I did the impossible. I killed my GSP

OceansinAZ · Mar 18, 2020

I have no idea where I went wrong. On Sat (today is Wed) I bought a frag of gsp. I brought it home and dipped it in "Reef Dip" that is the brand name. It says it is safe for soft corals. I drip acclimated it and then placed it mid tank in a moderate flow area. They never opened. I read on a few threads that it may take a few days, so I let them be. Today I went to give them a light dust off with the power head (to make sure there wasn't any sand or algea bothering it) and 80% of it disintegrated down to the plug it came on. I removed it and immediately did a water test. Results were 1.024 salinity, 0 posphate, 2.5 nitrate, and 7.7 dkh. Same as the last day tested, which was the day the gsp was added. I have a 30 gal tank that is almost 3 months old. The only other oral I have is some zoas that just gave me three new polyps (5 total now), so I assume it wasn't water quality. I also have 3 chromis, a cleaner shrimp, and a few snails. I am doing small amounts of Vibrant to knock off the last of the brown algea from the ugly stage. Was it possibly the dip or something else due to ignorance? I can't believe I killed one of the hardiest corals.

W1ngz · Mar 18, 2020

The dip could have been overdosed. Was this the seachem reef dip?

Kullas · Mar 18, 2020

I dipped mine in reef dip and did fine. I dont measure the seachem reef dip I just pure some in. Most of the time the dip is blood color did get a bristle worm out of it.

codycolina707 · Mar 19, 2020

OceansinAZ said:
I have no idea where I went wrong. On Sat (today is Wed) I bought a frag of gsp. I brought it home and dipped it in "Reef Dip" that is the brand name. It says it is safe for soft corals. I drip acclimated it and then placed it mid tank in a moderate flow area. They never opened. I read on a few threads that it may take a few days, so I let them be. Today I went to give them a light dust off with the power head (to make sure there wasn't any sand or algea bothering it) and 80% of it disintegrated down to the plug it came on. I removed it and immediately did a water test. Results were 1.024 salinity, 0 posphate, 2.5 nitrate, and 7.7 dkh. Same as the last day tested, which was the day the gsp was added. I have a 30 gal tank that is almost 3 months old. The only other oral I have is some zoas that just gave me three new polyps (5 total now), so I assume it wasn't water quality. I also have 3 chromis, a cleaner shrimp, and a few snails. I am doing small amounts of Vibrant to knock off the last of the brown algea from the ugly stage. Was it possibly the dip or something else due to ignorance? I can't believe I killed one of the hardiest corals.

was probably like the other person said the dip feel like gsp is pretty indestructible.my first chunk of live rock was covered in it but was a noob and had no idea until a month or so down the road they started popping out

Copingwithpods · Mar 19, 2020

Please provide a link to that dip so I can kill mine too, I've tried everything.

dbjonesjr · Mar 19, 2020

If it makes you feel any better I’ve had trouble keeping it alive in the past in an SPS dominated tank.

Ameer214 · Mar 19, 2020

Its likely the 0 phosphates. I have lost GSP to that.

Copingwithpods · Mar 19, 2020

Ameer214 said:
Its likely the 0 phosphates. I have lost GSP to that.

I have near 0 P04 and still my gsp peeks a head out through the glue and opoxy and rocks over it.

Its witchcraft and op doesn't want to share his secret.

W1ngz · Mar 19, 2020

Ameer214 said:
Its likely the 0 phosphates. I have lost GSP to that.

It wouldn't disintegrate in 3 days due to low phosphate. It would have to have been acrively killed for that.

OceansinAZ · Mar 19, 2020

W1ngz said:
The dip could have been overdosed. Was this the seachem reef dip?

Yes that was the dip

OceansinAZ · Mar 19, 2020

Sounds like it may have been the dip. I will have to try a different brand. May remove the GFO from the back of the tank and let the phosphate level rise a bit too. Thank you all for the help. I have a lot to learn.

W1ngz · Mar 19, 2020

I use the same dip. I don't think the dip itself is the problem, it was probably just overused.

Bluespottedjawfish1 · Mar 19, 2020

It was probably a good thing, there was a quiz recently on this site about what do you regret the most with your tank. Mine was placing GSP and Sunset Montipora in my system. Totally invasive stuff.

NanoSteam · Mar 19, 2020

I use the same dip as well. When you add the appropriate amount the water should mix almost clear with just a slight hue to it. Don't overdose it.

My GSP survived Seachem Reef dip just fine and was open the same day.

Hemmdog · Mar 19, 2020

Sorcery

SALTY 75 · Mar 19, 2020

OceansinAZ said:
I have no idea where I went wrong. On Sat (today is Wed) I bought a frag of gsp. I brought it home and dipped it in "Reef Dip" that is the brand name. It says it is safe for soft corals. I drip acclimated it and then placed it mid tank in a moderate flow area. They never opened. I read on a few threads that it may take a few days, so I let them be. Today I went to give them a light dust off with the power head (to make sure there wasn't any sand or algea bothering it) and 80% of it disintegrated down to the plug it came on. I removed it and immediately did a water test. Results were 1.024 salinity, 0 posphate, 2.5 nitrate, and 7.7 dkh. Same as the last day tested, which was the day the gsp was added. I have a 30 gal tank that is almost 3 months old. The only other oral I have is some zoas that just gave me three new polyps (5 total now), so I assume it wasn't water quality. I also have 3 chromis, a cleaner shrimp, and a few snails. I am doing small amounts of Vibrant to knock off the last of the brown algea from the ugly stage. Was it possibly the dip or something else due to ignorance? I can't believe I killed one of the hardiest corals.

I have never been able to keep gsp or zoanthids alive. Even with many other ''harder'' to keep corals in my tank.

Mical · Mar 19, 2020

OceansinAZ said:
I have no idea where I went wrong. On Sat (today is Wed) I bought a frag of gsp. I brought it home and dipped it in "Reef Dip" that is the brand name. It says it is safe for soft corals. I drip acclimated it and then placed it mid tank in a moderate flow area. They never opened. I read on a few threads that it may take a few days, so I let them be. Today I went to give them a light dust off with the power head (to make sure there wasn't any sand or algea bothering it) and 80% of it disintegrated down to the plug it came on. I removed it and immediately did a water test. Results were 1.024 salinity, 0 posphate, 2.5 nitrate, and 7.7 dkh. Same as the last day tested, which was the day the gsp was added. I have a 30 gal tank that is almost 3 months old. The only other oral I have is some zoas that just gave me three new polyps (5 total now), so I assume it wasn't water quality. I also have 3 chromis, a cleaner shrimp, and a few snails. I am doing small amounts of Vibrant to knock off the last of the brown algea from the ugly stage. Was it possibly the dip or something else due to ignorance? I can't believe I killed one of the hardiest corals.

If you were closer, I'd give you a mat of it. I currently have sheets of it in my frag tank that I just trimmed off in one my DTs. Anyone near me in Minn is welcome to it.

SALTY 75 · Mar 19, 2020

Mical said:
If you were closer, I'd give you a mat of it. I currently have sheets of it in my frag tank that I just trimmed off in one my DTs. Anyone near me in Minn is welcome to it.

Thanks that very nice of you lol. I think now that have gotten rid of my little white starfish infestation I could grow it. but yeah I am alittle far away from you sadly