New GSP not opening

[swoop_ds]

Hello everyone,
I purchased a colony of GSP that is about 6inX4in yesterday evening. I acclimitized it for about an hour because I heard that they're tough as nails so I figured an hour would be fine. I also got some sort of xenia sp. and did the same with it.

The GSP's polyps all stayed retracted for an hour or so and then maybe 15% of them 'kinda' came out of their calyx but not fully. Once the lights went out (about 2 hours later) they retracted again. It's now the next day and the lights have been on for 3 hours and none of them have came out. The xenia is similar but they can't seem to be able to go into their calyxs so they're just really small...

My params are as follows:
Am/nitrite/nitrate - 0
Phos - 0 as far as my test kit says anyways
calc - 420
kh - 7
ph - 8.4
lighting - 260 watt pc in a 55 gallon, GSP is 3/4 of the way up
flow around GSP - moderate
other corals - xenia, fuzzy mushroom, other mushrooms

I know these things are tough so I'm not too worried, has this happened to a lot of people when they put them in their tank? Thanks,
-Dave

 

[graveyardworm]

Acclimation time may depend more on how closely your water matches the water it was previously housed in. I wouldnt rely on the hardiness of a particular coral to determine length of acclimation. Anyway an hour was probably long enough. mine were a little slow to open as well it has actually taken close to a year before they really started to grow. Yours should show better expansion within a couple days.

 

[RokleM]

GSP is a weird coral. It may take 3-4 days for them to open. At some point in the future, they will close for an extended period (from 1-6 days). You will then see a huge growth spurt afterwards.

Unless you see some sort of "decay", don't be worried about your GSP. It's likely that if you nuke or neglect your tank in the worst possible ways, GSP would be one of the last things to die off (just to give you an impression of the hardiness).

 

[Mrs.kbmdale]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7893480#post7893480 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RokleM
GSP is a weird coral. It may take 3-4 days for them to open. At some point in the future, they will close for an extended period (from 1-6 days). You will then see a huge growth spurt afterwards.

Unless you see some sort of "decay", don't be worried about your GSP. It's likely that if you nuke or neglect your tank in the worst possible ways, GSP would be one of the last things to die off (just to give you an impression of the hardiness).

SO TRUE! Mine have stayed closed for 3weeks at a time, then came back bigger and fuller than ever!

Good Luck and Happy Reefing!
Brianna:rollface:

 

[ek9vboi]

I think if different for everyone when they get corals and put them into their tanks. When people say "my coral open right away" or a few days later, thats just reference.

 

[returnofsid]

My GSP took almost a week to open. That was several months ago. Even now, the slightest thing can disturb them at times and they'll close up for a day or so. Other times, it seems nothing could possibly disturb them. Strange creatures...lol.

 

[RocketSeason]

Mine have been in my tank for 3 days now. All was well at first, but This morning they were closed tight. I am assuming I have nothing to be worrying about just yet.

-Matt

 

[returnofsid]

Nothing at all to worry about. GSP are very much like a cat. They are seen when they wanna be seen!! lol. Stuck up corals!!!

 

[IndyMatt]

Same here once they get acclimated to your tank they will stay more open. Mine have started to really take off! I got three pieces nickel, quarter, and fifty scent piece sizes. All three have grown about 25% in about 5 weeks. Awesome corals under actinics!

 

[returnofsid]

Speaking of GSP, when I recently set up a 10 gal quarinteen tank, I added a couple smaller pieces of live rock from my 46 gal to it. It just has an incadescent hood with those curly compact flourescent replacement bulbs in it. The lights aren't on all that much. Last night, I noticed GSP growing on one lump of rock!!! That particular rock was no where near my large GSP rock in the main tank. Hmmm, thinking that rock will have to go in my 29 when I am done with the hyposalinity!!

 

[corivus]

I had the same issue with mine when I first got it, and now all the polyps are opening up every day, I'd say give them time

 

[Pisces23]

When I first got my GSP a coupel months ago it took them about 6 hrs to open up the first day in the tank. Since then they've been consistently opening up and spreading quite well. I've actually got my first 2 frags!
But yesterday, I noticed that the main colony didn't look so hot. It just seemed weaker than usual. The tentacles didn't seem to be extending as fully. And this morning before the lights came on, I saw that part of the mat is a darker color than the rest and the polyps in that area are not opening. I think i can even see a tentacle that has come off the polyp. The frags elsewhere in the tank seem to be doing fine. I hope this is just one of its "mood swings." Any suggestions?

 

[taku]

Mine open all the time after the lights come on. I've never had them remain closed for any "daylight" hours. I've had them for almost 5 years in my tank (and they've grown and stung plenty of my corals!).

Anyways what sort of lighting are you using? because mine won't open unless the halides are on...

 

[dchan928]

I got a GSP frag about couple weeks ago and it took 3 or 4 days to open. They are doing pretty well and open up everyday when the lights go on, but the tentacles are not as long as when it was in the previous owners tank. Hope they will grow and spread out a little more...

 

[Ursus]

I recently got a colony of GSP and acclimated it for one hour. Opened up the same day, but did not fully open the next day. Now it opens fully and I can already see new polyps sprouting up. Just give it some time to settle into its new home.

 

[r00onmac]

i drop all of my corals directly into my tank,,, my gsp was no different...

open in an hour... closed for a week or so somewhere in between and back to normal and spreading like wild fire...