getting rid of green star polyps

LawAce16 · 03/09/2006, 08:16 PM

Okay as the subject line reads, I need to get rid of my green star polyps.

I let them go for too long w/o cutting them back and now they're getting too invasive and starting to crawl onto my millipora.

Any suggestions of how the best way to do this would be?

fuzz1974 · 03/09/2006, 08:36 PM

If they are on your live rock, it is next to impossible to completely get rid of them. I am trying right now. I bought a hard plastic or nylon brush and scrub the rock. All it seems to do is just tear the skin and a few days later they are back. So just shy of filling the tank with gas and add a match, or getting rid of the rocks they are on, I'm not real sure. I have tried everything I could do. Peeling them off scrubing them off, turning rocks so they are smashed up on the bottom, and they keep coming back. Good luck.

Fuzz

Amphiprionocellaris · 03/09/2006, 09:41 PM

If you can get under the stolon (the purple part) with an exacto knife or similar instrument, it's a relatively easy matter just to peel them up (note that I said "relatively. Other than that, you might end up like me: one thirty gallon tank, one monster colony of star polyps. It's really cool if you ignore all the stuff they killed (actually, the rest of the corals were "evacuated" when I got the 75).

Bax · 03/10/2006, 07:59 AM

GSP took over my 26. I have one lone isolated rock with GSP in my 75... and about 15 pounds of what was really nice TBS LR in the 26 (now a QT) just covered in GSP.

Other LR in my 75 has little spots of GSP that when I see it I'll pull out the rock and dremel off the GSP. If you leave even a sliver of the purple, it'll grow back.

Very resilient and invasive!

LawAce16 · 03/10/2006, 10:20 AM

I agree. The stuff is really resilient, which makes me wonder if introducing one of its natural predators might not be a better tactic.

The only problem is that its likely that angels would be among its natural predators and getting them to eat the GSP, but not the SPS could be an issue.

Does anyone know of anything that will eat GSP, but not SPS?

whitetiprs · 03/10/2006, 10:41 AM

The best tactic I have found for getting rid of GSP is to use a screw and scrape them off the rock with it, then rinse and repeat.

Alarmguy66 · 03/10/2006, 11:09 AM

I have a fireworm I keep in my sump. Whenever my GSP gets too bushy I throw him back in the tank and let him feast for awhile. A few days later he has decimated it and then he comes back out.

Dan Fagan · 03/10/2006, 12:49 PM

Scrape or Kalk slurry will work.

thereefgeek · 03/10/2006, 01:03 PM

I have the same problem with these little ba$tards. I can't get rid of them fast enough. I'm thinking about removing the rocks they're on entirely, but those rocks are the bottom of the support structure for the whole reef! I spent a couple hours after the pic was taken picking at them and removed quite a large area, but with any little remnants they just keep coming back!
(lower right corner and moving rapidly upward toward the green/red Favia and the pink Pocillopora):

sealife · 03/10/2006, 01:25 PM

kalk sould kill tmem

nebraskareef · 03/10/2006, 01:40 PM

Rich, I love your tank, even w/ the gsp! its so full, it just looks "real" if you know what I mean. Good work!

Nanook · 03/10/2006, 02:22 PM

This thread has been moved to the current forum.

fish_taste_good · 03/10/2006, 02:29 PM

Kalk worked for me.

I had no idea they were so hard to kill.

I have never really tried on a rock though but I think I will keep this in mind now since i have some in the middle of my 90.

All mine have been on the glass and were easy to remove. I currently have them on my filter on my 90.

chemisfun11 · 03/10/2006, 02:57 PM

Kalk slurry and scrape outside the tank if you can. Those little pieces can and will find somewhere else to attach and grow

thereefmaster · 03/10/2006, 03:38 PM

How to get rid of them? ha, that is easy! Send them to me... lol.

But really though, if they survive your scraping them off, I will pay for shipping

-Nate

aquaman222 · 03/10/2006, 04:21 PM

Getting rid of GSP. Well the US government is not allowing hobbyist to enrich Uranium to make a nucleur war head yet so I think you may be SOL.

SaltyNewb · 03/10/2006, 04:34 PM

i took a screwdriver to the rock and just scraped them off, while taking the very topmost layer off the rock.

The Reefer91 · 03/10/2006, 04:40 PM

funny, i was considering getting GSP for a single island of rock.

one question. is it like that with all polyp colonys? i was going to get zoanthids most likely.

thereefgeek · 03/10/2006, 04:42 PM

The problem with kalk slurry is that I'm running about 4500 gph of total flow inside the tank and it would blow all over the rest of the corals. If I shut off the closed loop for an hour or so that'd stop most of the flow in the tank

Quote:

Originally posted by nebraskareef
Rich, I love your tank, even w/ the gsp! its so full, it just looks "real" if you know what I mean. Good work!

