Green Star Polyps Question

[jdsabin1]

Hi gang,

 

I just put in my first coral (a small piece of green star polyps). I added it a few days ago, and while it is out and about during the day, as you can see it is more brown than green. It does have green tips but not nearly as green as it was in the LFS. Does anyone know if these will get greener with time in my tank or?

 

12 gallon Eclips, 10 pounds of LR, Rio 50 PH, live crushed coral substrate, tank has been going for 3 months now. PH is 8.2, SG is 1.023 and nitrates around 2.5. The LFS also sold me HBH blocks to add trace elements that the GSP need.

 

One more question ... what are those brown growths on the bottom of the rock? And what the heck are those green things beside and around the brown things? Geez I have a lot to learn!

 

Thanks all!

 

[Deimos]

jd,

 

Hmmm..how long have those been in your tank and what is your lighting? Browning is sometimes an indication of inadequate lighting, however, I've kept GSP's under NO fluorescents with no discolouration...so..I have no idea what the issue could be. The GSP's you have appear to be growing on what was once another coral..something like a Moon coral or such....do the "brown growths" retract at night/evening? If so..you may have gotten a two for one..although..as you can see..the moon appears to be losing the battle with the gsp's. If they don't retract a bit into the skeleton at night..then maybe they're mushrooms...those were my first two guesses. Either way..you seem to have a lot of brown in the tank right now..lol.

 

HTH...

[harbingerofthefish]

I have to agree on the brown things. I wonder if it would be possible to take a screw driver and hammer and whack off the bottom of that rock. That might give the coral at the bottom a chance to grow befroe the GSP take over.

 

As for the color of your GSP, I have 2 colonies, one neon and one kinda drab. They both looked the same in the store. When I got each piece home the neons got brighter the drab ones stayed dark green. Could just be the light you have does or doesn't show there true color.

[jojopus]

I have a patch of star polyps in my 20L and the coloration is exactly like yours...brown. I dont think theres anything wrong with them, its just a darker color morph and not the neon greens everyone is used to seeing. They may have appeared greener in the LFS due to better actinic lighting.....it causes the fluorescent greens to show better. Also, whatever kind of coral they are growing on top of...looks like some sort of faviid...... is going to be overrun (and killed probably) by the star polyps. They grow like weeds and can overtake nearly anything.

 

here's a pic of mine.