bio pellets needs a month(maybe less) to grow the proper bacteria and become effective.
Finally for your own help(help us help you) How long has tank been set up?


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## Reefing Madness

Your correct about SPS and LPS when you talk about higher Nitrates, but 20 is not considered out of range Nitrates, 50 on the other hand is nuts. Softies and LPS like 20 or under, SPS 5 and under. I've kept snails in 200ppm Nitrates, they lived. !! Doesn't mean its a good number to keep them in.


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## rrutter81

coralbandit said:


> Brown jelly is pretty brutal.I lost a duncan to it last year.My LFS recommended "coral RXP" as a dip.I used it (correctly) and it seemed to work,but then 2 weeks later it came back.I even removed damaged (infected) parts to no avail.
> I have since considered "coral RXP" to be similiar to melafix/primafix which IMO are both bunk products.
> Check out the RXP but even it it could work you need to get your parameters straightened out.What salt do you us?.You can't do freshwater volume water changes on a 215 gallon tank so you need to figure another approach.
> When you said you dosed vodka before your fish was this only once?Vodka dosing done correctly is a 2x aday forever treatment that like the bio pellets needs a month(maybe less) to grow the proper bacteria and become effective.
> Finally for your own help(help us help you) How long has tank been set up?


I use the Kent Reef Salt. I used instant ocean prior (reef) but needed more per bucket so went with the kent as advised by my LFS. The only issue is that the the instant ocean gave me 1350 mag after a change, the kent gave me 1100, so i dosed it to keep alk and calcium stable, as i dislike swings.

vodka i dosed for a month before any fish. I actually bombed it one time just to get the bacteria bloom (i didnt care, ill just have the skimmer scoop it out). Unfortunately it took another month to get it out of the piping. I mean i was pretty brutal before I put any fish in this tank. I did a 80% water change after this whole ordeal and still had off the charts nitrates.

(i fishless cycled with 20 ppm ammonia) yes another brutal cycle.

Currently, I have taken the goni out and put him in a pale of my tank water and used a toothbrush to remove any debris. I took the tip of the bristle and ran it inside of each infested-ish area until it was bone-white. 

I took a syringe with pure hydrogen peroxide and filled the empty holes for 2 minutes, swished in the pale, then did it again.

After doing this 3 times I took some RO/DI water and threw him in there for 4 minutes......

While that was going on I took some more tank water (5 cups or so?) threw 10 drops of iodine and then stuck him in there for another 4 minutes.....

I have been watching this goni ever since.....

The tank is just shy of 6 months


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## rrutter81

Reefing Madness said:


> Your correct about SPS and LPS when you talk about higher Nitrates, but 20 is not considered out of range Nitrates, 50 on the other hand is nuts. Softies and LPS like 20 or under, SPS 5 and under. I've kept snails in 200ppm Nitrates, they lived. !! Doesn't mean its a good number to keep them in.


I agree, Im not happy about the situation either, however it is what it is. The LFS has had continuous nitrates at around 50 ppm and says it only affects clams and SPS. He has 1 frag with the low nitrates which house his SPS and the other 2 have the 50 PPM. He isnt an internet guy and contradicts alot of what is said online, however he has some "truth" to what he says alot of the time. Not to say he is all-knowing but he does throw the 20-30 years in the business thing at me alot. lol

Sorry if im a bit skeptical, but i hear people saying that you need pristine conditions for everything wa back when i did freshwater tanks and the experiences I had were much more different and not so detrimental.

I have had 2 losses in this tank so far.....

A peppermint shrimp to a powerhead and a Copperband Butterfly due to some sort of breathing issue. (possibly ich or flukes)

I will not own another copperband unless I have pristine conditions like you all have, however.... I also know that pristine conditions do not keep my indo goni and elegance alive.


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## rrutter81

Here are my actions and results thus far.... Ill show additional images later as the behavior of this goniopora is quite interesting......

Upped the contrast of the goni to show the not so (viewable) brown jelly



Another photo without contrast upped 20



The black spot is where the original damage of the goniopora occurred when I purchased him. The other spot, happened since my care.

I took him out in my tank water and used a new toothbrush to scrub it out using the tip of the brush swirled inside. I wasnt too worried about the colonies surrounding the infected area as they would probably perish as well.

