Who's Had Their Alveopora The Longest?

[Old Yeller Tang]

Mine is going on 5 months and looking better each day.:D

http://rolandsreef.freeservers.com/images/aleveapora.jpg

http://rolandsreef.freeservers.com/images/alveopora_ii.jpg

[Barney]

Mine was doing great for about the first 7-9 months and has gone completely down hill lately. It looked amazing at first, but now it is barely extending it's polyps anymore (for the last 3-4 months) and some tissue has started to die.

i'm kind of surprised it made it this long. I bought it at the same time I got my first coral (hammer coral). I didn't do any research and took the LFS advice being new to reef keeping..... I don't do that anymore! I only researched the Hammer and got talked into the Aleveopora as it being as easy if not easier to keep than the Hammer! Boy was I in for a big surprise when I got home and looked up some information on it a few days later!

Anyone have any suggestions on what to do to try to bring this guy back? He was doing great in a lower part of my tank with low/med current. I've tried moving him up in the tank, to higher current areas, shaded areas, etc. and nothing has made his health improve. I now have him in the back of the tank so he isn't too visible from the front. His polyps come out, but only about 1/2 as long as they used to.

[Rafa_Sant]

Old Yeller Tang,
Any special recommendation as for lighting, feeding, any special care?

I also followed my LFS advise (easy coral :hmm2: ), mine it's being a couple of month in my nano and it seems to be doing great, but only time will tell.


Rafa

[Sendie]

I have had one for little over a year and it is doing really good. I have it closest to the light in the highest place in my tank. Seems to do better under the MH light up close. Maybe you could try that and see if it helps. I was just like you guys, I was told they were easy too. Sendie

[witchdoctor]

I had a beautiful blue/purple goniopora for about four years. Lost it during the move up here. :( Can't complain too much, though, just lost that and our shoal of lyretail anthias. Everything else pulled through and is doing well.

[alf3482]

I have 1 over 2 years old. I have 3 gonioporas at 26 months, 24 and 22 months old.

[Old Yeller Tang]

Believe or not, but Julian Sprung's "Corals: A Quick Reference Guide" book list the Alveopora easier to keep than a Hammer. Some mistaken the Alveopora to Goniopora, which is very difficult to keep and should be left in the lfs'. Alveoporas have 12 tentacles whereas the Goniopora has 24. Mine is under MH's in the mid section of the tank with more flow than it particularly likes.

[Barney]

Mine definitely is an Aleveopora. I read the same thing. I have also read conflicting information that says that they are just about as hard to keep as a goniopora. I think I believe the latter since everything else is fine in my tank. I've pretty much moved it every week or 2 and it still looks like crap. My approach is now pretty much just leave it be and see what happens unless anyone has any revolutionary ideas. This thing has been in just about every spot in my tank over the last few months and it always looks like crap..... that's why it is now in the back pretty much out of sight. Hopefully it will magically come back, but I doubt it and am not going to get my hopes up. I would definitely NOT recommend purchasing one of these.

[dnjan]

Perhaps your tank is "too clean". I have been fighting an excess nutrient/dino problem for a bit over a year, and both of my Ally's (green and pink) are flourishing with lots of new growth. Mid-depth under 175w MH's with mild current.

[aquaman_68]

I've had a levi for almost two years. It started out at the bottom of a 21" deep tank but after about 4 months it started to shorten on the polyp extensions & showed signs of receeding. I moved it to the top of the tank with brighter Mh to hit it & medium to strong current & the polyps began to extend fully in about a week or so. It now is doing awesome. I find when moving corals to find an ideal location you must give it time to acclimate (about week & 1/2 to 2) Too much moving around can **** a coral off & make it shut down & perish. Try it out!!
Aqua