|
Goniopora Acclimation:
Proper acclimation of
Goniopora into a new "reef" habitat begins
with a good overall understanding of the coral's basic
needs. All too often, when Goniopora are first introduced
into the aquarium, they are immediately subjected
to strong lighting, strong water flow, water that
is void of food, and other conditions that can initially
appear to have a negative effect on them by causing
them to remain retracted. Without utilizing a well
controlled and skillful acclimation process, Goniopora
may even stay retracted in a state of discontent for
over a month. Knowing beforehand the appearance that
should be expected of the coral after it has been
acclimated can be very helpful for troubleshooting
problems, but that is not always possible unless it
was purchased directly from a friend or a local retailer.
If a goniopora coral is acquired while in good health,
then in most situations it should be extended within
1 day of being properly acclimated into a reef aquarium.
After purchasing a goniopora,
it is usually shipped or transported in a small bag
with some water in it. The best way I have found for
acclimating the coral to a new reef habitat is by
placing it in a small plastic bowl with just enough
water from the bag to cover it. Using a target feeding
device, I add some tank water to the bowl and wait
for 10 or 15 minutes. Then, I discard some water from
the bowl and add more tank water. The process is repeated
until I feel that most of the old water has been replaced
with new water from the tank. Next, I take a 1 gallon
milk jug with the top cut off and fill it ½
to ¾ full with water from the tank. This is
used to perform a preventative iodine dip with a product
by Seachem called “Reef Dip”. I place
the goni in the solution for 10 minutes. Although
the practice of doing a preventative iodine dip is
not widely accepted, mainly to avoid the additional
stress to the coral, I do this anyway because Goniopora
have a reputation for being susceptible to “brown
jelly” disease. I have never witnessed any negative
effects on Goniopora from using Reef Dip. If you should
see any signs of “brown jelly” or areas
of tissue loss where there is a potential for brown
jelly to occur, especially around the perimeter of
the coral’s base, please see the “Troubleshooting”
section.
WATER QUALITY
In just about every saltwater forum
that I have read, somewhere within its contents it
has been suggested that Goniopora corals love “dirty",
unskimmed, or unfiltered water. I have not observed
or experienced any truth to this at all; in fact,
I have only observed the opposite to be true. In my
experience, Goniopora prefer to live in CLEAN WATER.
I refer to “clean” water as water that
is free from containing ammonia, nitrate, phosphate,
dead waste, and unseen decaying organic matter. When
Goniopora are kept in clean water and target fed small
foods several times a week on a regular basis, they
will maintain a very consistent behavior of strong
polyp extension and continued growth. It becomes easier
to see the need for a water change or an extra feeding
because the coral will not seem quite as "happy"
as it usually does; this same behavior can be observed
with many captive coral species. I believe that the
"love of dirty water" philosophy mainly
arose from the continual confusion and misunderstanding
of the difference between "dirty" water
and "nutrient rich" water as it relates
to Goniopora. Nutrients for goniopora in the wild
consist of various planktons, invertebrate larvae,
and tiny eggs; not nitrates. Freshly dissolved foods
in the water column and fish waste deposited directly
on the coral by chance may provide a very small amount
of nutrition in the reef aquarium, but those "foods"
will soon be converted to ammonia, nitrate, and phosphate,
which are not nutrients for Goniopora. Pollution is
not the solution!
The different salt mixes available
to the hobbyist contain varying measures of major,
minor, and trace elements. These elements are used
at different rates by corals for photosynthesis, respiration,
skeletal formation, and a host of other functions.
Unfortunately, the past difficulties of keeping Goniopora
have thus far made it impossible to determine exactly
which elements are beneficial to their long term maintenance
in captivity. In a 2002 study by Julian Sprung, he
reported seeing a positive effect upon polyp extension
from the additional supplementation of iron and manganese
to the water. I can verify through my own experiments
that small doses of iron does have a positive effect
on Goniopora polyp extension, but cannot verify that
it is a lasting effect or even necessary as an additional
supplement. I was using Kent Marine Super Chelated
Iron w/ Manganese, which may be a different form of
iron than what Julian Sprung used. I believe there
may be some salt mixes which are better than others
for use with Goniopora due to the various levels of
elements contained within those mixes. This section
will be updated when there are conclusive results
to report. For now, my recommendation for a good salt
mix to use with Goniopora is Instant Ocean.
LIGHTING
Acclimating Goniopora
to light is probably the single most important obstacle
to overcome when introducing them into a new reef
habitat. Their tentacles and polyps are very sensitive
to lighting adjustments and changes. In the ideal
situation, it is best to place them fairly low in
the tank so as to protect them from the effects of
light shock; especially when using intense metal halide
lighting. Light shock is caused from a change in the
intensity and/or color temperature of the bulbs. When
affected by it, the polyps of Goniopora may remain
retracted for a lengthy period of time and in severe
cases, the coral may appear “bleached”
from the loss of its zooxanthellae. It is quite common
to see bleached and fluorescent glowing Goniopora
for sale at the local fish stores (LFS) or on merchant’s
web sites.
