wilting flowerpot

Question
QUESTION: I bought a flowerpot on mothers day 2009, where i first placed it it wouild open every day, and actually grew quite rapidly quite tall when outstretched. It began to be pressed against the side glass wall so I moved it. Initially it seemed fine, now it is wilted all the time until it closes at night. We have proper lighting and all test results are right on. We also have a protein skimmer and a 30 gallon tank. Yellow polyps, mushroom coral, and chili coral in tank. Chromis fish , clown and kole tang, one collector urchin. Everyone else is fine and healthy, please help, I'm really sick about this and anything I can do to save and keep my flowerpot happy, I'll do. Thank-you

ANSWER: Hello Sissy,

Flowerpot/ / goniopora requires a very mature tank, and most usually dont make it...

Each head/mouth needs to eat.  This species needs target feeding regularly.

Good luck, and please let me know how things work out for you.

You can post pictures and blogs and chat with me live at

www.thelittleocean.com




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Bill--
How often is regularly, to target feed, and do you think I should move the flowerpot back where it was? I could move some of the living rock to make more room for it to spread out? And our tank has been established for 6 months before I even got FP. Our "Shark Reef" guy would'nt let me buy it until we had the right lighting, skimmer and requirements it needed. He's very good, however he's on a dive so I'm glad to have found you! Thanks again for your promptness.

Answer
regular feeding would be nightly for the flowerpot.  it isnt like you have to hit each 'mouth' each night, but, if you fed the FP each night then for sure each mouth would get something at least every two or three days or so...

I would target feed frozen brine shrimp.   I would melt it in a shot glass with tank water and use a turkey baster and squirt the brine into its extending mouths...

usually all the other fish will come and take the food out of the fp mouths, so good luck


and six months is not a mature tank... and your 'good' lfs guy sounds like he cares, but in my very humble opinion, flowerpots should not be sold to general reefkeepers PERIOD.  thhe mortality rate is 80%+