Green Star Polyps

 Star Polyp Coral Care

Star Polyps are a common beauty that is iconic in the hobby. It is hard to find a seasoned aquarist that has not owned green star polyps (or GSP for short) at one point or another in their enjoyment of reef aquariums. They are a hardy soft coral that grows quickly in encrusting mats. They do best in strong flow as their base tends to attract algae growth. Please see below for additional care tips for Star Polyps as well as checking out our Top 5 Tips for setting up a reef.

 Location

Indo-Pacific - Islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef.

 Lighting

Green Star Polyps are not very sensitive to the intensity of lighting provided. We have kept them under the entire range of lighting from old, dim, fluorescent bulbs to metal halide and LED.

Low Light

Low light translates to about 30-50 PAR

Medium Light

Medium Light is between 50-150 PAR

High Light

High Light is anything over 150 PAR

Lighting is a loaded topic, so for a more in-depth discussion of lighting, please see our Deep Dive article.

 Water Flow

Moderate to high water movement is recommended for Green Star Polyps. These polyps require enough water flow to keep detritus from settling on them. Increased water flow also appears to speed up their growth rate.

 Feeding

Pachyclavularia relies heavily on the products of their zooxanthellae but also may feed on phytoplankton and similarly sized microfauna in the water column.

 Propagation

This genus for the most part has been propagated extensively in captivity and is an excellent candidate for aquaculture. It is reasonable to believe that a sustainable harvest can be achieved in time.

 Acclimation

Proper acclimation is extremely important considering the stress imposed on the animals by the shipping process. Please take a moment to review our Acclimation Guide.

 Photography

The images were taken with a Canon 5D mk II and 100mm macro lens under T5 Fluorescent lighting. Quite a lot goes into how we go about shooting the corals and anemones you see on Tidal Gardens. For an in-depth look at our methods, check out our comprehensive Reef Aquarium Photography FAQ.