Help! Green Star polyps dying

[kristi518]

I have 125 g tank and I have a patch of green star polyps in my tank. Tonight, I noticed that the purple base of the polyp has white areas on it. It appears to only be around the base but I want to make sure that they are not dying because when I came home earlier in the evening they were fine. I am not sure what could have happened in a matter of a few hours. I do have other coral in my tank but these guys are all by themselves on their own side of the tank. I just tested the water on Monday and everything was fine.
Ph 8.2
Ammonia 0
Rite and rate 0
temp 77
sal: 1.026
Please help, I really enjoy these guys and would like to save them if they are dying. Oh there is one thing that I noticed, there appears to be bristel star fish on the rock, so I am wondering if they are annoying the polyps. Thanks!

 

[xcali1985]

The bristle is usually reef safe, one of the only ones. Although it can irrate them and make them close. I have that problem with my hermits crawling all over mine. What type of lighting do you have, whats the water flow like.

 

[kristi518]

I have 3x250 and 2x150 mh and I have 2 powerheads that produce enough flow. They are usually moving in the current and have been really happy and open up until last night. The only thing that has changed recently is that one of my 250s fell out of the housing in the lights and it took me a few days to get a new bulb so the polyp did not have direct sunlight for maybe 3 days at the most but that shouldn't have created the white spots. I am not sure what I can do but I would like to save them if they are dying. Thanks!

 

[drtito]

I have heard that changing any old bulb (could be any bulb

) to a new one has an effect on corals.
Soo it could be burning the coral. You might want to turn that one lamp "on" later and "off" early so the coral has a chance to adjust.
On a side note thats alot of light.

 

[cherylann]

I know you do not need my approval, but excellent addvice. I think you really saw the problem and made the appropriate suggestions. Thank you for for quick response and probably the correct one.

 

[mie]

GSP do not like or need alot of light, How long have they been in your tank? Are they opening normally? Are you just concerned because of spots on there mating? Fyi mine spread like weeds in my tank, and from time to time they will not open very well and act like they are dying but within in a week they bounce back to normal. It is a phase they go through for some reason. On a side note when I introduced the metal halides to my tank they started to melt, so placement is important.

 

[kristi518]

They have been in my tank for a little over 2 months and have been happy and open since the day that I put them in. They are near the bottom of the tank because I was afraid that they would have too much light. They have been growing because they have nearly taken over the rock that I placed them on. I just got these new lights last week because my handy husband broke the other set of lights that we had, plus I wanted lights that would fit my tank since it is long. The polyps look like they are almost lifting up off the rock and the purple base around the edges are turning white.

 

[kristi518]

Originally Posted by mie
http:///forum/post/3167683
GSP do not like or need alot of light, How long have they been in your tank? Are they opening normally? Are you just concerned because of spots on there mating? Fyi mine spread like weeds in my tank, and from time to time they will not open very well and act like they are dying but within in a week they bounce back to normal. It is a phase they go through for some reason. On a side note when I introduced the metal halides to my tank they started to melt, so placement is important.
Could you describe what they look like when they are melting so that I can figure out if this is the case with mine. Thanks!

 

[mie]

Mine did that and started to disapear, I would move them lower to the ground, it sounds like they are in shock and need to adjust to the light.