Terrified of my GSP

[Kiboshed]

So took the dive into corals and one of my first was what was advertised as a "Mint Green Star Polyp". I have heard a lot about how much these things can spread over everything like a canker and it instantly opened up and started to feed in my 32 gal Biocube.

No idea what species it actually is. I will guess Briareum.

My future plan for it is to grow over the sand and the glass in this isolated corner of the tank where I can safely mange it in a controlled manner. It seems happy for now.

Can GSP grow on sugar sand and reach the glass? Should I just give it a small chunk of live rock in that corner?

Thoughts? Ideas?

Placed it much closer to the glass since that photo. Almost against it.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Yes it can it spreads like wildfire lol! I recommend gluing it down somewhere.

 

[Cell]

Gsp does not typically grow on sand. People put it on a rock on the sandbed to isolate it.

 

[Kiboshed]

One yes, one no on growing on sand lol fun. Think I will give it a small piece of live rock right where is sits and see where it goes from there.

Best of both worlds

 

[Bucs20fan]

GSP does grow quickly comparatively speaking to other corals. It is not difficult to control if you isolate it and keep your eye on it. It can grow on glass if you wanted it to. I have a large "bush" of gsp in my tank and I love it. I keep it trimmed back and on its little Island.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

One yes, one no on growing on sand lol fun. Think I will give it a small piece of live rock right where is sits and see where it goes from there.

Best of both worlds

Gsp will send runners across sand to try to get to a hard surface and will eventually grow on the sand due to this. Some types of GSP will even lay a mat on the sand. Although it does take much longer for it to do it, as opposed to on a solid surface, they will do it.

Below is a pic of one of my BC32s. I do have GSP on the rock work, but that is due to this tank being mostly NPS anemones and I want something easy in there that likes dirtier water. Hence all of the invasive palys/zoas in there also. Feeding the nems makes quite a mess.

Back to the GSP. If you look closely, you will see where some of the GSP has "runners" and is looking for somewhere to lay down and grow, as some areas of the rocks do not have room, there is an nps nem on the side of the rock, or it just ran out of space.

 

[bnord]

stays off the sand mostly, and if it does send out runners, it is easy to pinch it back...

AS to the glass, it is simple to place the "island rock" snug up against the rock -

I make magnetized floating islands to place on the backer side glass and you can add GSP to that as well

it gets a bad rap, but it is good for early tanks, and you CAN manage it

unlike pocilipora - the real scourge of spreading coral...

 

[Kiboshed]

Fascinating. I really will need to give it it's own bit if rock off the sand that I can trim then.

Easily done.

Just glad it won't send little bits of itself all over my tank lol

Was hoping it would grow over sand, but feel like if it's even going to start it will need a bit of rock base camp.

 

[bnord]

stays off the sand mostly, and if it does send out runners, it is easy to pinch it back...

AS to the glass, it is simple to place the "island rock" snug up against the rock -

I make magnetized floating islands to place on the backer side glass and you can add GSP to that as well

it gets a bad rap, but it is good for early tanks, and you CAN manage it

unlike pocilipora - the real scourge of spreading coral...

 

[HBtank]

I isolate GSP on branches, looks cool and easy to manage.

 

[blaxsun]

Gsp does not typically grow on sand. People put it on a rock on the sandbed to isolate it.

Tell that to my GSP - they apparently didn't get the memo...

 

[HBtank]

stays off the sand mostly, and if it does send out runners, it is easy to pinch it back...

AS to the glass, it is simple to place the "island rock" snug up against the rock -

I make magnetized floating islands to place on the backer side glass and you can add GSP to that as well

it gets a bad rap, but it is good for early tanks, and you CAN manage it

unlike pocilipora - the real scourge of spreading coral...

The scourge for me is certain mushroom corals, I have some green discosoma mushrooms that I consider my worst “pest”.

You are right, GSP gets a bad rap, a thick/healthy area of GSP will peel right off of rocks. Only newer growth can be a bit harder to remove, but still not bad.

Never had pocilipora, something about it never appealed to me.

 

[bnord]

The scourge for me is certain mushroom corals, I have some green discosoma mushrooms that I consider my worst “pest”.

GSP gets a bad rap, a healthy/old area of GSP will peel right off of rocks. Only newer growth can be a bit harder to remove, but still not bad.

Never had pocilipora, something about it never appealed to me.

Agree with the mushroom too - have to scape them at times to add an SPS frag

pocilipora in my tank (suggested by the LFS as a good starter SPS) does not srape off, h

fdard to cover with putty and will irritate significantly montis it grows into. It is my tank curse.

below is not the original first placement

 

[mfinn]

GSP will typically grow where it wants. Glass rock, sand, and other corals.
IMO it looks pretty awesome, and I have to laugh where I see people freak out and post warnings " It will take over and destroy every coral in your tank".
It will grow over most rocks and corals, but only if you let it. It can be easily controlled.

 

[Casket_Case]

Yes it can it spreads like wild fire lol! I recommend gluing it down somewhere.

If it spreads like wildfire... and can take up so much real estate, and sometimes ruin your rock, my first bit of advice to a fellow beginner wouldn't be "Glue it down somewhere!"

 

[Tired]

It spreads fast, but if you surround it in sandbed, it's easy enough to trim back. It's not like blue snowflake clove polyps, which can actually spawn and get everywhere.

 

[AydenLincoln]

If it spreads like wildfire... and can take up so much real estate, and sometimes ruin your rock, my first bit of advice to a fellow beginner wouldn't be "Glue it down somewhere!"

You definitely have to plan around it. People do glue it down though I think it’s fairly common to do so at least to the black glass. They stated they’ll isolate it on its own rock.

 

[exnisstech]

This stuff has died every time I've tried it

 

[bnord]

It spreads fast, but if you surround it in sandbed, it's easy enough to trim back. It's not like blue snowflake clove polyps, which can actually spawn and get everywhere.

Oh yeah, Xenia and cloves… turning into a worst surge thread…

 

[Casket_Case]

You definitely have to plan around it. People do glue it down though I think it’s fairly common to do so at least to the black glass. They stated they’ll isolate it on its own rock.

Well tell them that going in. Make sure they know it spreads, make sure they know it's best to give them 'islands' and let those who have more experience with keeping the coral and controlling its spread answer the questions, we don't always have to have an answer to every question asked