Cave of Wonders Goniopora

Goniopora coral comes in a rainbow of colors and provides flow and movement in your aquarium. Goniopora is a Large Polyp Stony Coral so don’t be fooled by its softy flowing texture, this coral does have a hard skeleton and needs to be kept in a saltwater aquarium with stable water parameters, especially Calcium, Magnesium, and Alkalinity. 

One of the reasons we love Goniopora coral so much is their tentacles can inflate themselves with water and grow to be several times larger during the day. Their long tentacles sway peacefully in the current and as lots of beautiful movement. We’ve even spotted a few clownfish hosting inside of Goniopora as the tentacles do looks like what you see on a sea anemone. Goniopora coral is also quite collectible and it comes in a variety of color morphs and polyp size.

Gonipora corals like to be positioned at the bottom of the tank on the sand. The skeleton usually grows into round balls or mounds siting on the sand, however, we have also had success with mountain small frags on rocks and let the coral attach naturally to the aquascape. Goniopora is a peaceful coral however, it may sting corals that get to close, so make sure to give this coral some room to grow. Goniopora prefers medium light and medium flow and care requirements for Goniopora can be found in the coral description. Goniopora also responds well to feeding and we recommend feeding small coral food mixed with saltwater several times per week.

Care Requirements

Lighting and Water Flow

• Lighting: Prefers moderate light (PAR 100-150).  o ensure proper growth and coloration. 
• Water Flow: Moderate to high flow is best.  Avoid direct flow so as not to damage the polyps.

Water Conditions

• Temperature: 75-80°F
• Salinity: 1.024 - 1.026
• pH: 8.0 - 8.4
• Alkalinity: 8-9.5 dKH
• Calcium: 400-450 ppm
• Magnesium: 1250-1350 ppm
• Nitrates: 5-15 ppm
• Phosphates: <0.10 ppm

Feeding

Goniopora  corals are  opportunistic feeders.  They are both photosynthetic but also rely on supplemental feeding. Recommended foods include:

• Amino Acids
• Powdered foods such as Benepets and Reef Roids
• Phytoplankton and Zooplankton
• Brine and Mysis shrimp or other finely chopped seafood

Regular target feeding a couple of times a week can enhance growth.  It is recommended that you turn off water flow for 10-15 minutes during feeding for best results.

Growth and Placement

Goniopora corals can grow to expansive dome-shaped colonies. The length of their polyps can get extensive, so ensure they have space to fully extend to enjoy the gentle movement in the water flow.