Pied Piper out of control

[Riderc82]

So what does one do with this much Pied Piper? It's hard to get an idea of how big this piece of rock is but as you can see it is about a half inch from the front glass and 2 inches from the back glass in a 90 gallon aquarium.  The rock is quite a bit bigged than a basketball.  Should I frag the whole rock and sell it or try to sell the rock as a whole.

[MechanicalEngineer]

Is that Pipe Organ Coral?  It looks like green star polyps, but maybe it's just my eyes. 

If it's "Pied Piper" pipe organ coral, it is pretty easy to frag...in fact usually too easy.  It always grew well for me...too well.  It's not common at most aquarium stores since it gets damage during shipping since it's so fragile.  Usually you'll get something decent in store credit for it.

If it's green star polyps...good luck.  Find a newbie.   

[Joel]

that is not pipe organ, it's green star polyps.

Typically you can peel the purple colored skin off the rock and not damage the coral. The removed skin can be attached to other rock and be sold (or given away) as a starter frag.

Joel

[MechanicalEngineer]

I always heard of pipe organ referred to as the "Pied Piper" coral ...never as a name for GSP. 

[Riderc82]

It doesn't look like the typical green with white center GSP that I see, I found someone on RC a while back that was selling it.  Here is a picture of his/hers that was taken off of RC mine looks exactly the same. 

[Joel]

that second picture appears to be pipe organ coral.

Notice that the polyps are longer and for lack of better term, "fuzzy" almost like a small anthellia. Pipe organ has a distinct red tube that each polyp comes out of. It is a hard tube that is very brittle

Green Star polyps have a purple mat or skin that the polyps come out of that will encrust what ever it is on or is near.

[Riderc82]

So are there different varieties of GSP then?  I should of brought in a piece when last week when I bought the tube anemone.  I wish I had a better camera.  It does have the purple mat

[verper]

So are there different varieties of GSP then?

I have seen several different looking GSP.  White centers, pink centers, green centers, turquouise coloration (instead of green), thick and thin mats of it.  So yes, there are different ones out there.

[MechanicalEngineer]

Yes, I have two different species in my tank.  One species doesn't grow well...is fuzzy...and is a light green/brown.  The other species grows insanely well...is highlighter green, and isn't really fuzzy.  They have different centers as well.

Since we've established it's GSP, your best bet is to chisel pieces off...and sell/give to newbies (or other people that may still want it.) 

[Riderc82]

I have about twenty frags because while it was growing I would put small pieces of live rock on it so I could trade it on down the road, it's pretty cool looking but I think I would rather have another tall rock structure in it's place.  All I can say is this stuff is definitely less invasive than the anthelia.  Looks like I'l have to wait till the Fiance is gone for a day or two to tackle the anthelia's wonderful aroma.

[Charlie]

Alot of people do not realize that star polyps are very agressive and noxious. I would not combine in small water volumes with SPS.

[MechanicalEngineer]

Alot of people do not realize that star polyps are very agressive and noxious. I would not combine in small water volumes with SPS.

Whoa!  Howdy there stranger!!!

[Charlie]

Starting to get back into the groove of things - have had a few health issues.  Now all I have to do is play catch up  :*)

[Riderc82]

I've heard that star polyps and anthelia (or various other soft corals) can released chemicals that can harm SPS corals but I've never had any problems my anthelia has been touching one of my monti's for about a month and it looks great.  Yesterday I picked all the pieces of anthlia off of the live rock that I could with a pair of tweezers them took a clean (brand new) scrub brush and brushed the live rock right in the tank.  The smell was horrible as ever but nothing was harmed except the anthlia    I must just be lucky

[xXTheWendigoXx]

You'll want to peel the mat off around the clam, I had a friend up north who's clam's shell was taken over by star polyps. The clam seemed to be fine but it was the strangest thing I had ever seen and you really had to look to pick it out in the tank.