GSP question?

[beefandpork]

Hi

I am running a barebottom tank, I just brought some GsP on a frag disc. Is there anyway I can let this GSP run on the barebottom (kind of like grass). I have the rocks a few inches away from the from the GSP in case it runs to the rock but how do I let it run through the bottom? Would putting the frag disc on top of the eggcrate work?

any suggestions

thanks.

 

[mr_X]

i would just leave the frag disk sitting on the bottom of the tank. it will eventually spread across it.

 

[Mitchell0605]

Your not running a barebottom if you've got egg-crate. I'd get rid of the egg-crate. I know its for rockslide protection but it will hide detrius that will breakdown and cause phosphates and nitrate, eventually leading to algae. The GSP mat will act as a good crash mat anyway. They are a mat forming coral so there won't be any glass exposed.

 

[Jimbo7]

Careful, once GSP takes off, it takes over. I like the grass idea though, Would be pretty cool to mock up like a FW planted tank with all SW stuff.

 

[cabezon]

I i would scrape the frag off the disk and lay it flat on the glass. THe gsp will tell you whether it likes it there or not. I had a 4" piece a few months ago, now I have a few acres of GSP. It climbs back glass, so I dont see why it wouldnd do well on the bottom. I have a aipista living under one section of GSP however. bad bad

 

[Zer0]

Definitely agree with cabezon. I say scrape it off the frag disc as well.. unless you want a GSP covered bump there later on. If you scrape it off now and place it on the bottom of the tank, once it's ready it will take off growing, and like Jimbo said, it will take over if you don't keep it trimmed. Since this coral is a softie, and uses a mat to spread it's polyps, it should be easy to just take an exacto knife, or coral propagation tool of a similar type, and cut through the mat to your liking. Cut at the edge where the GSP almost meets the rock, don't let it grow on the rocks, and you should be fine from having it spread all over your rocks.

I know a couple people that keep their GSP's in-line with other corals. Some coral have the ability to sting other coral, so when the GSP starts to encroach, the other coral stings it, the GSP dies, and no more growing from that section. Oh.. and just because another coral stung the GSP, doesn't mean the entire GSP colony will die off.. just the small section that was stung will die off. Then regrow. And the madness begins again.

 

[capj64]

umm...what's GSP?

 

[Jimbo7]

Green Star Polyps

 

[capj64]

oh ok. love how it look though, like the xenia. gotta love it cause it spread like crazy ...so I've read.

 

[mr_X]

it's actually in the gorgonia family. an encrusting gorgonia of sorts i'm told.
very popular for the folks with a lot of real estate to cover.

 

[Zer0]

What? You sure? All the types of GSP's i've ever seen look nothing like all the gorgs i've also seen. I've never even heard of encrusting gorgonian either.. Not saying your wrong Doug.. just saying in general. But now that i look at it on google.. GSP does bare some resemblance to some of the pictures of encrusting gargonians... Petty cool. That's all news to me.

 

[mr_X]

i'm not sure of anything in this hobby...lol..one day something is called X, and then the next day it's called Y. i have read that green star polyp is part of the family gorgonia, and not a true "softy" as usually stated. have you seen encrusting gorgonians?
who knows...i also read that a pectinia coral is a small polyp scleractinian.



http://www.google.com/images?q=encr...tle&resnum=1&ved=0CCMQsAQwAA&biw=1672&bih=852

 

[beefandpork]

Hi

thanks for all the great reply, I just scrape it off and left it on the bottom so I guess it can hang on glass. I definely will trim it.

I don't have a eggcrate but I was thinking of putting it on the barebottom so it has something to hang on but i guess is not necessary.

Again thanks

 

[Mitchell0605]

No worries. Hope it takes off!