Greeb Star Ployp Question

[bri7795]

People,

I have had a green star polyp colony for about a month now and it is doing really well. Its polyps are always out (sometimes even at night) and it rarely retracts. I monitor my iodine, for my 20G have 100 Watts PC, and add phytoplanton 2 times a week. My question is this:

1.) Under favorable conditions, how fast to these spread? I keep reading fast speading, but what is fast for a coral. Right now the GSP is the size of an apple. You can see it in the bottom right hand corner of the pic below.

Thanks,

[RWD]

Your milage may very but I have seen a colony like yours double in size in a year or so. If you are trying to encourage spreading then you should place a piece of live rock or rubble next to it, touching it actually. The new growth will slowly creep over on to it. Bob

[Reefdude5]

Yep, they can grow fast, becareful, if you want them on the glass, they will quickly spread onto it, but if you don't, keep them away. THey can even encrust electrical cords for powerheads and climb up them!

[bri7795]

Bob,

I was considering placing some rubble next to it, as you suggested, but the colony has grown down to the base of the rock it is on. I was concerned about convering a few of them up, plus I did not know if the mat would extend onto the substrate and continue on.

As for right now, there is a nice bare piece of LR right behind it that is about 1/4" away. I was hoping that they would extend onto it in the future.

[cyberchef]

I have a piece of LR that is about the size of a large grapefruit that was completely covered. I basically stripped it only leaving a couple of small patches (dime size) about 6 months ago. It's almost completely covered the LR again and is ready to be fragged again. I've also taken about 3 frags of it since then where it has climbed up the glass... Good water flow will also helpit to spread faster.

[RWD]

Yes, the polyps usually will grow on to pretty much anything that they touch including the substrate. I have some that are trying to overtake a porites coral! You can even peel off a patch like cyberchief did and super glue it to a piece of rubble to start another frag. At 1/4" away it probably will grow on to it but IME it would be faster if it touched.

[Phantom Phish]

Mine are growing very fast, too fast in fact, they're becoming like a weed. Mine are doubling in size about every six months or so. Be careful where you put them, they will grow over other corals like Kudzu, if you're familiar with that weed. I made the mistake of putting them on a rock near the bottom of my tank that I can't really take out without dismantling my entire reef. Makes it tough to peel them off. They are pretty though, and I have to admit I like the way they ripple in the current like a field of grass.

[Junkzoo]

Ditto on what Bob and others have said,,,
i remember starting with a lil frag on GSP's,,and have taken the growing pieces to my ex partner's LFS to sell(store credit) one sheet of polyps sold for $300! surprised me too,,,it was prob a sheet of flat rock about 1'x1' ,and looked very cool!
yup,put whatever you want to have the stars spread to , and let 'em go,,,
separate whatever you want to split with a razor blade or a scalpel, if you can get one,,
'lil pieces can be glued to rock as need be ,no problem
GSP's and Zoo's are some of the easiest to propagate,,
good luck!

[bri7795]

I will take your advice and place a rock next to it (barely touching) in the hope that it will spread on to it. As you can see from the pic, I have few small rocks in the substate that will do nicely. I have left the GSP a lot of room to expand, so we will see what happens.

[ruhspolostar]

it should spread, those things grow like weeds

-good luck

-Adam