Green Star Polyps Coral | Care Guide
This was one of my first corals when I decided to take the plunge into owning and caring for corals in my tank. It was a very nerve wracking experience, purchasing and acclimating the Green Star Polyp into my tank. But after about an hour or so, I knew I was fretting for no reason.
So I decided to write this guide for budding coral enthusiasts to learn about how easy it is to take care of these hardy corals.
In this care guide for Green Star Polyps you will learn a little bit about the nature of these corals, how to care for them, feed them and also what to look out for if you decide to include these corals in your reef.
Green Star Polyp Corals – Origin
Like many other corals the Green Star Polyp mostly resides in the Indo-Pacific region around the pacific islands like Samoa, Fiji and the Solomon Islands.
You will often find them at varying depths, as they do not have specific lighting requirements unlike other corals. They can be found with other hardy soft corals like Xenia and Clavularia in coral reefs where there is often lots of nutrients to be found in the surrounding waters.
Green Star Polyp Corals – Description
As the name suggests, the Green Star Polyps has eight colored tentacles extending from each polyp. If you look closely at each tentacle, you will see that the tentacle has a saw like appearance, with serrated edges. They look particularly good under the blue lights, giving off a greenish-yellow glow wherever it is placed in your tank.
The polyps are connected to a purplish mat which extends and grows over any surface that it can find. The purple mat is often referred to as the Stolon of the coral.
The Green Star Polyp likes moderate water flow, so that the polyps and tentacles can sway in the water flow. This is great for adding movement to your tank and covering spaces in your tank that would otherwise be dull or lifeless.
Green Star Polyp Corals – Care Guide
| Description | Specification |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Personality | Medium Aggression |
| Size | Fast growing with no limits |
| Diet | Photosynthesis and Voracious |
| Tank size | At Least 20 Gallons |
| Lighting | Low to Moderate |
| Temp | 74 – 83° F |
| Gravity (Salinity) | 1.023 – 1.025 |
| Water Flow | Low – Medium Flow |
| Calcium | 400 – 450 ppm |
Generally speaking, the Green Star Polyp is a hardy coral that will tolerate less than ideal water conditions. It is for this reason that they are great for a beginner (like I was once) to cut their teeth on and get into the hobby of coral care. Let’s take a look at the specifics of caring for Green Star Polyps.
Check out how cool this guys Green Star Polyps mat.
Lighting Requirements for Green Star Polyps
Unlike other soft corals, the Green Star Polyp isn’t as fussy when it comes to lighting requirements. You will be safe to place these guys in low to medium intensity lighting. And the type of lighting isn’t anything particular, such as hallide or LED, etc.
If you want to see the Green Star Polyp really shine, place them in a position that will give them a bit of blue light. The green in the tentacles really shine with a fluorescent glow and is a sight to be shown off.
Feeding Green Star Polyps
These hardy guys have the special organisms called Zooxanthellae which is that handy substance that allows corals to photosynthesize light into food and nutrients. This means in theory all they need to survive would be light.
The serrated tentacles will also capture any bits they can in the water column and bring the food to the mouth of the polyp.
I personally love to target feed my Green Star Polyp. Surprisingly, the Green Star Polyp folds it’s tentacles back and expose the polyp to the Reef Roids that I feed my corals. Where as other soft corals like the Torch Corals, will draw it’s extended tentacles in towards the mouth and close up.
Placement of Green Star Polyps
This is probably the main consideration when deciding whether to purchase a Green Star Polyp.
The Green Star Polyp is a fast growing coral (another reason why they are a great beginner coral). And it is for this reason why you need to think very carefully where you place the coral.
The Green Star Polyp is not fussy which surface it grows on. It will happily grow on any hard surface it can find, including your tanks walls and glass.
It is also this reason why you need to be careful which corals you place around your Green Star Polyp. Because it is a fast growing coral, it will easily out compete for the surface space on any live rock and overgrow other corals.
Summary
The Green Star Polyp is a fantastic beginners coral due to it’s hardiness and tolerance of less than ideal water conditions.
They are a joy to watch swaying in the water flow of your tank and look particularly spectacular under blue lighting to show off its fluorescent colors.
The only consideration you should allow for is the fact that they can be quite an aggressive growing coral. So be aware of where you choose to grow your coral and the surrounding corals.
Other than that I highly enjoy watching my Green Star Polyp grow in my tank and recommend trying one in yours today.
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