How did I kill a GSP?

[GuppyHJD]

Newbie here, was told GSP is a beginner corals. Not sure what I should be doing different. Ideas?

16 days ago added a Candy Cane frag
and a GSP frag (first corals)
Tank has 2 small clownfish, a starry blenny and a coral beauty.
My tank is 120g and 3 months old.
Had LFS double check my testing ( I am using Salifert tests)
Temp - 78.1
Salinity - 1.023 (today started top-off with slightly elevated saltwater vs RODI)
Ph - 8.2
Alk - 8.0k
Cal - 465
Mag - 1380
Phos - 0 (Hanna tested .02)
Nitrates - 0

 

[Jekyl]

0 nitrates. No food.

 

[Auquanut]

How is the candy cane doing?

 

[GuppyHJD]

How is the candy cane doing?

The Candy Cane is looking ok...bright green

 

[Rubberfrog]

No nutrients to feed the coral. Low salinity. And a possible coral nipper.

 

[LegendaryCG]

GSP does do poorly in some tanks, if it establishes it’s a weed but sometimes it just melts away Instead.

 

[Jekyl]

GSP does do poorly in some tanks, if it establishes it’s a weed but sometimes it just melts away Instead.

I wish I could melt my gsp

 

[LegendaryCG]

I wish I could melt my gsp

Aptasiax on it and it will be gone

 

[GuppyHJD]

GSP does do poorly in some tanks, if it establishes it’s a weed but sometimes it just melts away Instead.

It was out and pulsing...for 2 weeks and then boom, everything pulled in

 

[Rubberfrog]

It was out and pulsing...for 2 weeks and then boom, everything pulled in

My gf does that sometimes, but she always comes back around.

 

[Jekyl]

It was out and pulsing...for 2 weeks and then boom, everything pulled in

Mine does that from time to time. I would just increase your nitrate and see how it goes.

 

[Uncle99]

What does “kill” look like.....retracted?
That’s not abnormal for GSP.
When it retracts, it pushes out soft tissue (purple) then fills the area with the star polyp.
See below, about 6 months old, it’s partly retracted but at times, retracts for several days fully.
Impossible to kill under normal care.

 

[GuppyHJD]

My gf does that sometimes, but she always comes back around.

Thank you...fingers crossed. I had one polyp that had a bright green dot out, no tenacles. Will see if the LFS has something to raise the nitrates.

 

[GuppyHJD]

What does “kill” look like.....retracted?
That’s not abnormal for GSP.
When it retracts, it pushes out soft tissue (purple) then fills the area with the star polyp.
See below, about 6 months old, it’s partly retracted but at times, retracts for several days fully.
Impossible to kill under normal care.

I am not sure if I can get a photo of it. The frag plug has a purple mass on it and the polyps that used to be out and pulsating have all pulled in.

 

[Uncle99]

I am not sure if I can get a photo of it. The frag plug has a purple mass on it and the polyps that used to be out and pulsating have all pulled in.

Sounds very normal to me.
Mine does that all the time, sometimes full out, partial, and fully retracted.
Doesn’t mean it’s dying, it’s growing.
It’s possible I guess.....likely.....not.
If your water chemistry is good, just leave it untouched for a week.

 

[KrisReef]

Thank you...fingers crossed. I had one polyp that had a bright green dot out, no tenacles. Will see if the LFS has something to raise the nitrates.

Feed the fish to increase the nitrates.

Xenia I have heard of pulsating, but never GSP?

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

I have some xenia on my back wall that closed up for several months. It wasn't dead though because the purple mat was still there. Fast forward to now and it's continuing to spread with all polyps out.

 

[Reefing_Engineer]

I have actually killed GSP and it took months, it was retracted for the whole time, so if there is still that purple tissue it’s still there. Once that melts away you know it’s gone for good!

 

[PanchoG]

The GSP is immortal, raise the nutrients the coral will show up.