Flowerpot Coral

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Daisy Coral; Ball Coral; Sunflower Coral; Goni

Synonyms

Bernardpora stutchburyi (some "micro goniopora" trade forms)

Environment

Saltwater

Native to

Indo-Pacific, Red Sea, Great Barrier Reef

Habitat

Lagoon patch reefs and reef flats, usually rooted in sand or rubble in areas with steady, gentle current and moderate light

Sourcing

Both

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Difficult

Coral type

LPS

Temperament

Semi-Aggressive

Growth form

Massive

Adult size

2 – 8 in (5.1 – 20 cm)

Spread

12 in (30 cm)

Growth rate

Slow

Placement

Low, Sand bed

Water

Temperature

75 – 81 °F (24 – 27 °C)

pH

8.1 – 8.4

dKH

8 – 12 dKH

Salinity

1.023 – 1.026 SG

PAR

75 – 150 PAR

Flow

Low-Moderate

Light

Medium

Reef care

Nutrient preference

Medium

Alk/Ca uptake

Medium

Target feeding

Required

Give it room

6 in (15 cm)

Colors

Green, Red, Orange, Pink, Purple, Yellow, Brown, Multicolor

Feeding & breeding

Diet

Photosynthetic

Foods

Coral food, Phytoplankton, Zooplankton, Frozen

Propagation

Fragging

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Care guide

Overview

Wild colonies of this genus come from Indo-Pacific and Red Sea lagoon flats, where they root in sand or rubble under steady, gentle current. Long daisy-like polyps extend to feed and sway continuously when conditions suit them. Considered an expert-level LPS, it demands very stable parameters and frequent target feeding of fine plankton to hold tissue long term.

Care

Goniopora carries a reputation for wasting away in captivity, a problem seen mostly in wild-collected colonies rather than aquacultured frags, which have a much better track record of long-term survival. Success depends on very stable calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium, along with measurable but modest nitrate and phosphate rather than an ultra-low nutrient system. Give it moderate, indirect flow so the polyps sway rather than thrash, and moderate light in the 75-150 PAR range, acclimating slowly since both bleaching and browning out are signs of the wrong intensity. Choose a captive-propagated colony whenever possible and be prepared to watch it closely for the first few months in a new tank.

Placement & acclimation

Acclimate light slowly over several weeks when introducing a new frag, starting in the lower half of the tank and moving it upward gradually if more light is desired. Mount on stable rockwork or set directly on a sand bed in the lower to middle part of the tank, leaving ample clearance on all sides for polyp expansion.

Feeding

Although it carries zooxanthellae and gets some energy from light, Goniopora is a more demanding feeder than most LPS and tends to decline without supplemental nutrition. Target feed fine planktonic foods such as phytoplankton, rotifers, or fine coral preparations several times a week, ideally with flow paused briefly afterward so the polyps have time to capture the particles. Broadcast feeding fine foods into the tank at night also works well since the polyps stay extended and can catch drifting particles passively.

Neighbors

Its extended tentacles reach well past the skeleton and can sting close neighbors, so give it generous open space even though it is not considered a strongly aggressive coral. It lacks the long sweeper tentacles seen in Euphyllia and is generally regarded as one of the calmer LPS in terms of neighbor interaction. Avoid placing small polyp stony corals nearby since their tissue is easily irritated by contact with Goniopora's fleshy polyps.

Fragging

Colonies are fragged by cutting the calcareous skeleton with a diamond band saw or similar wet-cutting tool, then dipping the cut piece in an iodine-based solution and a stress-reducing coral dip before returning it to stable water. Frags are best allowed to heal in low-flow, dim conditions for several days before being moved to their permanent display spot.

Pests & problems

Polyps that stay retracted into the skeleton for extended periods signal stress, often from unstable parameters, insufficient feeding, or trace element deficiencies such as manganese or iodine. An iodine dip followed by a few days of stability can help a struggling colony recover before tissue loss becomes irreversible. Watch for recession at the base of the skeleton, tissue that fails to reinflate at night, or algae growth on bare skeleton, all of which point to a colony in decline.

Sources

1. Goniopora Coral Care Guide
2. Goniopora Care Guide: Light, Flow and Feeding | TUG
3. Flowerpot coral care: tank size, temperature and tankmates · TankBud
4. Goniopora Demystified | Complete Care Guide for Flowerpot Corals – Manta Systems

Varieties in the catalog

ECC Citrus Orange Short Polyp GonioporaECC Confetti Grafted GonioporaECC Sunflower Short Polyp GonioporaECC Time Warp GonioporaLarge Green Goniopora/Flower Pot CoralORA Marshall Island Goniopora CoralORA Marshall Island Long Polyp Goniopora CoralORA Red Goniopora Coral