Thanks nebraskareef, that's just the left side. Not to jack the thread but here's a wide shot (more GSP's on the right side down low as well)

fuzz1974 · 03/12/2006, 08:15 AM

what will kalk slurry do to the rest of the chemistry of the tank?

On a dufferent note, my PH is slowly dropping 7.8 right now. What is a good way to raise it safely?

fuzz

Swanwillow · 03/12/2006, 09:19 AM

I'm with nate: send me some!!! my one rock just isn't happy yet, I kinda kept it in too low of light for too long... and now only a few polyps come out regularily.

theres an idea: if your able, turn the rock upside-down.

03/09/2006, 08:16 PM	#1
LawAce16 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: The OC Posts: 47	getting rid of green star polyps Okay as the subject line reads, I need to get rid of my green star polyps. I let them go for too long w/o cutting them back and now they're getting too invasive and starting to crawl onto my millipora. Any suggestions of how the best way to do this would be?

03/09/2006, 08:36 PM	#2
fuzz1974 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: indiana Posts: 369	If they are on your live rock, it is next to impossible to completely get rid of them. I am trying right now. I bought a hard plastic or nylon brush and scrub the rock. All it seems to do is just tear the skin and a few days later they are back. So just shy of filling the tank with gas and add a match, or getting rid of the rocks they are on, I'm not real sure. I have tried everything I could do. Peeling them off scrubing them off, turning rocks so they are smashed up on the bottom, and they keep coming back. Good luck. Fuzz __________________ 125 with 175# live rock. 4x150 HQI. 8x39w T-5. Sump/Fuge combo with 2x18w PC. Mag 9.5 & mag 5 for returns. ASM G1x skimmer. Check my gallery for pics... Current Tank Info: Plan on keepin LPS and SPS corals.

03/09/2006, 09:41 PM	#3
Amphiprionocellaris Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 588	If you can get under the stolon (the purple part) with an exacto knife or similar instrument, it's a relatively easy matter just to peel them up (note that I said "relatively. Other than that, you might end up like me: one thirty gallon tank, one monster colony of star polyps. It's really cool if you ignore all the stuff they killed (actually, the rest of the corals were "evacuated" when I got the 75). __________________ Some of us are obsessed with the hobby...some of us just can't control it...those are the ones who get their PhD in it... Current Tank Info: 1 40 gallon breeder mixed reef; past tanks: 75 gallon mixed reef, 3 140 gallon mixed reefs, 3 10 gallon nano species/coral displays, 2 30 gallon reefs, 4 10 gallon research tanks

03/10/2006, 07:59 AM	#4
Bax Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,619	GSP took over my 26. I have one lone isolated rock with GSP in my 75... and about 15 pounds of what was really nice TBS LR in the 26 (now a QT) just covered in GSP. Other LR in my 75 has little spots of GSP that when I see it I'll pull out the rock and dremel off the GSP. If you leave even a sliver of the purple, it'll grow back. Very resilient and invasive! __________________ 150 gallon Perfecto with 1500 gph GH overflow / DIY stand-wine bar / Dart Return / SRO XP3000 Ext skimmer / 75 g frag / 40 g fuge / 40 g DIY sump / Orphek P156 & Kessil 150A Current Tank Info: 150 DT/ 40B fuge/ 75g frag/ 40 g sump/ SRO XP 3000 Ext/ TUNZEs & VorTechs circulation/Dart return/ MTC Pro Cal/ UV & Oz

03/10/2006, 11:09 AM	#7
Alarmguy66 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Madison, Va Posts: 340	I have a fireworm I keep in my sump. Whenever my GSP gets too bushy I throw him back in the tank and let him feast for awhile. A few days later he has decimated it and then he comes back out. __________________ And this all started with a betta? Current Tank Info: 180 gallon, 55 gal sump, mag 18 return, Yellow Tang, Coral Beauty, 2 Perc Clowns, Bicolor Blenny, Yellow Watchman Goby, Niger trigger, Blue devil damsel, Clown Goby

03/10/2006, 10:20 AM	#5
LawAce16 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: The OC Posts: 47	I agree. The stuff is really resilient, which makes me wonder if introducing one of its natural predators might not be a better tactic. The only problem is that its likely that angels would be among its natural predators and getting them to eat the GSP, but not the SPS could be an issue. Does anyone know of anything that will eat GSP, but not SPS?

03/10/2006, 10:41 AM	#6
whitetiprs Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 173	The best tactic I have found for getting rid of GSP is to use a screw and scrape them off the rock with it, then rinse and repeat.

03/10/2006, 12:49 PM	#8
Dan Fagan Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 823	Scrape or Kalk slurry will work.

