GSP opened but not extending for weeks

[Jackmot]

Hey!
So, I’ve been having some weird problems lately with my GSP. All it’s polyps are opened but it’s “tentacles” stay retracted. This has been going for approx 8 days.
I have noticed a bit of growth these last few days, could this be it?
PS: another weird thing is that I can’t seem to raise my phosphates but I have more than enough nitrates

Green Star Polyp
Pulsing Xenia
4 mushroom corals
3 Mexican turbos
some chaeto in the sump

14 lt display tank
20(ish) lt sump
AI Prime 16HD

Nitrates: 15-20ppm (API test kit)
phosphates: Undetectable (Salifert test kit with the high sensitivity mode)
salinity: ~1.024
Ph: 8.0 - 8.2
Kh: 8.3
Temp: 24.5-25.0ºc

 

[blaxsun]

It looks fine. Sometimes they will close up for a while to encourage cleaning. Other times they'll partially open up - which is usually because something is crawling all over or otherwise harassing it. I'm including a snapshot I just took of one of my GSPs that is semi-ticked off because a certain fish keeps brushing by it on his way to the feeding trough...

 

[Jackmot]

It looks fine. Sometimes they will close up for a while to encourage cleaning. Other times they'll partially open up - which is usually because something is crawling all over or otherwise harassing it. I'm including a snapshot I just took of one of my GSPs that is semi-ticked off because a certain fish keeps brushing by it on his way to the feeding trough...

I do not have any kind of fish and the turbos rarely climb on it but I’m taking this is a normal behavior and that in a matter of days it should come back to normal haha

any ideas with the phosphates?
When should I start to worry about the GSP?

PS: thanks for answering so quickly

 

[blaxsun]

I do not have any kind of fish and the turbos rarely climb on it but I’m taking this is a normal behavior and that in a matter of days it should come back to normal haha

any ideas with the phosphates?
When should I start to worry about the GSP?

PS: thanks for answering so quickly

It's fairly normal for GSP. It could be one of the turbo snails (they often work at wrecking my corals off-peak when I'm sleeping), or the GSP is trying to encourage something to clean it. You may want to invest in 1-2 small blue leg hermit crabs for "reef duty" (they're not terribly expensive). I have another one that actually looks dead, but it's still alive... biding its time. GSP is next to impossible to kill, and it can survive almost anything.

As for the phosphates, a lot of people report problems with the ATI test kits. So while I'm not suggesting you run out and replace it, you may want to have your LFS test your water parameters so you have a comparison. AquaForest, Nyos, Salifert, Red Sea and Hanna all make great (and reasonably accurate) testing kits and are the preferred method of testing for most of us (mainly because they're consistent), so if and when you do run out of your API tests I would recommend one of those brands for eventual replacement.

I honestly wouldn't worry about the GSP. Remember the previous image of that GSP frag? Here's an identical frag that was in the same tank for the last year. Notice the difference in size? If you can explain to me why one is the size of a softball and the other hasn't really moved off the ceramic plug I'd love to hear it. Sometimes these things defy rational explanations!

 

[attiland]

Hey!
So, I’ve been having some weird problems lately with my GSP. All it’s polyps are opened but it’s “tentacles” stay retracted. This has been going for approx 8 days.
I have noticed a bit of growth these last few days, could this be it?
PS: another weird thing is that I can’t seem to raise my phosphates but I have more than enough nitrates

Green Star Polyp
Pulsing Xenia
4 mushroom corals
3 Mexican turbos
some chaeto in the sump

14 lt display tank
20(ish) lt sump
AI Prime 16HD

Nitrates: 15-20ppm (API test kit)
phosphates: Undetectable (Salifert test kit with the high sensitivity mode)
salinity: ~1.024
Ph: 8.0 - 8.2
Kh: 8.3
Temp: 24.5-25.0ºc

My suspicion is lack of po4

 

[Jackmot]

It's fairly normal for GSP. It could be one of the turbo snails (they often work at wrecking my corals off-peak when I'm sleeping), or the GSP is trying to encourage something to clean it. You may want to invest in 1-2 small blue leg hermit crabs for "reef duty" (they're not terribly expensive). I have another one that actually looks dead, but it's still alive... biding its time. GSP is next to impossible to kill, and it can survive almost anything.

As for the phosphates, a lot of people report problems with the ATI test kits. So while I'm not suggesting you run out and replace it, you may want to have your LFS test your water parameters so you have a comparison. AquaForest, Nyos, Salifert, Red Sea and Hanna all make great (and reasonably accurate) testing kits and are the preferred method of testing for most of us (mainly because they're consistent), so if and when you do run out of your API tests I would recommend one of those brands for eventual replacement.

I honestly wouldn't worry about the GSP. Remember the previous image of that GSP frag? Here's an identical frag that was in the same tank for the last year. Notice the difference in size? If you can explain to me why one is the size of a softball and the other hasn't really moved off the ceramic plug I'd love to hear it. Sometimes these things defy rational explanations!

