Is this coral? Good or Bad?

z_hawkeye · 02/03/2015, 06:19 AM

Hello...we've had a 10gal fish/coral tank now for about three years, but I still consider myself a newbie. First post here although I've been here many times in the past just looking up information. I've just finished setting up a 45gal tank and it's cycling. I moved a couple of bare live rocks from the 10gal into it to speed things up. I plan on moving the rest when it's ready, but I do have a question...some time after the 10gal was setup, we started getting some green growth on the live rocks. I've always considered it some kind of coral, but recently I realized that I've never seen it in any of my LFS's, or advertised online. It spread from rock to rock and is, apparently, very easy to take care of as I didn't do anything special. It closes at night and reopens when it gets light.
Can anyone identify it? Is it good, bad, indifferent? Should I move it to the 45gal tank, or better to leave it out?
Thanks,
Matt

Frantz · 02/03/2015, 06:41 AM

GSP, Green star polyp. It's a soft coral that can be nice to cover up overflows and stuff, but it spreads and can be difficult to control. I always keep some rubble rock around the perimeter of where I want it to grow, and as it invades scrub off or give away the extra. Its hard to completely get rid of and does require you to pay attention that it stays where you want it, but I never had much trouble with it. Not overly popular, and not rare or valuable.

username in use · 02/03/2015, 11:11 AM

Look more like a Pipe Organ Coral if you look at the base. It is not a flat, bumpy base like Star Polyps, but has those individual tubes shooting up for each polyp.

Sk8r · 02/03/2015, 11:29 AM

Looks like green star to me. I'd move it away from that adjacent rock. It is a coral, but one that will grow right up your tank glass. I used to throw away 8"x8" sheets of it I peeled off the glass, because I couldn't find takers. I finally traded the main rock to an lfs.

z_hawkeye · 02/04/2015, 06:23 AM

...hmmm...while there's some question as to what it actually is, it seems there's a consensus that it’s not really desirable. So, I’ve decided not to migrate it to the new tank…
Thanks for the help…as I stated above, I’ve been here many times in the past looking for information and this site is one of the best (if not the best) that I’ve found…y’all rock!

username in use · 02/04/2015, 07:43 AM

Whichever it is, it is a nice coral with nice movement. I wouldn't get rid of it.

Crooked Reef · 02/04/2015, 08:43 AM

If it's on a mat its green star polyps. If it is a base of purple or red tubes it is pipe organ. If it is pipe organ and growing it is a nice find.

02/03/2015, 11:11 AM	#3
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	Look more like a Pipe Organ Coral if you look at the base. It is not a flat, bumpy base like Star Polyps, but has those individual tubes shooting up for each polyp. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

02/03/2015, 11:29 AM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Looks like green star to me. I'd move it away from that adjacent rock. It is a coral, but one that will grow right up your tank glass. I used to throw away 8"x8" sheets of it I peeled off the glass, because I couldn't find takers. I finally traded the main rock to an lfs. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

02/04/2015, 07:43 AM	#6
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	Whichever it is, it is a nice coral with nice movement. I wouldn't get rid of it. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

02/04/2015, 08:43 AM	#7
Crooked Reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1,765	If it's on a mat its green star polyps. If it is a base of purple or red tubes it is pipe organ. If it is pipe organ and growing it is a nice find. __________________ “In wine there is wisdom; in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.” - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef. Biocube 29 lionfish tank. Mantis tank.

02/03/2015, 06:41 AM	#2
Frantz Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Pennsylvanian Posts: 109	GSP, Green star polyp. It's a soft coral that can be nice to cover up overflows and stuff, but it spreads and can be difficult to control. I always keep some rubble rock around the perimeter of where I want it to grow, and as it invades scrub off or give away the extra. Its hard to completely get rid of and does require you to pay attention that it stays where you want it, but I never had much trouble with it. Not overly popular, and not rare or valuable.

02/04/2015, 06:23 AM	#5
z_hawkeye Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 2	...hmmm...while there's some question as to what it actually is, it seems there's a consensus that it’s not really desirable. So, I’ve decided not to migrate it to the new tank… Thanks for the help…as I stated above, I’ve been here many times in the past looking for information and this site is one of the best (if not the best) that I’ve found…y’all rock!