03/10/2006, 01:03 PM	#9
thereefgeek Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Folsom Posts: 2,217	I have the same problem with these little ba$tards. I can't get rid of them fast enough. I'm thinking about removing the rocks they're on entirely, but those rocks are the bottom of the support structure for the whole reef! I spent a couple hours after the pic was taken picking at them and removed quite a large area, but with any little remnants they just keep coming back! (lower right corner and moving rapidly upward toward the green/red Favia and the pink Pocillopora):

03/10/2006, 01:25 PM	#10
sealife Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: kingman az Posts: 560	kalk sould kill tmem __________________ jan 9 howard stern on sirius satellite radio Current Tank Info: 228 gal sps tank

03/10/2006, 01:40 PM	#11
nebraskareef MFCEO Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,495 Blog Entries: 1	Rich, I love your tank, even w/ the gsp! its so full, it just looks "real" if you know what I mean. Good work! __________________ Originally Posted by tmz "Now if I drink the vodka the colors do look much better than if I drink the vinegar."

03/10/2006, 02:22 PM	#12
Nanook Ancient Eskimo Legend Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 41,852 Blog Entries: 11	This thread has been moved to the current forum. __________________ The wind blew, the chit flew, and then they came two by two. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Tank Info: 375g Tanganyikan Tank & 470g mixed reef

03/10/2006, 02:29 PM	#13
fish_taste_good Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 632	Kalk worked for me. I had no idea they were so hard to kill. I have never really tried on a rock though but I think I will keep this in mind now since i have some in the middle of my 90. All mine have been on the glass and were easy to remove. I currently have them on my filter on my 90. __________________ Looking for a day job Current Tank Info: 240 Reef

03/10/2006, 02:57 PM	#14
chemisfun11 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bellmore,NY Posts: 288	Kalk slurry and scrape outside the tank if you can. Those little pieces can and will find somewhere else to attach and grow __________________ I wish I could think of something clever to write here... Current Tank Info: Custom 170 gallon 54"x30"x24" low iron rimless glass tank, 20g fuge, 100g sump, AquaC EV 240 skimmer, Geo Calcium reactor

03/10/2006, 03:38 PM	#15
thereefmaster Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Mossyrock, WA Posts: 354	How to get rid of them? ha, that is easy! Send them to me... lol. But really though, if they survive your scraping them off, I will pay for shipping -Nate __________________ Click on the Little Red House to see my Reef! Current Tank Info: 55G Reef, Coralife SuperSkimmer 220, Current USA 260W PC, 2" SSB

03/10/2006, 04:21 PM	#16
aquaman222 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Gallatin, TN Posts: 351	Getting rid of GSP. Well the US government is not allowing hobbyist to enrich Uranium to make a nucleur war head yet so I think you may be SOL. __________________ Five tangs in a 10 gallon. No problem, just use this Skilter filter. Good to go. Thanks Current Tank Info: 175 gallon mixed reef

03/10/2006, 04:34 PM	#17
SaltyNewb Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Metairie, Louisiana Posts: 573	i took a screwdriver to the rock and just scraped them off, while taking the very topmost layer off the rock.

03/10/2006, 04:40 PM	#18
The Reefer91 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 1,250	funny, i was considering getting GSP for a single island of rock. one question. is it like that with all polyp colonys? i was going to get zoanthids most likely. __________________ Dan "Every day we fade little by little, 'till there's nothing left of us but the lies we've sown." Current Tank Info: 20g L display: 2x65watt Coralife light, Octopus 150 needle wheel protein skimmer, 1 Koralia 2 and 2 powersweeps, and a DIY sump/fuge.....120G in the works!!!

03/12/2006, 08:15 AM	#20
fuzz1974 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: indiana Posts: 369	what will kalk slurry do to the rest of the chemistry of the tank? On a dufferent note, my PH is slowly dropping 7.8 right now. What is a good way to raise it safely? fuzz __________________ 125 with 175# live rock. 4x150 HQI. 8x39w T-5. Sump/Fuge combo with 2x18w PC. Mag 9.5 & mag 5 for returns. ASM G1x skimmer. Check my gallery for pics... Current Tank Info: Plan on keepin LPS and SPS corals.

03/12/2006, 09:19 AM	#21
Swanwillow goby girl Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bemidji MN Posts: 2,025	I'm with nate: send me some!!! my one rock just isn't happy yet, I kinda kept it in too low of light for too long... and now only a few polyps come out regularily. theres an idea: if your able, turn the rock upside-down. __________________ my advice:walk away. do nothing. til tomorrow. if its still alive, it will hopefully be fine. If you do not see it, do not try to find it. it may be hiding. just LEAVE it alone Current Tank Info: starting over! 125 gallon. Soon to be home to Blackfoot clowns, A. nigripes