Glitter Bomb Goniopora Bending hook shape Goni has anyone seen this before?

[nycfreshreef]

This glitter bomb Goni was super happy for the first few months , then closed completely a few days ago and is slowly re-opening with bent , hook shape , polyps

It is not fully opened (about 60-70%) I am just wondering if any of you guys have encountered this before and know what causes it ???

Currently have 7 other gonis in system which are all happy except an Amazeballs which never really opened since I got it and I have been trying to revive it for the last few months.

I also have a small Zoa colony that recently started turning into nipple shape polyps (all other Zoa are ok) and looks like a few polyps of the colony started to melt , wondering if it’s all related

Parameters:

Salinity 1.025
Alk : 8-8.4
Temp: 78
Phos: 0.02-0.04
Nitrate: 1
Ph : 8.1-8.3
Ammon: 0
Nitrite: 0

I dose trace elements based on ICP results and also use all for reef to keep alk steady

Tank is well stocked , I also feed corals aminos / reef roids / etc one to twice a week

 

[Lavey29]

Probably due to your bottomed out nutrients it's starving to death. Corals decline from the inside out and it can take weeks or months before they may show the affects.

 

[kevgib67]

^ this, get your nitrates and phosphate up.

 

[nycfreshreef]

Probably due to your bottomed out nutrients it's starving to death. Corals decline from the inside out and it can take weeks or months before they may show the affects.

Thanks for your response I appreciate it , everything has been happy and growing for the past 2 years (except this Goni basically) , there are tons of ULNS with everything thriving , I also feed multiple food sources to the corals every week , and dose nitrate ….

So you think even despite all these things that this specific Goniopora just needs higher nutrients in the water and can’t be kept in a low nutrient system ? Is that what your saying

Thank you

 

[nycfreshreef]

Thanks for your response I appreciate it , everything has been happy and growing for the past 2 years (except this Goni basically) , there are tons of ULNS with everything thriving , I also feed multiple food sources to the corals every week , and dose nitrate ….

So you think even despite all these things that this specific Goniopora just needs higher nutrients in the water and can’t be kept in a low nutrient system ? Is that what your saying

Thank you

I will raise nitrate to 2 - 3 range while
Keeping phos steady and see if there is any improvement

 

[Lavey29]

Thanks for your response I appreciate it , everything has been happy and growing for the past 2 years (except this Goni basically) , there are tons of ULNS with everything thriving , I also feed multiple food sources to the corals every week , and dose nitrate ….

So you think even despite all these things that this specific Goniopora just needs higher nutrients in the water and can’t be kept in a low nutrient system ? Is that what your saying

Thank you

Experienced reefers can manage successfull ULNS but typically it's geared more towards SPS tanks. I'm sure you are aware LPS prefer dirty water with higher nutrients levels but your offset of the ULNS with coral supplements may work for some corals but probably not all. You mention a total of 3 corals in decline. Have you had substantial growth in your other corals the past 2 years? ULNS was a fad some years back and experienced reefers still choose that route but it's certainly not the trend in today's reefing based on my research and personal experience. I wonder what your overall success will be long term with ULNS approach.

I will add I have 4 long term gonis in my tank for reference.

 

[nycfreshreef]

Experienced reefers can manage successfull ULNS but typically it's geared more towards SPS tanks. I'm sure you are aware LPS prefer dirty water with higher nutrients levels but your offset of the ULNS with coral supplements may work for some corals but probably not all. You mention a total of 3 corals in decline. Have you had substantial growth in your other corals the past 2 years? ULNS was a fad some years back and experienced reefers still choose that route but it's certainly not the trend in today's reefing based on my research and personal experience. I wonder what your overall success will be long term with ULNS approach.

I will add I have 4 long term gonis in my tank for reference.

I definitely understand, so far I only have this glitter bomb that has been displaying this change in pattern for the past 4-5 days , so I’m not sure I can accurately call it a decline , same with the Zoa that’s showing bell shaped polyps , only has been happening for the past 4-5 days , I’m not thinking it’s a decline yet , but something must be irritating it or causing it , so I made this post to see if anyone has specifically seen this before and know why it happened. The 3rd coral I mentioned arrived to me initially in very bad shape , with receeding flesh and never opened from day one , so I have been trying to nurse it back to health (it has not started declining from my system)

I was not aware low nutrient systems were a fad , I was in this hobby on and off for about 20 years (just got back in 2 years ago) so I must have missed the memo about low nutrient being a fad.

I have since raised my nitrate from 1 to 2 and will slowly raise it to 3 … hopefully I see an improvement in the shape of the glitter bomb Goni / bell shaped zoas as pictured below , so far no improvement

I will definitely keep my nitrates at around 3-4 moving forward

Yes I have about 50 different frags/colonies in the tank now, just about every species but a blasto and everything is growing : very happy / no issues. I have only lost 1 frag so far in this system completely which was an angry bird nub that RTN the first day I received it , other than that everything has been happy , only complaint i have is acro colors aren’t as good as they could be, I’m sure raising nutrients may address this

Thanks for pointing this out about low nutrient systems

Do you think the low nutrients is what caused the Goni to start bending like this ? Here is a photo from today

maybe it’s a combination of nutrients and it got tired of the flow in this particular spot which is moderate - stone with no variation

 

[kevgib67]

If not the problem at least part of the problem. Personally the levels you are shooting for are still low. Nitrates should be 10-15 and phosphates .05-.1. I’ve seen many big beautiful tanks on this forum that run nitrates and phosphates much much higher.

