Red Flower Pot coral

[mercuryxs]

Does anyone have first hand experience with this coral? How is the hardiness of the coral?

[mborn]

Do you mean goniopora sp.? I have a red flower pot coral. I've found mine to be very hardy for a goniopora. Try the LPS forum. I assume there'd be more goniopora keepers there.

[Tennyson]

Yes, the LPS forum will get you more answers.

But the red ones tend to be much easier to keep that other color morphs, especiall the greens.

[Bud Reeferman]

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q21/e***enson/Reef%20Tank/Sept08003.jpg This tags along on the same feeding schedule as my Duncans -- two to three times per week, I lightly spray a turkeybaster full of Coral Frenzy and tank water in it's direction. Always done well. Likes lots of mixed flow patterns.

[InsaneClownFish]

As others have said, try the LPS forum. I will say this, Goniopora is not a hardy coral and should be attempted only by the expert reefer.

[dragonette]

the red ones are known to be a bit 'more forgiving'. I think one of the hardest things about this coral is providing it with high light (IMO they prefer more light than other LPS), getting it to feed(the mouth is very small and most of these will only take rotifiers/cyclops), and also the skeleton is usually shaped like a circle or dome which means the polyps are easily damaged when being handled. Once a section of the polyps die the whole specimen will usually eventually perish if any algae grows on the bare skeleton where the die-off was.

According to 'what Ive read' (mostly peoples opinions lol) the coral prefers the sandbed.
I have kept two specimens sucessfully and they both preferred to be on the rock.. and were easily irritated by the sand.

If you can put the coral in one spot, not move it, have some good lights (Id say at least 150w halides) and get it to eat.. you should be golden! lol

I kept the green one for about a year and had to sell it because I downsized and the thing was outgrowing my nano. Since then I bought a yellow one and another green one... both FELL APART in the tank within like 3 days of hitting the water. Now I have the red one, for about a month and it extends fully and eats readily. IME it has been substantially easier than other gonis Ive had. I also have a goniopora minor currently that I got off diversden and that is thriving ONLY when placed at the top of the tank on the rock. I moved it lower last week and it didnt open all week! Although I cannot say I have seen the minor eat (it has much smaller tentacles)... it looks happy.. had that one for like 2 months.

Moral of the story? be prepared to possibly have one fall apart in your tank, mostly the green ones are VERY sensitive and seem to die for no reason (aka cant survive in our imperfect home tanks.. the ocean is much more suitable). although some can and DO thrive (like my old one, and some of the beautiful specimens you can find on this board)
-and try to get a red one.. maybe a frag from someone that is growing out a healthy specimen!

Good Luck! they are beautiful. Sometimes I think about tracking down the green one I sold and getting a bigger tank just to have it again.. aww Im so sentimental about my coral :)
Happy reefing
Jess
heres my red one. it was an ebay purchase.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u311/jm_willer/My%20reef%20aquarium/MG_3228.jpg

[InsaneClownFish]

God bless ebay for that red beauty!