Jewels - Easy to Keep ?

[martin]

Hi Guys !

Wonder if anyone have experience to share regarding keeping Jewels (coral). They look damn nice....but I wonder are they too fragile. Hope to hear some advises before I get one.

Thanks in advance !

[reefer guy]

definitely nice... but definitely not recommended as well... it doesnt do well under captivity and die sooner or later...

[lightningstrike]

IMO, jewel corals r relatively easy to keep, juz make sure u maintain ur water parameters and give them enuff lights. feed them wif dt live planktons every three days...... that's what i do, and my jewel coral r opening up nicely....... even my clownfishes think my jewel is an anemone, keeps playing with it everyday.....

[martin]

Thanks Bro!!!

I received two different views...huh ...which advise should I listen ? I do not wish to kill out the beautiful Jewels if it dies easily. Any new comments ?

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

i myself it keep a jewel pot , i find it ok ...not that hard or easy ..... the most important thing is light and your tank's water has too be good ...... in low NO3 and lot more but from people who has more exp in this coral , they said that i will slowly waste off from the bottom of the jewel in time maybe months or if you are luckily years ...... like my fren has one which has been with him like 1 year has already start to die off slowly from the bottom of the coral....

[martin]

Dr Jerkyl !

Hmmm...can I ask more from you.

My 4 ft tank (L4' x W1.5' x D2') information (without sump):-

1x build-in filter system (1,300L/hr), link to Chiller.

1x Canister Filter system (1,300L/hr)

1x 20KK Coralite FL

1x 10KK FL

1x Actinic Blue 03 FL

Temp = 26.5~27.5 deg C

PH = 8.3

Salinity = 1.023

NH4 = 0ppm

NO2 = 0ppm

NO3 = 20ppm ( not ideal, but difficult to get it down to 0ppm)

Is it suitable to keep Jewels ? Just curious, why does Jewels dies off after about a year or so ???? Care to share ???

I am using two FL tubes (1x 10kk and 1x 20kk)...plus a Actinic Vlue 03. My 4ft tank is about 2ft in depth.

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

by the way can i have the watts of your FL LIGHTING ?

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

IMO jewel that are healthy in good water and good lighting should be no problem for it to last 1 year ...

but from the people with more exp they saw jewel will always slowly die off in a marine tank .... it the matter of time they die...

also i do not know what is the live span of the jewel .... so that i cant give more comment on it ..on whether why does a jewel die offf in a year ....

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

your lighting is not strong enough to punch through the water into the depth of 2 feet .....and i think to keep jewel ,you need some more lighting ..... you can try upgrade your light to MH or T5 (cheaper) that is stronger so that the light is strong enough to punch through deep down to 2 feet ....you have a chiller right ...go for a MH .... is the best

[martin]

My FL Lights wattage are as follows :-

1x 20KK Coralite 40W

1x 10KK Arcadia 36W

1x Arcadia Actinic 03 Blue 36W.

Enough lights for Jewels or not ?

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

for your n03 is think is still ok ...but still best to reduse it to 0....... upgrade your lighting before you start keeping jewel .... if you really dont want to go for MH or T5 (yes,these lighting are a bit x but very good) , you cab try the cheaper ones like this one PL-T4 ...is from this brand CR aq is better than FL .......

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

a total of 76watts of lighting in a 4 footer which is 2 feet deep is not enough to keep any LPS or even jewel.....

[martin]

Actually, I am on the lookout for good value T5 or MH lights. Any good lobang ? Cheers!

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

sorry ...it 112 watts is also not enough.... 76watts of daylight and 36 watts Actinic Blue .... maybe you can try add some more lighting on daylight(20000k) like 40watts more ..... then that is enough for jewel pot but try to place it in the mid of the tank not deep down on your sand bed cause it hard for FL light to reach to 2 feet deep ....

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

but is would still said that the best is MH ......you can try eAquaNature.com there is lot of Mh and T5 .....for your 4 footer ....cheers

[bawater]

i think its good that you asked the requirements before getting one.

It would be better to refer them as Goniopora because alveopora is also termed as jewel etc... with too many lumped into a common names(or easy to name) we may end up with longan coral or rambutan coral soon.

These are heavy phytoplankton grazers and feeding is one of the main factors in long term survival(dosing phytoplankton foods would be needed almost daily- something most closed systems cannot handle). And 1 yr is not it's lifespan. If provided well enough i bet it would still be in your tank 10yrs from now or most probably able to out live you.

It is usually found in lagoons but not a very common sight if u dive reefs.

Strong light- and a good current flow to constantly bring food to it may give you a chance.

(starvation is usually the main cause of death)

success would mean keeping it over a yr, and by then you should see growth in size.(not tissue receeding)

but don't take my word for it- read the links below

Goniopora by Eric borneman

Gonioporas by Albert J. Thiel

Gonioporas by JULIAN SPRUNG

Toxicity of goniopora

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

right ......for mine Gonioporai i target feed it with phytoplankton and zooplankton every day ....

[ah^siao]

jewels are hard to keep.. if your water parameters not good... can say good bye soon.. sometimes even if your water paramenters are good.. it wun survive also cauz they got injured and stuff lidat.. generally they are hard to keep

[Tanzy]

Porites are also called Jewel corals. Damn lame common names.

[martin]

Thanks for all your input...especially the attachment articles from our friendly bawater.

Actually, I have two nice specimens of shrooms (19 inches from light source) , nice star polyps and buttons (both 12 inches from light source) ...all doing very well in my tank so far. I got one pretty nice clams too (place them 9inches away from light source) , open up like hell every day. I feed them with DT once every two days.

I will probably stay away from Jewels for time being...until I get at least a T5. Will seriously consider to get T5 or MH soon....Thanks to all !!!

[Dispar_Anthias]

Thanks Bro!!!

I received two different views...huh ...which advise should I listen ? I do not wish to kill out the beautiful Jewels if it dies easily. Any new comments ?

Hey jewel aka goniopora are one of the most delicate coral. The uusually do not last long in captivity and die off within months.IMO don't keep them.

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

for your clam i think it best to put it nearer to the suface of the water so that is can get more light try puting it like 3-6inch away from the lights is will be better ...cause clam need very strong lighting ...... a was told .......

[reefer guy]

IMO, jewel corals r relatively easy to keep, juz make sure u maintain ur water parameters and give them enuff lights. feed them wif dt live planktons every three days...... that's what i do, and my jewel coral r opening up nicely....... even my clownfishes think my jewel is an anemone, keeps playing with it everyday.....

no offense but do more reading abt jewels.....

[DrJekyl_MrHyde]

Imo i think that clam need stronger lighting compare to Gonioporai .....

[Dispar_Anthias]

for your clam i think it best to put it nearer to the suface of the water so that is can get more light try puting it like 3-6inch away from the lights is will be better ...cause clam need very strong lighting ...... a was told .......

Not all clam need srong light... Some are less demanding while other need lots of them. But even so t5s or many many pl are needed to keep the less demanding ones.