Goniopora:
Perhaps one of the most loved of all the corals available for
sale in the Marine Aquarium hobby. These 'flowerpot corals' with
their long, sweeping flower-like tentacles catch the eye of most
hobbyists sooner or later.
Unfortunately, they are also perhaps the single most difficult
coral to keep in captivity. The marine aquarium newsgroups are
littered with questions from people wanting to know why their
Goniopora no longer opens fully or why the tissue appears to be
receding at the base. To date no one has been able to answer these
questions conclusively. Whilst there is anecdotal evidence that
some experienced aquarists have kept these corals successfully for
more than 2 years, for most aquarists, even very experienced ones,
it is more normal for the corals to 'disappear' in less than
18 months!
For now, it would seem that the best thing we can do as aquarists
is to simply stop buying these corals. Only then can we hope that
the collectors will leave them where they belong and where they
can live indefinitely. Perhaps in time we will have the anwers to
the mystery, but until then please -
"Don't Buy Goniopora!"
A personal opinion by Andy Dolphin.
(
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