Description

🌿 Green Star Polyp (GSP) — Description

Green Star Polyps (Pachyclavularia / Briareum spp.) are one of the most popular and recognizable soft corals in the reef hobby, prized for their bright color and constant movement.

Key features:

• Color: Neon to bright green polyps extending from a purple, brown, or encrusting mat

• Polyps: Long, feathery tentacles that sway beautifully in the current

• Growth form: Fast-spreading encrusting coral that can cover rock, back walls, and overflow boxes

• Visual effect: Creates a “waving grass” or “underwater lawn” look when fully extended

When happy, GSP stays open most of the day and adds vibrant motion to any reef tank.

🌊 Care Level

Very easy — excellent for beginners.

🧪 Water Requirements

• Temperature: 75–79°F

• Salinity: 1.024–1.026

• pH: 8.1–8.4

• Alkalinity: 8–10 dKH

• Nutrients: Tolerates a wide range; often thrives in slightly “dirty” water

💡 Lighting

• Low to moderate light

• Adapts well to higher light if acclimated slowly

• Too much light may cause polyps to stay closed

🌬 Flow

• Moderate to strong, indirect flow

• Good flow keeps polyps clean and fully extended

🪸 Placement Tips

• Best placed on isolated rock islands

• Avoid placing near slow-growing corals—it can overgrow neighbors

• Excellent choice for back walls or overflow covers

🍽 Feeding

• Photosynthetic (zooxanthellae)

• Does not require direct feeding

• Benefits from occasional broadcast feeding (reef roids, phyto, etc.)

⚠️ Special Notes

• Extremely fast grower—plan containment

• Can close up for days during shedding or after handling

• Fully reef safe, but aggressive via overgrowth, not stings