I’m stumped, Goni won’t extend polyps

[taulgrl]

My favorite coral has been struggling for 6 months and I’m not sure why! It seems to be alive (surprisingly) but the polyps have been completely retracted since November. I have 75G w 20G sump Mixed reef (soft and LPS.. no SPs). A summary of my journey:

Around the time the Goni retracted I had a Sudden issue w hair algae and bryopsis that seemed to be tied to local water quality (my LFS just down the road suddenly experienced same thing). i had never tested phosphates (bc never had algae issues) but water tested 1.0 and bryopsis was getting out of control. Long story short, treated with Flux and killed algae but phosphates were still out of control. Tried PhosphoGuard but couldn’t stabilize levels. Got a skimmer, changed the RODI cartridges, and also started using GFO in media bag. Phos is finally stable and down to ~0.1 (Salifert) as of a month ago.

other parameters which have been relatively stable over these 6 months
SG: 1.025
pH 8.2
Alk: 8-9
Nitrate: ~10
(Red Sea)

Also tried moving Goni rock recently to slightly more light but less flow. Attached are before and after (current) pics. Goni was homegrown (not wild caught) from local Reefer.

ideas are MUCH appreciated.

 

[fodsod]

Sub'd in for expert Goni advice. They seem pretty unpredictable even if you do everything right.

I've lost 1 (green) for no apparent reason but it did exactly what yours is doing. It looked great then suddenly retracted and stayed retracted for months and eventually died polyp by polyp. It was in the middle area of my tank where the flow was a little higher.

I currently have 2 that are doing really good so I'd like to keep it that way. Mine stay in moderate flow and moderate light on a rock in the sand bed at the bottom of the tank. I do direct feeding twice a week with reef roids.

My tank parameters are pretty much the same as yours. My Alk is a little higher at 9.5-9.7 and my Nit are 9-11 with Phos ranging around .08 to maybe .11 the day after feeding the corals pretty heavy.

 

[TheDuude]

How fast did you drop the phosphate? My guess is that is adjusting to the new much lower phosphate level.. could be a bit of a shock for it if po4 was lowered quickly

 

[exnisstech]

Tagging along.
I've had bad luck in the past with goni. I purchased 4 cultured frags several months ago. They did well for a while and now one is doing well but the other three not so much. The 3 are not really opening and look like heads are dying off and being replaced with small patches of algae where the heads were. Everything else in the tank, lps, softies and sps frags are all doing well

 

[taulgrl]

Thanks for the help! I broadcast feed reef jerky (amount other things) but will try to target feed reef roids and put Goni closer to sand bed. The Phos did drop pretty quickly when I added the GFO so that may be part of the issue too

 

[hunterallen40]

Following.

I've got a similar thing going on with mine, but the system has been pretty stable since I added it.

 

[TheDuude]

Thanks for the help! I broadcast feed reef jerky (amount other things) but will try to target feed reef roids and put Goni closer to sand bed. The Phos did drop pretty quickly when I added the GFO so that may be part of the issue too

There seems to be some debate if Gonis benefit from feeding. I don't target mine and see good growth. Po4 stays around .25 with nitrates around 15. I do dose nitrates on occasion

 

[nothing_fancy]

Ya, I have an odd goniopora as well. I have a pink and a rainbow bout a year old, right next to each other pretty much one piece now doing great for a year, they are getting quite large. THEN, I have one red goniopora that never fully extends, the polyps stay very cropped. Nothing is bothering it or touching it as far as I can tell, it's set a bit away from the other goniopora but still in the sand bed. It looks healthy and sometimes there is one or a few polyps that extend but it stays fairly cropped and just looks kinda bushy. Its been like that since the day I got it which was early fall of last year, bout 7 months ago.

 

[TheDuude]

Ya, I have an odd goniopora as well. I have a pink and a rainbow bout a year old, right next to each other pretty much one piece now doing great for a year, they are getting quite large. THEN, I have one red goniopora that never fully extends, the polyps stay very cropped. Nothing is bothering it or touching it as far as I can tell, it's set a bit away from the other goniopora but still in the sand bed. It looks healthy and sometimes there is one or a few polyps that extend but it stays fairly cropped and just looks kinda bushy. Its been like that since the day I got it which was early fall of last year, bout 7 months ago.

Some strains have naturally much shorter tentacles.. I have a "fireflower" goni that tentacles are very short but growth is ok

 

[Goaway]

@taulgrl
How would you rate your water clairity from before to after treating phosphates?