Most of the common Goniopora species
can acclimate to a variety of different lighting situations
as long as the lighting is not too strong. I have
found that it is best to place a newly introduced
colony under shaded light until it extends its polyps
and tentacles. It is much easier to acclimate Goniopora
to the full intensity of the light by first getting
them to extend under lower lighting conditions. My
lighting acclimation method is to place a narrow piece
of glass across the top of the tank and then tape
a few strips of aluminum foil to the glass in order
to cast a shadow on the coral. Over the period of
a few days, I slowly fold the aluminum back to increase
the light intensity. The shading does not have to
cover a large area, but it needs to be enough to keep
the highest intensity rays off of the coral. If using
metal halide, you may not need to shade all of your
light sources, but just the one that the coral is
directly under. If you remove too much shading at
one time, then you may instantly notice the goni react
to it by either retracting its polyps or curling them
over. This method of acclimation keeps you from having
to move your new Goniopora to different areas throughout
the tank in an attempt to get it to extend.
WATER FLOW
Water flow is another
tricky obstacle to overcome when acclimating a Goniopora
coral into a new reef habitat. Some Goniopora may
be able to withstand strong linear water flow, as
is common in a reef aquarium, but many of them are
reluctant to inflate their tissue and extend their
polyps when subjected to higher flow pressures. Their
polyps are very sensitive to the pressure of water
flow and a strong direct flow will make them retract
and keep them retracted for a lengthy period of time.
For this reason it is best to place them in an area
of moderate to moderate-low flow where the main stream
of water current is not directly on them. Once extended,
the polyps of the coral should be able to sway and
move without being forcibly blown in one direction.
A moderate to moderate-low rate of water flow will
also make it easier for Goniopora to capture and consume
target fed foods.
Observe the water flow patterns of
your reef, where it is strong and where it is weak,
and have a spot already picked out for your goniopora.
The rate of water flow will have an effect on the
overall appearance of the polyps once the coral is
acclimated and fully extended. In stronger flow, the
polyps will remain shorter and not reach out as far.
The polyps of long polyped species will whip around
in the current as the coral struggles to actively
maintain its own polyp waving motion. In a more moderate
flow, the polyps will extend longer. The polyps of
long polyped species will ebb and wave naturally and
gracefully. The goal to achieve with water flow rate
is to find a good balance between polyp extension
and target feeding effectiveness. It is important
for the polyps to be able to extend soon after the
coral is introduced into the new habitat so a feeding
regimen can commence. When directly feeding Goniopora,
keep in mind that the coral is very sensitive to water
flow pressure and that blowing too hard on it with
a target feeding device will also cause the coral
to retract without taking food. See the Foods
and Feeding section for more information on feeding.
PLACEMENT
To determine the placement
of a new Goniopora within a reef aquarium, it is necessary
to first look at the growth form and polyp structure
of the coral itself. When Goniopora are harvested
from the ocean, they may be cut or broken from a branch,
column, or mound, or even picked up from off of the
substrate as a free-living specimen. The resulting
piece usually appears as having a hemispherical or
encrusting form, but does not always reflect the true
growth form as it is found in nature. Many of the
hemispherical shaped Goniopora available for sale
are often mistaken by hobbyists as free living specimens.
The evidence of a non-free living specimen can be
seen by the attachment scar on the underside of the
coral where it has been broken or sawn off of another
structure. Unless the coral can be positively identified
as a free living specimen that came from resting on
a substrate, the coral should be placed so that the
tissue surrounding its perimeter is not immediately
touching anything. I personally feel that the common
occurrence of the infamous brown jelly infection on
Goniopora, especially when it begins around the base
or perimeter of the coral, is due to the coral’s
tissue becoming infected or dying off when it is placed
on the substrate in a manner that the tissue is slightly
buried.
When placing Goniopora up on the rockwork,
set the coral so that the tissue is not wedged against
other rocks. The tissue of Goniopora is very delicate
and can be torn or abraded relatively easy. Some of
the longer polyped species can inflate with water
to the point where they are almost weightless and
even a moderate water flow can move them off of the
rockwork. If this occurs, in order to prevent tissue
damage from the coral falling, it may be necessary
to attach them to a rock with an aquatic epoxy compound
or use an ample amount of super glue gel on the underside
of their base.
Finding the right place for a Goniopora
to reside is a balancing act between lighting, water
flow, space and territory for the coral, and having
access to the coral for feeding. Since a goniopora
coral is a stationary object, it can’t relocate
itself or move itself to an ideal position within
the reef aquarium. It is the responsibility of the
hobbyist to find or create the perfect spot where
the coral can thrive and be happy. Some other points
to take into consideration when deciding where to
place Goniopora are:
- Beware of placing Goniopora too close to other corals
and be sure to leave plenty of space for the polyps
to extend out. If other corals are within reach, Goniopora
will sweep them with the tips of their tentacles.
To avoid allelopathic (chemical) warfare between Goniopora
and other corals, it is best to always keep the tentacles
a minimum of 1 ½ inches out of reach of other
corals. Also, plan for the polyps to multiply and
elongate.
- To help the coral obtain food from the water column,
place it in an area near the glass or rocks where
the polyps can extend to fill the channel where water
flows through so that any particles moving by will
have a better chance of being captured. Placing the
coral in an area where food may fall out of suspension
from the water column will also be a benefit too.
- Emerald crabs can knock them off of the rockwork
if the coral is small and there is enough space for
them to get under.
- In most situations, Goniopora do not make good hosts
for clownfish and they are usually detrimental to
the health of the coral.
- Please see the Species
Info. section for a more detailed description
of the individual species and their growth forms.
Don't forget to check out the Photo
Gallery too.
|
