Lighting
80-180 PAR is a starting range; fleshy tissue should expand without paling, stretching, or pulling against skeleton.
LPSAdvancedCare score 8/10
Goniopora
Goniopora spp.
Goniopora LPS guide for identifying long flower-like polyps, choosing low placement with moderate flow, and managing shortening polyp extension when kept near Alveopora and Duncan Coral.
Compare long flower-like polyps, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Snapshot
Quick Care Snapshot
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Care score
- 8/10
- Placement
- Low
- PAR range
- 80-180 PAR
- Flow
- Moderate
- Aggression
- Moderate
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Minimum tank age
- 6 months
- Minimum tank size
- 30 gallons
Care note
This entry has low confidence or is marked for expert review. Treat the ranges as conservative starting points and compare them with your own system.
- Verify taxonomy before species-level SEO or care claims.
- Review advanced-care ranges against specimen source and aquaculture history.
Images
Reference Photos
Photos are shown only when a source includes reusable license metadata. Always verify appearance against the coral in your own lighting and flow.
Primary reference: Nhobgood Nick Hobgood
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Peter Young Cho, MD
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Philippe Bourjon
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Ranges
Water Parameters
These ranges are approximate starting points from the coral database and should be adjusted to the stability and history of your system.
- Temperature
- 76-80 F / 24.4-26.7 C
- Salinity
- 1.024-1.026
- Alkalinity
- 8-9.5 dKH
- Calcium
- 420-460 ppm
- Magnesium
- 1280-1400 ppm
- Nitrate
- 5-20 ppm
- Phosphate
- 0.04-0.12 ppm
Care
Care Notes
Flow
moderate indirect flow should move tissue gently without folding it into sharp skeleton or neighbors.
Stability
For Goniopora, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue.
Variability
Goniopora requirements vary by specimen, aquaculture history, shipping stress, and tank maturity; use these ranges as starting points, not guarantees.
Feeding
Feeding
- Benefits from feeding
- Yes
- Food types
- fine particulate coral food, phytoplankton blends, amino acids
- Frequency
- 2-3 times weekly in small amounts
ID
Identification
Key features
- long flower-like polyps
- roughly 24 tentacles per polyp as a common ID clue
- round or encrusting colony base
Common colors
- Red
- Green
- Purple
- Pink
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
Goniopora generally shows more tentacles per polyp than Alveopora, which is often described around 12 tentacles. When Goniopora is confused with Alveopora and Duncan Coral, the useful clues are long flower-like polyps, roughly 24 tentacles per polyp as a common ID clue, and round or encrusting colony base. Color is secondary; structure, expansion pattern, and the first place tissue irritation appears are more reliable. Because trade photos can exaggerate color, skeleton shape, polyp layout, and expansion pattern are stronger clues than color alone.
Placement
Compatibility
Compatibility depends on specimen size, flow, growth, aggression, and spacing. Use these references conservatively and watch for contact over time.
Usually compatible with spacing
Use caution near
Avoid close placement with
Spacing recommendation: keep about 4 inches of clearance, then adjust based on extension and neighboring coral response.
Troubleshooting
Common Problems
Use these as troubleshooting checks, not a diagnosis. Symptoms may point to more than one issue.
Goniopora shortening polyp extensionOpen for symptoms, likely causes to check, and practical next steps.
Symptoms that may indicate it
- flower-like polyps extend less each day or retract soon after lights come on
- Goniopora shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline
- changes are localized rather than a confirmed single-cause condition
Likely causes to check
- nutrient instability, unsuitable flow, insufficient feeding opportunity, or source variability
- recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Goniopora
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- check Goniopora alkalinity trend and look for nearby stinging contact
- reduce direct flow if tissue is pressed against skeleton
- increase spacing and observe the coral under white light and after lights out
Checklist
Common Mistakes
- avoid calling Goniopora easy just because one aquacultured strain is hardy
- placing Goniopora before confirming long flower-like polyps and its spacing needs
- using Goniopora color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Alveopora
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Goniopora looks irritated
- ignoring fleshy tissue protection from direct flow when keeping Goniopora
Compare
Similar Corals
Neighbors
Compatible Corals
These corals are usually compatible with spacing, observation, and stable conditions. This is not a guarantee.
Usually compatible with spacing
Duncan Coral
Duncanopsammia axifuga
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Candy Cane Coral
Caulastrea furcata
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Blastomussa
Blastomussa wellsi / Blastomussa merleti
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
FAQs
FAQs
Is Goniopora beginner friendly?
Goniopora is not a beginner coral. It needs mature-system stability and careful observation, and the listed values should be reviewed before publication.
Where should Goniopora be placed?
Start Goniopora low in the tank or on the sand/low rockwork when its tissue form allows it. Use 80-180 PAR and moderate flow as a starting point, then adjust from tissue extension, color, and nearby coral response.
Should I target feed Goniopora?
Goniopora may benefit from careful target feeding with fine particulate coral food, phytoplankton blends, and amino acids. Use the listed frequency as a starting point: 2-3 times weekly in small amounts. Feed only when the coral accepts food and avoid forcing food into stressed tissue.
Can Goniopora touch other corals?
Give Goniopora about 4 inches of clearance as a starting point. Its database aggression level is Moderate. Use caution near Hammer Coral, Frogspawn Coral, and Torch Coral. Avoid close placement with Elegance Coral and Chalice Coral. Compatibility is not a guarantee, so check contact points as colonies expand.
What should I check if Goniopora looks stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Goniopora, flower-like polyps extend less each day or retract soon after lights come on and Goniopora shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Goniopora shortening polyp extension. Likely causes to check include nutrient instability, unsuitable flow, insufficient feeding opportunity, or source variability and recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Goniopora. Start with these database checks: check Goniopora alkalinity trend and look for nearby stinging contact and reduce direct flow if tissue is pressed against skeleton.
What stability issue matters most for Goniopora?
For Goniopora, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue. The database lists 6 months as the minimum tank age and 30 gallons as the minimum tank size. For LPS-style care, protect fleshy tissue from repeated moves, direct flow, and abrupt chemistry corrections.
Coral Identifier
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Compare long flower-like polyps, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
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