Clownfish hosting to Goniopora!!

[SYS7EMATIC]

So I bought a BEAUTIFUL Goniopora the other day (yeah I know, I read up on it and saw that they tend not to live very long) and almost as soon as I put it in there, our clownfish left his gbta and started hosting to the goniopora!

Its cute and all, but frankly, I'm worried for the health of the goniopora. Everytime the clownfish comes over and starts cuddling up to it, all the polyps retract etc. Any idea on how I can prevent this?? I hope the goniopora doesnt become too stressed!

:(

[FishboyBT]

You really can't prevent them from hosting. I had mine in with some clowns and they made it look like this.
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t279/bt12222/BioCube018.jpg

I was ok with it for a while until it started to recede and so I put it in another tank without clowns and it perked up-
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t279/bt12222/Tanks033.jpg
I would not reccomend keeping clowns and gonis together.

[FishboyBT]

and feed them cyclopeeze

[JAMDivers]

Hello Sys7ematic,

Found this post a little late and was just wondering how your Goni was doing with the whole clownfish thing? Have they gone back to their anemone or are they still trying to host the Goni? How's its health?

If they are still bothering it, you might try a homemade eggcrate cage or some already made small plastic bin with slits in every side that you can flip upside down over the Goni (like one of those mini milkcrates you put office supplies in that's only a few inches square but larger than your Goni).

Leave it covering the Goni for a few days so the fish can't get to the coral and they should go back to their anemone. It may condition the clowns not to bother the Goni. And you might have to try it a few times if you have adventurous clowns.

Just make sure the coral still has flow and access to the light, and be careful when covering the coral that you don't touch any of the sides, so as not to accidently tear it's tissue. Might be a good idea to gentle tease in the tentacles prior to putting the crate over it.

Anyway, might be worth a shot. In the meantime, check out goniopora.org for more info.....good luck! :)

[stunreefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12799884#post12799884 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JAMDivers
Hello Sys7ematic,

Found this post a little late and was just wondering how your Goni was doing with the whole clownfish thing? Have they gone back to their anemone or are they still trying to host the Goni? How's its health?

If they are still bothering it, you might try a homemade eggcrate cage or some already made small plastic bin with slits in every side that you can flip upside down over the Goni (like one of those mini milkcrates you put office supplies in that's only a few inches square but larger than your Goni).

Leave it covering the Goni for a few days so the fish can't get to the coral and they should go back to their anemone. It may condition the clowns not to bother the Goni. And you might have to try it a few times if you have adventurous clowns.

Just make sure the coral still has flow and access to the light, and be careful when covering the coral that you don't touch any of the sides, so as not to accidently tear it's tissue. Might be a good idea to gentle tease in the tentacles prior to putting the crate over it.

Anyway, might be worth a shot. In the meantime, check out goniopora.org for more info.....good luck! :)
Great advice here....clowns can/will cause corals like this ("flowy" LPS) to close up and eventually recede, actually for this reason I dont keep clowns.

Something else you could use is a pond basket. They make the to hold pumps or media in outdoor ponds, and I've used them to "hide" an elegance in before. Just flip them over top of your coral. they are prevelant in the pond industry, and should not be hard to find.

[Snowsurfer]

Not all clowns do damage, ive had this goni a year and a half and its been hosted in most of that time. It does not even close up anymore and is growing.

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2007Q2/Clown.jpg

http://www.ultimatereef.com/TOTM/2008_june/images/original/goni.jpg

[incloud]

You really can't prevent them from hosting. I had mine in with some clowns and they made it look like this.
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t279/bt12222/BioCube018.jpg

I was ok with it for a while until it started to recede and so I put it in another tank without clowns and it perked up-
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t279/bt12222/Tanks033.jpg
I would not reccomend keeping clowns and gonis together.

I'll be damned. I just now noticed my Davinci pair are taking to my Goni. Odd seeing they've been in there together for about 6 months. I bought in hopes for hosting them a RBTA and they've never so much as given it a second look. It's strange how things happen in these little worlds we build. I'm setting up a Reefer 450 now so when its ready I'll have to move one or the other. Interesting!