Green Star Polyp Aquascaping idea/feedback - Tree Design

[Jason31]

So i'm trying to figure out how to design the top level of my aquascape and want feedback to see if this is a good idea or not. The picture on the left should be my current tank design. The one on the right is a photoshopped version of what i want to do to the top level using Green Star Polyps and a Octospawn/frogspawn branching coral to create a grass like area w/ a tree popping out.

i've read a lot that GSPs can be very invasive and the only way to control their growth is putting them on an isolated rock on the sand and trimming it back when they get beyond the rock. That doesn't seem feasible in what i'm doing here so i'm wondering if its really a big issue.

otherwise the other option i guess is to make a GSP tree instead of a octospawn tree and maybe zoas all over the bottom instead??

Let me know what you guys think about this or if you have other ideas on what to do with this top level. Thanks!!

also don't mind the anemone in the top right corner. He's in time out for moving around all over the place and causing havoc. going to relocate him to another tank.

 

[mcgyvr]

i've read a lot that GSPs can be very invasive and the only way to control their growth is putting them on an isolated rock on the sand and trimming it back when they get beyond the rock. That doesn't seem feasible in what i'm doing here so i'm wondering if its really a big issue.

Yes.. It can absolutely spread like wildfire and cover ALL visible surfaces in an aquarium.. glass and all..

If you are "concerned" enough to actually photoshop aquascape then you better think twice about GSP..

Not my tank thank god but there are plenty of pictures just like this in google images when you search for "green start polyp out of control"

 

[Jason31]

ok so it seems my idea will be hard to control if it gets out of hand? what about a zoa floor with a octospawn tree or a GSP tree instead? i could put sand around the base of the tree to stop it from spreading ? or what would happen if it met w/ zoas on the bottom? who would win?

sucks i really liked the idea of having a grass section w/ a tree growing out of the middle...

 

[mcgyvr]

Not sure why you can't just remove the top tree/grass rock when needed if thats what you really want..

 

[Jason31]

its epoxied to the rock below it. without the top ledge the bottom part falls too... i could remove it but it would change a lot and be a lot of work

 

[AlSimmons]

If you've got the time then what you have in the second picture can be done, but you'll have to pay close attention to it. For one you don't want the GSP to grow on the skeleton of the Euphyllia coral. Also, you'll have to use some epoxy to build barriers or walls all along the sides. When the GSP begin to overgrow this you can either smother them with more epoxy or use a wire brush to remove the mat. Staying ahead of them will be key, but if your willing to do the work this coral can be pretty easy to manage.

 

[Jason31]

and that would be the same for if the GSP goes to the other rocks? just trim them back? i've never had GSPs before so not sure how easy they are to trim if they start wandering past the no GSP zones

 

[AlSimmons]

Pretty much, although you wouldn't really trim the GSP you would smother the mat with some epoxy. The picture below will kind of give you an idea of what I'm talking about. This Leptastrea would overgrow pretty much everything else around it if I didn't keep it contained with the epoxy. This has to be done every two or three months so everybody gets along.



In this picture I used the epoxy to smother some Blue Clove polyps. If you look closely you can see some that I missed towards the sand bed. The plan was for the War coral to overgrow the epoxy given time.

 

[Jason31]

Thanks for the pics and the tips. So GSP cannot grow on epoxy? Or does it just slow them and then you have to reapply?

 

[JZinCO]

Not my tanks.

It can be done but I would have rock to separate gsp from the coral. Direct impingement is going to make it difficult to buffer gsp from the other corals.

 

[AlSimmons]

Thanks for the pics and the tips. So GSP cannot grow on epoxy? Or does it just slow them and then you have to reapply?

They can overgrow the epoxy in time, but it does slow them down a little. Plus there's no holes or crevices for them to get into and it's real easy to see when it's happening.

 

[Jason31]

Those are cool designs. Especially the torch tree. Really cool. Who normally wins when gsps touch other corals?

 

[Cliving1]

GSP dont really pack a punch from my understanding.

 

[Moort82]

GSP dont really pack a punch from my understanding.

They don't need to really as they are a quick growth and smother species.

 

[alton]

Almost five years ago I got tired of protecting my SPS from GSP, and to my amazement most of my SPS had no problem protecting themselves. Also a healthy Frogspawn has no problems standing up to GSP or Xenia.

 

[Jason31]

thanks for the input guys... i'm going to give it a try... i'll post pics of the process as i get it going and as it progresses... now just gotta find the "tree" Ultra green branching hammer would be great! any other ideas here would be great... i'd love to put something that looks like a bonzai tree

 

[Bender19]

Although we want other corals besides GSP in our tanks (At least most of us), a tank completely covered in GSP can be beautiful!

 

[Jason31]

I used epoxy to create a mount for the hammers ($95 for 10-12 heads) and bought a plate of GSPs ($30) which I broke into smaller pieces using a chisel.

Should I peel the purple layer off the rock plate that it came on and put that directly on my rock or just leave the rock plate and let it grow over? The gsps are on a rock plate that's about 1cm thick. If I peel it I assume I should super glue it to the live rock. Also should I place it like I have. Covers a lot of the rock but has gaps in between each plate that I broke apart.

I'll post pics tomorrow as I'm having problems doing so on my phone.

 

[crawlerman]

I wouldn't peal it off, it will be hard to attach. It will grow right down off of that rock in no time.

 

[Jason31]

Here are the images i promised...

Heres what it looks like with lights off... GSPs haven't opened, probably stressed from the reef dip and being broken apart.

Lights on:

You can see the thickness of the plate that the GSPs are on. still considering peeling them and glueing them to the rock to lower the height since i can do a 30% water change and it would drop the water level to the rock where i can glue for 15 minutes or so... will GSPs survive if i peel and glue?? never worked w/ them before.

Also are there any issues with doing this with bare hands? or are there things i need to be weary of and protect against like Zoas?

Full Tank Shot:

Side shot showing the epoxy putty on the tree... i dont like how its all the way to the back resting on the wall but when i place it in the middle of the rock its too tall... still trying to figure this one out...