[lyohemas]

can a dying goniopora polute my system?

[Poseidon]

If you mean a decaying speciman, I would say Yes.... not neccessarily toxins but certainly added NH3 levels and such. I would get rid of all the decaying tissue and frag the base back to where only healthy parts remain. BTW these corals are beautiful, but are a poor choice for the home aquarium.... much like Elegance Corals, they seem to be destined for the trash can....

[szwedo]

I have three gonioporas and i've had them for a while. They aren't that hard to keep its just that their lifespan in captivity is a max. of only 2 years.(and thats if you buy them small)But the part on elegance corals is definetly true. mine cost $89.99 and it died in less than a week . I've read about them and they actualy need a dirtty tank to survive(as in nitrites\nitrates)

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by szwedo

I have three gonioporas and i've had them for a while. They aren't that hard to keep its just that their lifespan in captivity is a max. of only 2 years.

That's the same as admitting that they are VERY difficult to keep in captivity.

I know many people who have Goniopora that they have had for seven or eight years or more, but they are the exception. Most Goniopora, probably in excess of 95%, die within the first two years. Usually they are fine until around 18 months and then they start to decline. The general consensus is that it is difficult to meet their nutritional needs in captivity. BTW, not all species of Goniopora are equally difficult. Some are less difficult than others.

But the part on elegance corals is definetly true. mine cost $89.99 and it died in less than a week . I've read about them and they actualy need a dirtty tank to survive(as in nitrites\nitrates)

The natural environment for all lagoonal species is turbid and it can be assumed that they might do better if given a similar captive environment. Unfortunately that doesn't fit in with the aesthetic desires of most reefkeepers. Most people want to be able to actually see what's in their tank from time to time.

People running tanks without protein skimmers might have a better chance at keeping elegance corals and other hard to keep lagoonal species but that's just speculation. It's difficult to run a large aquarium without a protein skimmer unless you have a very large refugium and/or an algal turf scrubber system.

Elegance corals weren't always this difficult. It seems that this is something that has just become a serious problem with specimens imported within the past two or three years.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by lyohemas

can a dying goniopora polute my system?

A dying anything will pollute your system, some more so than others. A dying clam or anemone can wipe out your tank if you aren't alert.

[szwedo]

my anemone died a while ago and it didn't do much to the tank.

[Poseidon]

Like Ninong said, if something is dieing it is best to remove it. Once it does die it will start to decompose and THAT will pollute the system MORE then when it was healthy. If a fish dies, we remove it right? Why would you want to leave it in there? Same thing for corals and anemones...

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by szwedo

my anemone died a while ago and it didn't do much to the tank.

Did you remove it or did you allow it to completely melt in the tank?

[szwedo]

I just let it melt because it kept hiding so I thought it might split

[Poseidon]

[Samper]

Mike, that frownie touched my heart............