I used a syringe and soaked the "holes" with pure 100% hydrogen peroxide as I didnt want to use rubbing alcohol or vinger as they would be too harsh (imo)

I then chucked him in a tub of RO/DI water for 4 minutes

I then chucked him in another tub of tank water + iodine (4 cups tank water, 10 drops iodine)

I swished him around alot in the iodine to hopefully get all the debris off.

this is what was left.....



I then placed him back in the tank and monitored him continuously. The goni didnt budge much but then started expanding it's stalks (much thicker than usual) but with polyps contracted.

It then did another BALLOONING and now the few stalks that did extend, told it's neighbors the coast was clear and now they are extending their stalks.....

This is what I am observing now


Here is what he looks like RIGHT NOW



This is 5 hours after what I did


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## rrutter81

Im going to bed now as it is an hour past the last image.....



much improvement even if the acitinics are on. I will be shutting the lights down now and keep you all apprised of what happens in the future or the coral's demise at it "cant be saved" in my tank.


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## Goby

rrutter81 said:


> I agree, Im not happy about the situation either, however it is what it is. The LFS has had continuous nitrates at around 50 ppm and says it only affects clams and SPS. He has 1 frag with the low nitrates which house his SPS and the other 2 have the 50 PPM. He isnt an internet guy and contradicts alot of what is said online, however he has some "truth" to what he says alot of the time. Not to say he is all-knowing but he does throw the 20-30 years in the business thing at me alot. lol
> 
> Sorry if im a bit skeptical, but i hear people saying that you need pristine conditions for everything wa back when i did freshwater tanks and the experiences I had were much more different and not so detrimental.
> 
> I have had 2 losses in this tank so far.....
> 
> A peppermint shrimp to a powerhead and a Copperband Butterfly due to some sort of breathing issue. (possibly ich or flukes)
> 
> I will not own another copperband unless I have pristine conditions like you all have, however.... I also know that pristine conditions do not keep my indo goni and elegance alive.



Water conditions considered "pristine" (AKA appropriate) for LPS and softies are what both your Goni and your Elegance require. Period. Respectfully, this holds true regardless of what you think or believe you know. That said, Goniopora won't thrive in the water conditions of a typical SPS reef and no one here has suggested they would. They will also, however, not thrive in the water conditions of a typical FOWLR tank, which is essentially what you've provided your Goni. Kindly stop responding as though we've suggested you need the near sterile environment of a SPS reef. No one has said that. You are reading what you want to read, not what is actually being written. And first you say your local fish guy doesn't know what he's doing, but now you claim he does? Didn't you claim the whole reason you bought the Goni was because it was failing at the LFS where it was being kept in nitrates of 50? And apparently the reefers from other venues are telling you the same things we are, yet still you suspect you're onto something? Are you high?

For the benefit of future Goni keepers who stumble upon this thread, I'm going to suggest that the final picture you posted of your Goni...the one you claim to have snapped after you scrubbed it with a toothbrush, dipped it in iodine, and sprayed it with peroxide...is a fake. I suspect that is one of the photos you took previously. A Goniopora with Jelly Disease...that's been scrubbed, dipped and sprayed with caustic chemicals (even rightfully so), and placed back into subpar water conditions...is not going to extend that quickly. It takes longer for my relatively healthy Goni to reextend after I blow it off with a turkey baster. 

Beyond that, the fact that you placed a coral with Jelly Disease back into your display, instead of a quarantine tank, is telling. 

I can't help but wonder if this entire thread is a prank. :fish-in-bowl:


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## tbub1221

Appears to have turned around a bit .
Have you ever considered some critters to stir your substrate (you said you think its leaching nitrates) perhaps a snail crew , not to say I don't have some , but they all eat and clean different areas , or possibly pistol shrimp , sifting stars, or engineer goby .its just a thought if that's really where you believe its coming from.
Also other than water changes , have you tried products such as prime or niteout? I know they remove nitrates and nitrites as well as ammonia .
Seems to me if its always that high its definitely coming from somewhere and your fighting a loosing battle , don't fight effect fight the source , it may very well take a combative approach of the above as well as water changes and or alcohol dosing or more to get your tank up to where you really would like it to be but once your there you can much easier control it.
At which point you cam grow nice healthy colorful corals of your liking without risk of injury to them or anything else in the tank.


