New Green Star Polyps Not Showing?

Hi All,

As I am a new poster and am new to the reef aquarium, this may be an ignorant post. What makes it worse is I have a degree in marine biology (elasmobranchology to be more exact). I have just purchased a green star polyp from my local PETCO. I got it home and had one 48 W Coralife flouroescent fixture with 10000k and blue actinic bulbs and did not see any life from my coral, just a few polyps here and there. It looked totally different from the pet store. So the next day I bought a Coralife Compact FLo. 65 watt set up with a 50/50 bulb. I finally got some action the following day the polyps seemed to come up and be pretty active. Tonight I got home from work after leaving the lights on all day, and nothing. There seems to be some type of algae on the plant but its hard to tell, but I am only seeing a few sprout up at a time on a fragment of about 200 polyps. Should I be worried? I have it sitting in the middle of the tank underneath the Compact FLO light. I have a calcium level of about 375 and have been supplementing daily.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Damp.


Edit: 55g tank, 35# live rock. two powerheads. 50# live sand,

 

Hi Damp, welcome to 3reef!!!
As for the star polyps, sometimes you have to give them a chance to adapt and adjust to both your water parameters and lighting arrangement as I am sure they are different from Petco's.
Calcium has little impact on star polyps as they don't excrete a calcium carbonate skeleton therefore are not hermatypic!
If you have algae growing on the polyps and their mat, I would take a fine tooth brush or use your hands and gently rub/remove the algae growth from the polyps...polyps do not like algae growing or detritus from accumulating on them and is cause for them not opening up fully or at all.
I would also test your water parameters for your benefit and that of your livestock.
Waterflow is also important to have as it will prove beneficial for you to have a moderate waterflow hitting the polyps to aid in the reduction, now and in the future, of algae and detritus accumulating on them. It also affords them the chance to rid waste/carbon dioxide and bring them necessary nutrients in the form of nitrates, dissolved organics and so forth.
Good luck, but I don't see the need to panic just yet!
Best of luck!

 

When I first bought my polyps they started to turn brown on me until I got a little more flow hitting them and they started to open and turn back green again. I now have them in a 265g and they are towards the top with 400w MH's on them and about once or twice a month I come home to them completely closed up with no snails or crabs anywhere around that would be crawling on them. But the next day they are fine. Must need a rest. :-/ Do what CR said and test your water, they are a pretty hardy coral so you should be ok.
BTW you should try and keep your Ca around 400 to 450 if possible.

 

I am new too but here's a few things i noticed

HI,
If you add Buffer to the water to fast , all of my corals hide for days, anemones will barf , so I only add very little buffer now. They are more sensative to changes in water KH, than many other animals.
Doug
Who knows what the water was like at Petco it could have been very off, and now in your tank they need to change their fluid levels to adjust to the buffer content of your tank, Give them a few days they will pop back.
Be sure your Nitrates are low..

 

To 3Reef!!!​

No such thing as an "ignorant" question here, have never seen one...only see them on other forums... (even from an expert in elasmobranchology - whatever that is )

The Tao of Marine Aquaria
Tips for Our Hobby and Life

© 1997 Adam H. Whitlock
Edited By Elizabeth M. Lukan 11/25/00




​

 

Hey Guys thanks for all your advice....I turned water flow up and they came out after a few days....seem to be thriving now....Put a yellow tang and a flame lobster in and they both seem to be doing well now also....My next project is going to be 20 turbo snails and 20 more hermit crabs today....

Any advice on coral choices? I have just a brain coral and the afforementioned softy.....

Thanks again,
Damp

P.S. Elasmobranchology is the study of sharks and rays (fish with no backbone) .

 

Watch out on the turbo's as they are large and clumsy. If you have coral just sitting in your tank they will knock it over. Good algae eaters just don't know how to crawl around things. :-/

 

Becareful with the amount of algae eaters you have in your tank to eliminate chances of starvation! Best to start off with a few snails and hermits and gradually increase it depending on the algae problem or lack thereof!
Glad all is well with regards to your coral.
Read up on Mushrooms, Zoanthids and other softies for the best chance of success with corals.

 

OK, will do. Thanks again for your advice guys. I have a new brain coral in there... not sure the type, cant remember now that I think about it....whats the best way to get him/her to grow?

 

brains grow extremely slow,almost like there not growing at all.if its a lobo or open brain you can feed it small stuff like cyclopeze at night if they extend their tentacles.i use a turkey baster to lightly blow the food onto the brain.your clean up crew should of been the 1st thing in your tank.crustations should be last.the slower you go,the better the outcome.welcome to 3reef