green star polyp growth

[rhino]

I have had a small green star polyp colony for about 8 moinths and have not seen any growth. I have not had any other corals for any length of time too see any growth out of them. What can I do to make the star polyps grow? Other people say that their growth is almost a nuisance.
125 gallon tank
3 175w 20k halides
2 140 VHO 1 10k 1 acintic
Amm 0
nitrite 0
nitrate <10
Calcium 475
Alk ?
phosphates <1

 

[teen]

mine grow like crazy, i wish i never bought them. try increasing the flow over them, they love flow. that should help them grow.

 

[rhino]

What do yours look like; are they neon green. I am wondering if yours are a different kind. What do you think you do to get that kind of growth?

 

[chipmaker]

They like a fair amount of flow over them. I usually have to peel back the mat evey month or two off tank glass or rock etc.

 

[teen]

Originally Posted by rhino
What do yours look like; are they neon green. I am wondering if yours are a different kind. What do you think you do to get that kind of growth?
i think just good water quality, good lighting and strong flow are what makes them grow so fast.

 

[hagfish]

Are you positive they are GSP? There are a few similar corals like pipe organs, clove polyps, and even gorgonians that look very similar and may or may not grow as fast.
If you are positive they are GSP, just make sure they get a little flow. Mine grow great under MH's about 20" deep and in medium random flow. If you include the pieces I've fragged off it's probably grown about 10 times larger than it was when I bought it about 1.5 years ago.
Make sure the mat can reach a surface to grow onto too. If it can't, it will probably stop growing any further, although they can spread a little with no surface under them.

 

[jupoc911]

do you mean like spreading growth or polyp growth? I have found that if they are in turbulant flow they polyps will not grow as as fast but the colony will spread like crazy and take over everything. In lower water flow the colony wont spread as fast but the polyps will grow taller faster. has anyone else noticed this?

 

[teen]

Originally Posted by Jupoc911
do you mean like spreading growth or polyp growth? I have found that if they are in turbulant flow they polyps will not grow as as fast but the colony will spread like crazy and take over everything. In lower water flow the colony wont spread as fast but the polyps will grow taller faster. has anyone else noticed this?
the polyps on mine grew longer and the colony itself grew amazingly fast. thats was under medium to high flow(i move my powerheads around a lot, so they were constantly changing, but never in low flow.) heres a pic from about 3 months ago, ive since gotten gotten rid of mostly all of them. i have 3 small frags left.they tripled that size in that 3 month time.

 

[jupoc911]

mine spread so fast but the polyps dont get real long. they just grow over anything in there way. very odd. it has to be something with the flow.

 

[jupoc911]

mine are in the most turbulant part of my tank. fish can barely even swim there with out getting blown around.

 

[teen]

do the polyps on mine look long to you? i thought they were pretty long.

 

[rhino]

I think it is because i was never adding an additive for my ALK. When I finally checked it it was low. I have now raised it to an acceptable level. The bottle of carbonate says that corals will stop growing if it is deficient.

 

[jupoc911]

yea those are fairly long. maybe a 1/4 inch longer than mine. very odd that mine dont grow long and just grow over everything.

 

[teen]

Originally Posted by Jupoc911
yea those are fairly long. maybe a 1/4 inch longer than mine. very odd that mine dont grow long and just grow over everything.
imo, your lucky. you dont want these things growing out of control like mine are.

 

[cannonman]

Maybe your phosphates are stunting them?