Beautiful but unfortunately difficult to keep.

Indo-Pacific - Islands of the Indopacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef.

Intense lighting is recommended for best coloration and overall health. Use either Metal Halide lighting or a large bank of high output fluorescent or compact fluorescent bulbs. If not provided proper lighting, the colors of Gonipora may fade, but worse the coral may not receive enough energy and perish.

Moderate water movement is recommended.

Gonipora relies heavily on the products of their zooxanthellae. This coral may benefit from the addition of phytoplankton as a food source. While the coral itself may consume some phytoplankton, the real benefit is the increased population of rotifers that feed on the phytoplankton. Rotifers make a good meal to a vast array of corals. If phytoplankton is not readily available, you may attempt to feed the coral finely ground meaty foods. The food should almost have a paste-like consistency before being administered.

Gonipora are among the most delicate corals available in the hobby today. They will appear to survive for 6 months to a year (just long enough to lull the aquarist into a sense of accomplishment) and then suddenly crash. There are relatively few individuals that have had this coral survive five years or more. The current theory regarding their premature demise in reef aquariums is we are not providing the appropriate food source and they are starving. In captivity, Gonipora have been kept under all types of conditions, varying light levels, varying degrees of tank cleanliness, etc. and most colonies still manage to die off soon after the first year of captivity. There is reason for hope however. At Waikiki Aquarium in Hawaii, they have been able to sustain Gonipora for over a decade and a half. They provide the coral with natural sunlight and a constant flow of ocean water. The largest colony is roughly the size of a large beach ball!

Still, despite instances professional success, we cannot recommend this coral to beginner or intermediate reef keeper. Literally millions of Gonipora have died in captivity with little or no indication of improved survival.

This genus either has never been propagated or is propagated so seldom the occurrences are statistically insignificant. This may be as a result of a number of factors such as growth rate and susceptibility to infection. We feel at this time, Gonipora is not a good candidate for aquaculture.