 

[Goaway]

Also, are the zoas touching the goni?
Or have the goni polyps touched the zoas?

 

[mattdg]

I've sort of given up on long term success with goni's. Seems once something makes them upset, they just never recover. I have a mixed reef full of happy healthy SPS and LPS. Goni's have always been the most unpredictable, especially the green variety. I know a lot of folks swear by micro fragging them, but none of it has worked for me, thus far. I'll watch a tiny frag grow into a giant healthy colony, then a few years later all the polyps pull back and it slowly withers away. That said, we need to pay attention to our systems and favor the coral that do best. Each reef has a personality and it's own coral preferences. Hopefully I will figure it out, since I really do love them.

 

[taulgrl]

There seems to be some debate if Gonis benefit from feeding. I don't target mine and see good growth. Po4 stays around .25 with nitrates around 15. I do dose nitrates on occasion

Wow so weird! Ive never target fed mine and it did really well for a while and my water chemistry is similar

 

[taulgrl]

Also, are the zoas touching the goni?
Or have the goni polyps touched the zoas?
View attachment 3145236

Water clarity is similar. I use carbon in the sump to keep it clear and absorb soft coral stuff. Goni has always coexisted w the green zoas but recently I pulled a few off it’s rock that we’re getting a bit too close. I’ll prune these off too - thanks for the notes!

 

[taulgrl]

Ya, I have an odd goniopora as well. I have a pink and a rainbow bout a year old, right next to each other pretty much one piece now doing great for a year, they are getting quite large. THEN, I have one red goniopora that never fully extends, the polyps stay very cropped. Nothing is bothering it or touching it as far as I can tell, it's set a bit away from the other goniopora but still in the sand bed. It looks healthy and sometimes there is one or a few polyps that extend but it stays fairly cropped and just looks kinda bushy. It’s been like that since the day I got it which was early fall of last year, bout 7 months ago.

Wow I’m seeing the same thing for similar period of time. It is at least comforting that I’m not alone

 

[taulgrl]

I've sort of given up on long term success with goni's. Seems once something makes them upset, they just never recover. I have a mixed reef full of happy healthy SPS and LPS. Goni's have always been the most unpredictable, especially the green variety. I know a lot of folks swear by micro fragging them, but none of it has worked for me, thus far. I'll watch a tiny frag grow into a giant healthy colony, then a few years later all the polyps pull back and it slowly withers away. That said, we need to pay attention to our systems and favor the coral that do best. Each reef has a personality and it's own coral preferences. Hopefully I will figure it out, since I really do love them.

Me too! It’s my favorite coral…

 

[EliMelly]

I don’t have a lot of experience at all but from research have seen that they do a lot better with target feeding. I use phyto for mine and it definitely seems happier and brighter afterwards.

 

[Goaway]

Seems once something makes them upset, they just never recover

Hopefully I will figure it out, since I really do love them

Pretty much did.

But, my own experience. Zoas, palythoa will kill goniopora. Don't let them touch.

@taulgrl
Removing nitrates and phosphates will remove the brown hue allowing for light to travel easier. There could be a case of light shock.

Now with my own goniopora which ive had for over a year as frags. They have not down well in low phosphates and nitrates. Phos under .05, nitrates under 5.

I have since upped nitrates to 25 phosphates to .06 .1. Added 2 more fish, upped feeding fish. They have all extended again.

 

[taulgrl]

Pretty much did.

But, my own experience. Zoas, palythoa will kill goniopora. Don't let them touch.

@taulgrl
Removing nitrates and phosphates will remove the brown hue allowing for light to travel easier. There could be a case of light shock.

Now with my own goniopora which ive had for over a year as frags. They have not down well in low phosphates and nitrates. Phos under .05, nitrates under 5.

I have since upped nitrates to 25 phosphates to .06 .1. Added 2 more fish, upped feeding fish. They have all extended again.
View attachment 3145315
View attachment 3145316

Good to know! I trimmed the toxic green zoas off the rock, moved goni to the sand and will try target feeding. I was worried that my nitrates (which sometimes are 15-20) were a prob but I guess not!

 

[eliza209]

Such good timing! I’ve been looking at posts because my Goni is not extending. I just moved it to an area with a little less flow and see a bit more extension, but nothing like when I first got it. Thanks for posting and for all of the comments.