Star Polyp Background.

[Daniel.DWUW]

Ok, so I'm going to be setting up my new 33 gal tank once I have all my new equipment together and I've been looking at aquascape ideas, then I came across some tanks with Star Polyps attached to the glass background.
I want them in my tank but not on my rock so this is my best option, so my question is can different types/colours of Star Polyps be attached to the back and grow along side each other with out damaging each other? Or would it look messy so therefor I should stick to one colour?

 

[Fishy 1]

Interesting, do you mind posting a pic as it may be something I might try :thumbup:

 

[Daniel.DWUW]

Id post a pic, but I haven't even started setting up my tank yet (waiting for payday, lol). But this is a look I'm definitely going for

 

[Fishy 1]

Where did you see that idea ? I imagine it would look way better than a tank panel covered in algae

 

[mfinn]

I had green star polyps growing across the back of my 180 when it was setup.
It covered almost 3/4 of it.
When I setup my 240 I transferred about 1/4 of it. It started to take off pretty good until my green chromis started spawning and using different parts of the back glass.
They pretty much wiped it all out trying to keep a clean spot for spawning.

 

[Tahiti]

I've been thinking about doing this as well. I want the back of my biocube to be covered in GSP.

 

[mfinn]

so my question is can different types/colours of Star Polyps be attached to the back and grow along side each other with out damaging each other? Or would it look messy so therefor I should stick to one colour?

I have found that the brown star polyps to be much more aggressive and faster growing than the green.
IMO the green just looks cooler.
There are some electric green varieties that glow like neon under actinics.

But like any encrusting type coral, it spreads over rock and other corals, so you have to be careful to keep it only on the back wall.

I've seen this coral at the top of peoples lists of coral they had wished they had never put in their own tanks.

 

[71Percent]

I have found that the brown star polyps to be much more aggressive and faster growing than the green.

IMO the green just looks cooler.

There are some electric green varieties that glow like neon under actinics.



But like any encrusting type coral, it spreads over rock and other corals, so you have to be careful to keep it only on the back wall.



I've seen this coral at the top of peoples lists of coral they had wished they had never put in their own tanks.

I think I'm moving along in that direction. I made the rookie mistake of placing a frag of it on a big base rock. Now it is spreading to other adjoining rocks and eyeing my back glass. How do you stop it? It will be difficult to pull out the rock (pistol shrimp layer underneath it). I could chip away at it, but it would probably foul up the water pretty bad. I heard one person say he uses a blowtorch, but that sounds pretty extreme to me.

 

[mfinn]

I think I'm moving along in that direction. I made the rookie mistake of placing a frag of it on a big base rock. Now it is spreading to other adjoining rocks and eyeing my back glass. How do you stop it? It will be difficult to pull out the rock (pistol shrimp layer underneath it). I could chip away at it, but it would probably foul up the water pretty bad. I heard one person say he uses a blowtorch, but that sounds pretty extreme to me.

I used kalk paste.
I always did this at water change time.
Make up a kalk paste, layer it on the spot you want to clear ( with all powerheads and return pumps off). Leave it on for 15-20 minutes and then siphon off as much as possible.
Then do the water change.

 

[AlexRSM130]

As long as you can keep it under control it is a cool coral.
IMO I like them too growing over the back of my RSM.
I hope I can keep somehow zoanthus over there too.

 

[71Percent]

Thanks Mfinn! I will try that. Time to hold the line!