Green Star Polyps

[findgnemo]

i just recieved some on like coraline. it looks like just a mall purple sheet with bubbles on it. how long does it take these to open up? it's been 2 days. just wondering if i should just throw it away?

 

[cdangel0]

As long as it is purple it is alive - don't throw it away. Sometimes they can take days to open up - soemtimes they open up when you're not looking - they can close up really fast too.

Mine took about 3-4 days when I first put them in the tank, takes a little while for them to become acclimated and comfortable.

 

[findgnemo]

ah i see. i will wait then a couple days. i just put a shell on top of it. it keeps flying around lol

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

That purple mat is the Stolon. That's the body of the coral. The polyps are the lumps that you see. Sometimes it will take a few days to come out. You'll want to glue this frag with something like a Superglue Gel (Cyanoacrylate) to a piece of rubble so it doesn't fly around.

 

[UntamedBreez]

just asked this same question the other day...they are just picky guys...and take longer to calm down then others

 

[rob28]

Mine fully extend at night...Try looking a couple hrs after lights out.

 

[seapug]

give them more than a couple days-- IME, a week or more isn't unusual. As long as the purple mat isn't dissolving they are alive and will eventually come out.

 

[Nano Chris]

What was interesting for me, as soon as i introduced mine to my tank, within about a half an hour to an hour they began extending, open all day, and closes sometimes at night, i do see some out at night though.

 

[Arkayne]

Mine will close up completely 3 minutes after the lights go out. However, I find it funny that I have 1 or 2 that stays open until 1ish. They must like the moonlight.

 

[JPagliai]

Star polyps are nice polyps to have and its really easy to keep them a manageable size. To keep mine in place until they adhere to the rock, I use a small rubberband or piece of thread to tie them to a rock. They usually attach within a week or two and then I'll cut the bands. In my experience, you won't see much polyp extension until the mat adheres to something.

 

[drummereef]

NO, don't throw it away findgnemo! The purple mat that looks like rubber is what they grow from. Over time you'll see that mat get larger and larger. The 'bubbles', as you called it, are where the green polyps come out. Right now they are closed up. It's normals for a coral to do this as they acclimate to your tank. Give them some time and they should come out.

 

[findgnemo]

cool....i'll wait a couple weeks and see what happens. thanks

 

[swamp]

Nemo---
Hope you don't mind my asking a related question. My green star polyps went through a cycle where they died off and came back to where yours are, but instead of green, I've got white polyps now. Freaky! Any thoughts?