flowerpot coral

my biggest regret since getting into this hobby was the purchase of a flowerpot coral(on the advice of the lfs)I purchased this coral and have watched it pretty much dwindle away on a daily basis...I even tried to take it back the same day but the guy said it would not be hard to keep....well it hardly comes out at all now and has white areas where it doesn't ever come out at all it also has developed some brown spots........is it hopeless for this sunflower is it already gone ......:-X

 

That does not sound good as the deterioration has already started.
What type of lighting and water flow is it receiving?

 

Goniopora is a very difficult coral to keep. Lighting and food requirements are to stringent. It was a bad move on the pet shops part to offer you it! They require intense lighting for the most part for limited success.
What do you have for lighting?
I can offer you some advice as to the types of coral for you to keep with a successful long term track record based on your lighting!

 

I 2nd Coral Reefer, goniopora is WC and rarley survives.....even with experienced care. The LFS should not even carry it let alone adv. it as an easily kept coral. Just make sure to remove it when it begins to decompose.

 

and Tiny is a what????

 

Turantula right? Spelling?

 

tarantula

 

It's not even a lighting issue with this coral. Goniopora is said to receive most of it's nutrition through filter feeding. Goniopora sp. species is similar to Dendronephthya (feeding wise). They live in very nutrient rich areas in sandy bottoms. There is a product that I came across at the depot called "Reef Roids" by some new company. It has been formulated specifically for Goniopora sp. but it states it's good for every coral... and nutritious! It's 800 micron! Try it! They require a lot of target feeding, I would guess once a day.

 

Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine - Feature Article: The Successful Aquarium Culture of Goniopora Species
Here is a good article on the "flower pot" coral that can help you make an informed decision on how you may want to proceed. Enjoy!!

Jim

 

thanks to both of you ,very interesting article diver filled with a lot of hope for the future of the goniopora I saved it for future reference and thanks to you too rickzter I will call around and see if i can find the reef roids