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Tuesday, 12 August 2008 14:26 |
  The True Red Flower Pot Coral is a large polyp stony (LPS) coral often referred to as Goniopora Flower Pot, Ball, Daisy, or Sunflower Coral. The flower names refer to its appearance when all of its polyps are opened. It takes on the visage of a bouquet of flowers. The red form is a bright red color, and illumination by actinic lighting will highlight its true beauty. Once open, the True Red Flower Pot Coral is a gorgeous hard coral with free-flowing short polyps.
It is aggressive, and ample space should be provided between itself and other neighboring corals. Its polyps can extend far past its base into the reef aquarium, where they can sting other species of corals. Clownfish, will often play in its polyps if no anemone can be found in the reef aquarium. This may actually be detrimental to the coral. Goniopora sp. require PERFECT water conditions, the proper trace elements and the habitat must match its requirements. In general, the Red form of the Flower Pot Coral does better in an aquarium than other Gonipora sp. However, any damage to the meaty section of the True Red Flower Pot Coral almost always means a lost specimen. One can only do this Goniopora Coral justice by leaving its care to the experienced hobbyist with the expertise and time to keep the coral properly. The symbiotic algae zooxanthellae hosted within its body provides the majority of its nutritional requirements from photosynthesis. It should be fed phytoplankton or brine shrimp daily. | Flower Pot Coral - True Red | | (Goniopora sp.) | | |
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