Common Names

Ball Coral, Daisy Coral, Flowerpot Coral, Goni, Goniopora, Sunflower Coral, Yoo Stone Coral

Description

Poritidae look much like a cluster of flower with long stalks topper with a fringe of polyps.  Poritidae extend their polyps during the day and have an intricate nervous system that will send impulses to the rest of the coral telling it to close up if disturbed. Flowerpot species are rather hardy while Goniopora species are a bit more challenging.

Care Level: Moderate to Difficult

Placement: Bottom

Lighting: Moderate to Strong

Flow: Low to Medium

Conditions: 72°-80°, s.g. 1.023-1.025, Phosphates 0, Cal 400-450, dKH 8-11, Mag 1200-1350, Sr 8-10

Conditions & Placement

Poritidae prefer moderate to high light and require moderate flow.  It Is suggested that the not be placed in bare bottom aquariums as having a sandy substrate has shown to be beneficial to their survival.

Feeding

Poritidae are primarily photosynthetic but will greatly benefit from liquid supplements such as Marine Snow, Phytoplankton and Zooplankton.  You can also stir up detritus from the substrate to feed.  Iron and Manganese help keep the tentacles healthy.

Maintenance

Monthly water changes of 20% or bi-weekly water changes of at least 10% are suggested. Poritidae also seem to to do better in tanks with refugiums containing large amounts of macro algae or turf scrubbers.  It is not suggested to over skim in aquariums housing Poritidae as it can strip the water of beneficial food sources.

Warnings

It is not wise to have more than one species of Goniopora in the same tank as it may release chemicals that can be toxic to other species of Goniopora.