That’s a beautiful colony man!
my test kit for phosphates is actually salifert and I even tried to do the test in the high sensitivity mode and still zero

My suspicion is lack of po4

Do you have any idea for getting it back up or why do I have the nitrates and phosphates unbalanced?

 

[Cannons Fish]

Does it have a lot of flow? Mine looked like that until I put them into higher flow and now they extend really far and look great.

 

[Jackmot]

Does it have a lot of flow? Mine looked like that until I put them into higher flow and now they extend really far and look great.

I’m pretty sure it has enough flow, I haven’t changed the flow or it’s location since I got it 7 months ago

 

[chipchipbro]

Mine didnt open because the light was too intense. Then I turned light a bit down and it did open very nicely. Then I just ramped it back up and now its „acclimated“

 

[Jackmot]

Mine didnt open because the light was too intense. Then I turned light a bit down and it did open very nicely. Then I just ramped it back up and now its „acclimated“

Could the GSP “deaclimate“ after months of having the exact same light? Maybe it’s worth giving it a shot

 

[Reef Jockey]

it'll open, sometimes it takes time. My GSP took a while to open as well but it eventually did
9/4

9/12

9/27

today

 

[Jackmot]

it'll open, sometimes it takes time. My GSP took a while to open as well but it eventually did
9/4

9/12

9/27

today

Beautiful GSP mate!

 

[attiland]

That’s a beautiful colony man!
my test kit for phosphates is actually salifert and I even tried to do the test in the high sensitivity mode and still zero


Do you have any idea for getting it back up or why do I have the nitrates and phosphates unbalanced?

Hard to answer this without more info. Do you have bio media? Take some off. More feeding the fish. If I would go low I would feed reef roids. Actually this is why I don’t feed it. It pumps up po4 so quickly.
you can dose po4 with ready mixed products or kh2 po4 aka phosphorus ( £3.2 on eBay for years with amount)
Get it detectable. It is like magic

 

[Jackmot]

Hard to answer this without more info. Do you have bio media? Take some off. More feeding the fish. If I would go low I would feed reef roids. Actually this is why I don’t feed it. It pumps up po4 so quickly.
you can dose po4 with ready mixed products or kh2 po4 aka phosphorus ( £3.2 on eBay for years with amount)
Get it detectable. It is like magic

My only filtering media is live rock in the sump.
I forgot To say that this is a bare bottom tank.
My only export is the tiny ball of chaeto.
I do not have any fish so I don’t really feed anything haha, a few months ago I was having problems maintaining also nitrates, starting to feed absolutely helped that but now I’m hesitant of starting to feed again because I feel that my nitrates will go out of scale, does that makes any sense to you?

 

[Reef Jockey]

Beautiful GSP mate!

Thanks
GSP is also a good indicator of your parameter swings. Once they open up and stay open, should they close up for a day or so, check your parameters

 

[Jackmot]

Thanks
GSP is also a good indicator of your parameter swings. Once they open up and stay open, should they close up for a day or so, check your parameters

The only swing that I've had lately is Kh (and not a very big one, maybe a 1.0 swing in a week) but that could also be what's bothering the GSP, thanks again!

 

[attiland]

My only filtering media is live rock in the sump.
I forgot To say that this is a bare bottom tank.
My only export is the tiny ball of chaeto.
I do not have any fish so I don’t really feed anything haha, a few months ago I was having problems maintaining also nitrates, starting to feed absolutely helped that but now I’m hesitant of starting to feed again because I feel that my nitrates will go out of scale, does that makes any sense to you?

If feeding is not an option dose po4. Your chaeto will kiss your hands. That is probably the reason it is 0.
You need a po4 source. A few fish probably the best for that. Think about it anyway

The only swing that I've had lately is Kh (and not a very big one, maybe a 1.0 swing in a week) but that could also be what's bothering the GSP, thanks again!

That is not a big change in a week

 

[Reef Jockey]

If feeding is not an option dose po4. Your chaeto will kiss your hands. That is probably the reason it is 0.
You need a po4 source. A few fish probably the best for that. Think about it anyway


That is not a big change in a week

Agreed. 1dh a week is not a big change. 1dkh or more a day is. stability is key

 

[Jackmot]

If feeding is not an option dose po4. Your chaeto will kiss your hands. That is probably the reason it is 0.
You need a po4 source. A few fish probably the best for that. Think about it anyway


That is not a big change in a week

I have searched a lot for the PO4 but no LFS sells it and amazon doesn't send it to Mexico so I'm stucked with feeding haha, do you think this will make a big impact on the nitrates?

Agreed. 1dh a week is not a big change. 1dkh or more a day is. stability is key

Yeah, in my short period in this hobby I have found that having stability is even more important than having "perfect" levels

 

[attiland]

I have searched a lot for the PO4 but no LFS sells it and amazon doesn't send it to Mexico so I'm stucked with feeding haha, do you think this will make a big impact on the nitrates?

all feeding has impact on nitrates but some food has more phosphate than others. Reef Roids fo example is super high. Usually dry pallets are higher but don’t ask why.
As per . KH2PO4 it is a fertiliser I am sure it is available. I would go eBay for that.