Green Star Polyp (AC)
A glowing neon lawn on a purple mat — instant motion, instant color.
Green star polyp is the fastest way to add a living, waving carpet of neon green to a reef. Bright polyps emerge from a distinctive purple encrusting mat and open fully within days of placement. Extremely hardy, extremely forgiving, and one of the best corals for a young system. Aquacultured, tank-adapted, and pest-free.
What it needs to thrive
- Lighting
- Low to high — 50–200 PAR. Thrives almost anywhere in the tank.
- Flow
- Moderate to strong. Strong flow keeps the mat clean and the polyps waving.
- Feeding
- Fully photosynthetic. No target feeding required.
- Temperament
- Peaceful but highly invasive — encrusts over rock and neighboring corals.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Ideal Tank Size
- 5 gallons and up.
- Water Parameters
- SG 1.025 · Temp 78°F · Alk 8.0–9.0 dKH · Ca 420–440 ppm · Mg 1350–1400 ppm · NO₃ 2–10 ppm · PO₄ 0.03–0.10 ppm
Back wall, overflow box, or an isolated island rock. GSP will encrust across anything it touches — keep it off your main aquascape unless you want it everywhere.
Does not sting, but it is one of the most invasive corals in the hobby. Isolate on a dedicated rock or the back wall with a clear sand gap, and trim the mat edge whenever it approaches other corals.
Quarantine, dip, and acclimation
Quarantine
Hold all new fish in a bare-bottom 10–20 gallon QT for a minimum of 4 weeks. Observe for flashing, clamped fins, white spots, or breathing changes. Treat preventatively with copper (1.75–2.5 ppm chelated) or tank-transfer method for ich, plus a praziquantel course for flukes. Invertebrates and corals skip QT but go through dip and observation instead.
Recommended coral dip
For every new coral: a 5–10 minute bath in your reef-safe dip of choice (Bayer Complete, CoralRx, or Reef Primer) following label dosage, followed by two clean saltwater rinses. Inspect plugs and bases for flatworms, pyramid snails, and eggs — remove or refrag onto clean plugs before placing in display.
Acclimation
Float sealed bags in your QT or display for 15 minutes to match temperature. Then drip acclimate at 2–4 drops per second for 45–60 minutes until volume has tripled. Net livestock into the tank — never pour shipping water in. Dim the lights for the first 24 hours to reduce stress.