Flower Pot Coral

My very first coral purchase was a large, expensive piece of flower pot coral. Its Latin name is Goniopora, which is a stony coral with large polyps.  It is not surprising that I would be drawn to a coral that looks like flowers. Unfortunately, I did not do my research prior to my impulsive purchase, and did not realize it is a difficult one to keep alive.

This coral does contain the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae, which means it uses photosynthesis to create its nutrients. However, I have read that this particular coral should be fed with a product such as micro-plankton.

My second mistake was dropping it on its "face" when I tried to position it in the tank.  That it did not like.  The polyps retracted and released a coating of slime.  I was sure it was a gonner.

I immediately ran out to buy some zooplankton and fed it using a turkey baster.  After a few days of nursing it, a third of the polyps came back.  Then another third, and finally all of it.  It now looks like this.

It is a shocking transformation! It is by far my favourite coral in the tank, and I hope I can continue to keep it alive. By the way, I found that placing it on the sand bed, and away from strong currents works best.

One fascinating thing I witnessed was it releasing some sort of stringy substance from the centre of each polyp. Here is a video.