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## rrutter81

Goby said:


> Water conditions considered "pristine" (AKA appropriate) for LPS and softies are what both your Goni and your Elegance require. Period. Respectfully, this holds true regardless of what you think or believe you know. That said, Goniopora won't thrive in the water conditions of a typical SPS reef and no one here has suggested they would. They will also, however, not thrive in the water conditions of a typical FOWLR tank, which is essentially what you've provided your Goni. Kindly stop responding as though we've suggested you need the near sterile environment of a SPS reef. No one has said that. You are reading what you want to read, not what is actually being written. And first you say your local fish guy doesn't know what he's doing, but now you claim he does? Didn't you claim the whole reason you bought the Goni was because it was failing at the LFS where it was being kept in nitrates of 50? And apparently the reefers from other venues are telling you the same things we are, yet still you suspect you're onto something? Are you high?
> 
> For the benefit of future Goni keepers who stumble upon this thread, I'm going to suggest that the final picture you posted of your Goni...the one you claim to have snapped after you scrubbed it with a toothbrush, dipped it in iodine, and sprayed it with peroxide...is a fake. I suspect that is one of the photos you took previously. A Goniopora with Jelly Disease...that's been scrubbed, dipped and sprayed with caustic chemicals (even rightfully so), and placed back into subpar water conditions...is not going to extend that quickly. It takes longer for my relatively healthy Goni to reextend after I blow it off with a turkey baster.
> 
> Beyond that, the fact that you placed a coral with Jelly Disease back into your display, instead of a quarantine tank, is telling.
> 
> I can't help but wonder if this entire thread is a prank. :fish-in-bowl:


WOWOWOWOOWOWOWOWOWOWOWWWWWW

REALLY?

This is amazing.... try this on for size... this was when i woke up....




ANDDDDDDDDDDD



How he looks this evening.

I will probably not heed the advice of someone who says I am faking things when there is virtually no information on what I am doing short of a bunch of experienced reef keepers with dead gonis. Especially the jerk who had one for 6 months, said his was on the way out, and mine couldnt be saved.... (oh wait.... THAT WAS YOU)

Anyone actually have a thriving goni?


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## rrutter81

tbub1221 said:


> Appears to have turned around a bit  .
> Have you ever considered some critters to stir your substrate (you said you think its leaching nitrates) perhaps a snail crew , not to say I don't have some , but they all eat and clean different areas , or possibly pistol shrimp , sifting stars, or engineer goby .its just a thought if that's really where you believe its coming from.
> Also other than water changes , have you tried products such as prime or niteout? I know they remove nitrates and nitrites as well as ammonia .
> Seems to me if its always that high its definitely coming from somewhere and your fighting a loosing battle , don't fight effect fight the source , it may very well take a combative approach of the above as well as water changes and or alcohol dosing or more to get your tank up to where you really would like it to be but once your there you can much easier control it.
> At which point you cam grow nice healthy colorful corals of your liking without risk of injury to them or anything else in the tank.


Im done dosing alcohol as I've seen that white crap dusting around my tank. Im attempting biopellets but it seems either the pellets are getting heavier or the flow been stopped up as my pellets arent moving as quickly since it was broken in.

I did do a 20 gallon water change by vacuuming the substrate (as i usually do) but when I was done the goni got pissed off and receded quite a bit. The elegance's tentacles got fatter and he seemed happier though....

I'll wait til the morning before I run some tests on parameters so that the new water mixes with my old better but the salinity was 1.025 and i dropped it back down to 1.024 1/2.

I have been fighting this nitrate battle since after I cycled and have slowly made progress.... I just have to be persistent as I am going in the right direction.

I have a yellow headed sleeper goby but he just cant keep up with the substrate. I have 10 nassarius snails but id need like 1-200 to do what I need.


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## Sully

Yeah, makes perfect sense to me. Join a forum, ask questions about a problem, then completely disregard what eveyone tells you.

Fact 1: your trates and you calcium are too high.

Fact 2: your trates and you calcium are too high.

Fact 3 in case you missed fact 1 and 2: your trates and your calcium are too high.