 

[Lavey29]

I definitely understand, so far I only have this glitter bomb that has been displaying this change in pattern for the past 4-5 days , so I’m not sure I can accurately call it a decline , same with the Zoa that’s showing bell shaped polyps , only has been happening for the past 4-5 days , I’m not thinking it’s a decline yet , but something must be irritating it or causing it , so I made this post to see if anyone has specifically seen this before and know why it happened. The 3rd coral I mentioned arrived to me initially in very bad shape , with receeding flesh and never opened from day one , so I have been trying to nurse it back to health (it has not started declining from my system)

I was not aware low nutrient systems were a fad , I was in this hobby on and off for about 20 years (just got back in 2 years ago) so I must have missed the memo about low nutrient being a fad.

I have since raised my nitrate from 1 to 2 and will slowly raise it to 3 … hopefully I see an improvement in the shape of the glitter bomb Goni / bell shaped zoas as pictured below , so far no improvement

I will definitely keep my nitrates at around 3-4 moving forward

Yes I have about 50 different frags/colonies in the tank now, just about every species but a blasto and everything is growing : very happy / no issues. I have only lost 1 frag so far in this system completely which was an angry bird nub that RTN the first day I received it , other than that everything has been happy , only complaint i have is acro colors aren’t as good as they could be, I’m sure raising nutrients may address this

Thanks for pointing this out about low nutrient systems

Do you think the low nutrients is what caused the Goni to start bending like this ? Here is a photo from today

maybe it’s a combination of nutrients and it got tired of the flow in this particular spot which is moderate - stone with no variation

I think you are approaching this logically and systematically. Small changes or tweaks are best rather then dramatic shifts. If your goal is a successful mixed reef tank which mine and a lot of others are then do some research on nutrients levels although every tank is unique and not one size fits all.

I wonder sometimes if gonis inflate their tentacles like that because flow is to strong and they are trying to brace themselves better to handle the current?

When my corals wake up ill send you a video of my goni flow.

 

[Lavey29]

Here is a short vid showing my goni flow in 125 par.

 

[nycfreshreef]

I think you are approaching this logically and systematically. Small changes or tweaks are best rather then dramatic shifts. If your goal is a successful mixed reef tank which mine and a lot of others are then do some research on nutrients levels although every tank is unique and not one size fits all.

I wonder sometimes if gonis inflate their tentacles like that because flow is to strong and they are trying to brace themselves better to handle the current?

When my corals wake up ill send you a video of my goni flow.

Thank you for your assistance , just want to give this thread an update in case anyone experiences this in future. After raising nitrates to 2 and moving this glitter bomb Goni into moderate high variable flow , it has shown great improvement.

Also attached some photos of other Goni all in similar flow / par

Seems the stronger directional flow was too much for this Goni and nitrates probably too low as well

 

[nycfreshreef]

Here is a short vid showing my goni flow in 125 par.

Nice , I moved this glitter bomb down to about 100-120 par and moderate random flow (where all my other Goni are) and raised nitrate to 2 , it has since stopped doing this bending thing and now opens up nicely

 

[nycfreshreef]

Photo from before it started bending , looks like strong flow was stretching out the heads too much , lol

 

[nycfreshreef]

Another update , after raising nitrates to 3 and moving the glitter bomb to moderate random flow it is now opening at 100% and looks very happy

Here is also a photo of an amazeballs that’s really happy

Last photo is a separate amazeballs frag that arrived with tissue recession and wasn’t opening from day 1 , I have been trying to nurse it back , with iodine dips , and daily feeding of aminos / zooplankton

Over the past week it has finally started showing some slight polyp extension although it has lost most of its color, I won’t give up on it and will keep trying to nurse it back. Will update thread every month or so to show progress for anyone else having a similar issue

 

[Lavey29]

Another update , after raising nitrates to 3 and moving the glitter bomb to moderate random flow it is now opening at 100% and looks very happy

Here is also a photo of an amazeballs that’s really happy

Last photo is a separate amazeballs frag that arrived with tissue recession and wasn’t opening from day 1 , I have been trying to nurse it back , with iodine dips , and daily feeding of aminos / zooplankton

Over the past week it has finally started showing some slight polyp extension although it has lost most of its color, I won’t give up on it and will keep trying to nurse it back. Will update thread every month or so to show progress for anyone else having a similar issue

Glad things have improved for you. Still think you need a little more nutrients in your water for your corals but will be interesting to see your updates...good luck

 

[nycfreshreef]

Glad things have improved for you. Still think you need a little more nutrients in your water for your corals but will be interesting to see your updates...good luck

I’ve brought the nitrate to 4 range

Glitter bomb shows full 100% improvement

The amazeballs goni that came to be originally half dead and hasn’t opened to months (with near daily feeding , nitrate increase to 4 , and several iodine dips) is making a good recovery and now actually starting to resemble a Goni again , let’s hope it colors back up eventually will keep updating

 

[Lavey29]

I’ve brought the nitrate to 4 range

Glitter bomb shows full 100% improvement

The amazeballs goni that came to be originally half dead and hasn’t opened to months (with near daily feeding , nitrate increase to 4 , and several iodine dips) is making a good recovery and now actually starting to resemble a Goni again , let’s hope it colors back up eventually will keep updating

Gonis are some of my favorite corals. I have 4 in my tank but it's an SPS dominant mixed reef. I like my nitrates at 15 and phosphate. 1 to .2 but lately it's been elevated to .3 to .4. Gonis sometimes react negative to elevated phosphate but mine don't seem to mind.