Goniopora “A New Beginning”: Changing Good Luck into Good Skill.

The survival rate of Goniopora in captivity has been dismal at best. All too often, Goniopora are harvested and shipped in a rough manner that can damage the coral's tissue. They are then placed in the care of a local fish store employee who may or may not know how to properly acclimate, feed, and maintain the coral. On top of this, they are regularly bought on an impulse without the purchaser having any prior knowledge of the coral's care and maintenance requirements. When these occurrences are coupled with the lack of any proven husbandry methods and the fact that many local fish stores falsely promote the coral as “easy to keep”, it becomes clear to see how Goniopora, aka the Flowerpot Coral, has received the distinguished reputation of being notoriously difficult to maintain in captivity, if not impossible.

Goniopora is one of the least understood genera of corals available to the saltwater hobbyist. With this presentation, I will put forth what I believe to be proper guidelines for the skillful and successful husbandry of Goniopora corals. The methods I am promoting for “success” have been compiled from 15 months of intensive research and study. These methods begin with a simple overview of the coral's anatomical structure and move on to cover the following topics: Controlled environment requirements, a pre-purchase inspection, acclimation procedures, foods, feeding methods, overall maintenance, Goniophytes (baby goniopora), propagation, fragmentation, troubleshooting, and the recovery of ailing specimens. All material will be accompanied by photographic documentation.