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## rrutter81

Sully said:


> Yeah, makes perfect sense to me. Join a forum, ask questions about a problem, then completely disregard what eveyone tells you.
> 
> Fact 1: your trates and you calcium are too high.
> 
> Fact 2: your trates and you calcium are too high.
> 
> Fact 3 in case you missed fact 1 and 2: your trates and your calcium are too high.


fact 1: too much calcium killed what coral?

fact 2: rinse and repeat

fact 3: do you have a goniopora?

These corals live in a LAGOON with mud, silt, etc. not the barrier reef. I'd like educated answers instead of the same old SPS advice. Im not wanting an SPS coral reef and im not STRIVING for one.

Instead of shouting the same old mantra I can get online from EVERY reef forum, how about goniopora care. (not the kind where they die in your SPS tank)


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## rrutter81

Goby:

For proof I have decided I will start monitoring this GONI and use your name with each passing day and mention the days AFTER you have called me out...

Day 1:

aquarium forum callout - YouTube

I will give you an update in the morning when he isn't looking so pathetic after a feeding. (He generally draws in after fed)

This what I took in the morning but I didnt see your labeling me a liar so I didnt mention you....

Goniopora a day after brown jelly - YouTube


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## Sully

I never said anything about your calcium killing anything, I said it was to high. I will however say that your trates are to high and it will end up killin your corals eventually. But feel free to keep arguing with everyone who WAS trying to help you.


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## rrutter81

Sully said:


> I never said anything about your calcium killing anything, I said it was to high. I will however say that your trates are to high and it will end up killin your corals eventually. But feel free to keep arguing with everyone who WAS trying to help you.


Good info, and i agree... nitrates are too high. Im also of the opinion trying to avoid shocking my system with new conditions as water changes change more than dropping nitrates. I don't dose calcium at all.... I hope you understand.

Calcium being too high just makes me go wtf.


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## Wuwuwu54

Im just going to say the same thing.
Your nitrates are too high, and your calcium seems high, but that is less of an issue. Lowering your nitrates will help your coral. As for the Goni, keep feeding phytoplankton (they love that stuff) and monitor him. I would do a Water Change and get a protein skimmer if you don't have one for the nitrates.
P.S. I have a gonipora, so I can say this.


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## Wuwuwu54

rrutter81 said:


> Good info, and i agree... nitrates are too high. Im also of the opinion trying to avoid shocking my system with new conditions as water changes change more than dropping nitrates. I don't dose calcium at all.... I hope you understand.
> 
> Calcium being too high just makes me go wtf.


Are you saying you dont do water changes because you are afraid to shock your system?!?


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## rrutter81

Wuwuwu54 said:


> Im just going to say the same thing.
> Your nitrates are too high, and your calcium seems high, but that is less of an issue. Lowering your nitrates will help your coral. As for the Goni, keep feeding phytoplankton (they love that stuff) and monitor him. I would do a Water Change and get a protein skimmer if you don't have one for the nitrates.
> P.S. I have a gonipora, so I can say this.


THANK YOU!

I have a protein skimmer but it isnt good enough for the feedings I do. I vigorously feed this tank.

I HAVE noticed a bigger difference dosing the phytofeast than the cyclopeeze. Im not sure why this is the case as the polyps eat (something).

I'll continue to water change, i just hate how sad he looks after I change such little bit of it. (20 gallons in an almost 300 gallon system) Is yours responsive to changes as well?

Really an interesting coral!


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## rrutter81

Wuwuwu54 said:


> Are you saying you dont do water changes because you are afraid to shock your system?!?


no not at all.... I just dont want to do a 90% water change of 250ish gallons as I dont know what my stock has been used to and will have after doing so.

If there is anything I've learned about aquariums is that shocking systems kills livestock. That is why people drip acclimate.

I dont do anything fast in a tank short of food (lol)


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## susankat

This thread had better stay civil or I will lock it right away.


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## rrutter81

susankat said:


> This thread had better stay civil or I will lock it right away.


Id lock it....

My results are fake anyway so let them figure it out.


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## coralbandit

rrutter81 said:


> Id lock it....
> 
> My results are fake anyway so let them figure it out.


LOCK IT,DELETE IT 
BAN HIM!
TOO MUCH OF THIS KIND OF CRAP LATELY!


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## susankat

rrutter81 said:


> Id lock it....
> 
> My results are fake anyway so let them figure it out.


This kind of crap will get you banned from here so If you want to stay on the forum you had best not do things like this. 

I will be watching you closely.


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