Clowns Hosting Goniopora

[indir-emir]

Hi all,
Wasnt really sure where to put this so decided i'd put it here, as i figured it would help others out too if it was here.

On with the reason for my post

I have had a goni for a few months now, and it has been doing great. Extending well, buded a couple of times, feeding, etc. However, a few weeks ago my clowns started to try and host it and i noticed so I have been keeping them away from it. Firstly i used a bottle with ALOT of slits to alow flow and light. Now i am using an egg crate box i made from a sheet of egg crate. When the clowns were attempting to use the goni as a host, the goni would close up once the female swam through (male was not really hosting it much, but did go through it now and then) and then she would leave it alone for a little bit, within a minute or two the goni would then begin opening up again, but would again cliose when she rubbed her face/fins/body on it for more then a few seconds. So it appears to only bother her a little bit, as it opens up again soon after she leaves it.

I just have a few questions. Firstly, will the egg crate box diffuse to much light to the goni and end up affecting it after a while?

Secondly, if i was to leave the box off the coral and give it a week without the box. What are the chances the goni would stop retracting its tentacles when the clowns swam through it?

I really dont want to get rid of either the clowns or the goniopora. The clowns seem to host the mushrooms/rock at night which is where they sleep. But im not positive about that, just appears it sort of lol. I have blue tacked a picture of occelaris clowns hosting a bubble tip nem (which i have in the tank for them to hopefully host in) for a day or two now but has made no difference so far.

Only thing i can think of to try and do is move the goni to the other side of the tank and put the frogspawn or hammer coral in its place in hopes that they will try and host that instead of the goni since its in the same spot as the goni which they are trying to host was in. Would this work/be worth the effort?

P.S - Please no comments regarding the goni keeping in aquaria, as i do already know this and am doing all i can to keep it succesfully. It has already been a few months with it going great. And I have a goni bud aqua kneeded to another rock which is also going fantasticaly and growing and extending very well also.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but I am at my wits end in regards to what to do.

 

[seffieuk]

It seems to be more important for goni to have the correct flow rather than lots of light, so I shouldnt worry too much on that score - however, I think its a good idea to try and move it to the other side, as long as you can replicate the flow over there and put a euphyllia in its place - I dont think it will work, but its got to be worth a try

Best of luck

Seffie x

 

[indir-emir]

Hmm i will do that tonight and hopefully it works :\ I wish tehy would take to the anemone though lol.

The goni has another 5-6 buds on it waiting to drop off Going to buy a bunch of frag plugs to put them on to cultivate them and see how they go

THank you seffie.

Anyone else have any idea on what to do with this one?

 

[indir-emir]

Have moved the goni toward the left side fothe tank, close to where the clowns sleep unfortunately... Put the frogspawn in its place, and hopefully they now leave the goniopora alone :\ Been 5 minutes and the goni is opening up.

ALso got a nice sting on the fingers by my hammer coral lol. Didnt like me trying to move it when i accidently rubbed against it with my fingers lol.

Will let you know hwo it goes.

 

[indir-emir]

Ahhhhh absolutely spewing. Did not work, even slightly lol. It was an hour before the female realised the goni was now where it is, and she has started hsoting it again.

I do not wish to sell the clowns, nor the goni as i believe it to be a very nice specimen. So i am goign to leave them alone for a week (and leave the picutre of the clowns hosting the nem on the tank) and see if the goni gets used to it and begins opening even while they are there. Fingers crossed that they dont mind it after a week.