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Hello all,

About two, maybe three weeks ago I picked up a Goniopora Flowerpot - and it's been doing really good in my 55g Reef. It's currently located just in front of my 170 GPH Powerhead Output, at about mid-level on some rocks.

During the day it gets really big, about 7" tall, and maybe 5"-6" around. It's really good looking.

Anyway, a few days ago, maybe 3-4, I noticed that on the sand under the flowerpot, there was another flowerpot! It was really small, about 1/4" and had about 3 stalks coming off it it that are maybe 3/4" tall.

I was quite pleased when I first found it, and quickly moved it up onto a rock for further growth.

Then today I went in there to watch the tank, and boom - another baby flowerpot! This one looks just a little bit bigger than the other, but about the same really.

So, now I'm both really happy - and concerned... I'm happy because by my logic, if it's breeding - it must be healthy, right? But I'm concerned that if I'm getting new flowerpots every couple of days my little tank will quickly become overrun with flowerpots!

Also, I don't know if there is anything special I need to to do to keep the little ones health & happy. I assume that they just need the same care as the big one, but I would like a little reassurance/correction.

Thanks.

EDIT:

Oh btw, hre's a pick of the big one: http://www.4-jag.com/4images/details.php?image_id=8

That pick is the day we got it - so it's still shriveled and mad, but it gives an idea of what it looks like

Last edited by Jag at 27-Mar-2005 01:37

Here's a new pic of one of the baby Gonipora:
http://www.4-jag.com/4images/details.php?image_id=15

well that strikes me as really odd. im not a flower pot expert but for it to be reproducing so soon after addition to the tank sounds unlikely. is it possible that some of the orginal colony was broken off and that is what looks like a baby?

No, these are certainly brand-new flowerpots and not bits of the original.

Keep in mind that LPS corals when very stressed can have "polyp bail out". Not all splitting/regeneration is because of the coral being healthy. Stress induced reproduction is the corals way of trying to guarantee that either it, or one of its clones will survive. Im not saying that is what happened, but it is a very likely possibility.

Good luck with the green goni.


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