The Green Star Polyp, commonly referred to as GSP, is a soft coral that is considered a great starter coral for aquarists. They are also known as starburst polyp, star polyps, and daisy polyps.
GSP grows under most conditions, and is even considered semi-invasive by some reefers as once it starts to grow, there is very little that will slow it down or stop it. It is an encrusting species that will grow on most surfaces including glass, plastic, rock & even over coral.
GSP is a popular coral with beginner aquarists as it not only fills empty looking space reasonably quickly, but it adds a sense of movement and flow to the tank as it waves around in the flow of the aquarium.
Coral Facts & Care Requirements
- Common Name: GSP
- Origin: Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef, easily aquacultured
- Category: Soft
- Care Level: Beginner
- Known Predators: Puffers, triggers & general coral pests.
- Temperament: Slightly Aggressive because it can grow over other corals. It doesn’t have any stinging tentacles.
- Lighting: Any
- Water flow: Any
- Placement: Any
- Feeding Requirement: Though this coral have zooxnthellae, which allow for some of their energy to be gathered through light, they will benefit from spot feeding.
- Colours: Green.
- Growth Speed: Fast
- Water Parameters: Standard saltwater parameters should see this coral thrive, they will not tolerate large parameter swings & require a stable environment.
How to Frag GSP
Green Star Polyp corals are one of the easiest corals to propagate. The two easiest methods are:
- Place some rubble next to the GSP colony & allow the GSP to grow over the rubble. You can then use a sharp scalpel to detach the new frag from the main colony.
- Gently detatch the GSP from the surface it has encrusted on, then glue that piece to a frag plug.
Due to the growth rate of GSP, it will likely recover quickly from any fragging or mistakes made during the process. It is a very forgiving coral.
What to Consider BEFORE putting GSP in your aquarium
Green Star Polyp coral grows very quickly compared with most other corals. It can out-compete some of the more expensive corals for nutrients, light & space.
Most reefers who choose to bring GSP into their system have a rock allocated for it on its own, or they let it grow over the back glass of the aquarium. This can look absolutely stunning, but once it has filled the glass, it will start to encroach the overflow & sidewalls of the aquarium. This is not a problem, but it will mean more maintenance for the hobbyist.
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How do I get rid of turtle weed?
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Any green algae needs a couple of things to grow. Light & nutrients. If you have an abundance of algae in your tank, you are probably lighting the tank for too long and over feeding. Address your nutrient issue to start with, and the algae will start to die off. Even if you have a reading of 0 Nitrates, the chances are, the algae is consuming it all, essentially giving you a false reading.
Manual removal of the algae will help speed the process up, and another way to kill off algae would be to remove one of your rocks each week and spray it with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Do not do all of your rocks at once as it does kill beneficial bacteria. Spray the problem patches and leave it to soak into your rock for 10 -15 minutes, you can then rinse the rock and put it back into your tank.
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