Sad Yellow Star polyps..

[PoorGirl]

My yellow star polyps are looking pretty sad. I just can't figure it out. All my numbers are good and my green ones and my frogspawn are looking great. So are my shrooms. Does anyone have any ideas? <IMG SRC="smilies/rolleyes.gif" border="0">

Thanks in advance!

[Drew]

Some times corals just have a bad day <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0"> How long have they been like that? And I was serious, sometimes corals just don't open up, leather especially. A water change might also help, when is the last time you made one?

Drew

[PoorGirl]

Drew, thanks for the quick reply. I just did a water change Wednesday night. Long story but I'm sure you've seen my woes about my four stripe damsels .... well I decided one way or the other they were coming out of there... sooo... I went to home depot, got a piece of plexiglass, moved about 35 lbs of live rock, partitioned off the tank and finally got them out. So I went the whole way and did a water change, put everything back, etc. etc. I sure you know the drill. But even before then they just don't have the bright color they used to have. I've had them everywhere up high (close to the light), in the middle, etc. I'm out of ideas.

[Flatlander]

Yellow polyps dont require to much light, prefer a slower current, and love to eat. Feed them a fine food with a turkey baster and see how they do.

[Doug1]

Hmmmmmm I always heard they prefer more light than most zooanthids, but are definatly more aggressive feeders, I have to make sure to pour reef mush where they will get washed in a good dose
Other than that its normal for some moodiness

[Flatlander]

Hi Doug

After hearing they would do well in lower light, I did some different growth tests. The ones I had, in the corners or shadowed by others, did just as well as others in more light. Of course the ones in the light seem to do fine also.

These of course were all fed, which may make a difference.

[EnchantedSea]

I have mine about mid way from top to bottom. They are very healthy and happy. I have vho lighting, 2 white and 2 blue. I've only had them for a short time. But they are doing great so far. They are also in a light current area. Hope this helps a little.

[Doug1]

OK I will try moving mine directly out of the direct light, they are about 6" down now.
The more I know the less I know, but its all different to you try it <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">

[FishDaddy]

Hmmmmmmm......mine have been all over the tank, now are up high in the middle with good flow...they are flourishing!...Go figure! :crazy: I do feed them a couple times a week.
Dick <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">

[Flatlander]

Perhaps I put it wrong. Thats why I said, they dont require lots of light. But they will do well anywhere, even right under a 400 watt halide.

Dick is correct with the feeding. Its the single most important requirement for yellow polyps. It can be direct or as mine now are, indirect in a tank thats fed lots.

When I first started selling them to the lfs, they never fed them, nor did the people purchasing them and beautiful colonies slowly withered away.

As for current, they can do well in more current, but like bubble corals,etc. , have much more extension in lesser current. I once did an experiment with no current in a tank, and the only coral that loved it, was yellow polyps. Of course, then they would require direct feeding, as there would be no current to bring food. This was also a short term test.

If success is achieved with yellow polyps, be careful, as they can grow to plague type amounts. I only grow them on rock, separated from the rest of my reef, and like my star poyps, they are also growing on the back wall of my tank, and several places in the sand. I have some small colonies in the sand and against the tank glass, completely hiden behind rock.

[bigjohn]

My yellow polyps have not been flourishing. I have assumed that they were feeding indirectly with the rest of the tank's inhabitants. What is a good food source to feed them??

[Mrs Smith]

It depends on how much work you want to put into it. Ours will eat just about anything. Finely diced raw shrimp are cheap, or you could use blender mush. Mysis shrimp too. Actually, I have seen ours grab fish flake. They aren't picky.

FWIW, I don't usually feed ours.
Danielle

[colinh]

I feed mine brine shrimp (frozen) and every time I do I get 4-5 more of them within a couple days.

[Alice]

Phew,

Thought I'd gotten into a time warp when I saw the dates on the posts on the first part of this thread

[bigjohn]

Thanks, all!!

I did a search for yellow polyp info, and this looked like a very informative post. I just had the one simple question, so I decided to resurrect it.