Star Polyps - Green Assorted - Eight Tentacle Polyps - Encrusting Pipe Coral - Encrusting Star Polyp

Star Polyps are one of the striking corals that can evolve the look of your aquarium considerably. Quite easy to handle with not many specifications, Star Polyps are a popular choice amongst all the marine aquarium hobbyists across the board. The ensuing discussion gives you further insight on Star Polyps.

Other names: The scientific name of Star Polyps is Clavularia species. Star Polyps are also commonly known as Encrusting Polyps due to their nature of encrusting over anything that comes in their way while spreading. Waving Hand Polyps is another common name of Star Polyps. This name is derived due to the wonderful sight of Star Polyps when their polyps wave with the water movement. The Star Polyps of green variety are called Clavularia or Briareum viridis while, the silver variety of Star Polyps is called Clavularia or Briareum species.

Color: Star Polyps are generally found in two colors, green and silver.

Morphology: Star Polyps have an encrusted base of purple color with many polyps emerging from it. Each polyp is brightly colored, long, narrow and has tentacles sticking out at its tip. The polyps together form a crown like structure. The crown of polyps looks very beautiful when it sways with the water current. Star Polyps grow rapidly. New polyps emerge with the spreading base.

Breeding: Star Polyps grow and breed fast in a marine aquarium, if they get the required environmental conditions therein. They reproduce asexually through fission. Each resulting fragment grows into an individual Star Polyp.

Growth environment in your marine aquarium:

• Temperature: 72 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Specific gravity: 1.023 to 1.025.
• pH: 8.10 to 8.40.
• Illumination: Your reef aquarium containing Star Polyps should be at least moderately lit. The Clavularia species grows and breeds well in bright light.
• Water flow in the aquarium: Star Polyps require the water current in your marine aquarium to be indirect and low to moderate.
• Marine aquarium habit & habitat: Place the Star Polyps on a piece of live rock in the middle to the high level of your marine aquarium. Within one week, the Star Polyps in your reef aquarium may anchor themselves to the live rock they are placed on. Give ample space to the Star Polyps in your marine aquarium to spread themselves fully. Please note that, Star Polyps grow rapidly, at times within one week you may notice their considerable spread. They may encrust anything coming in their way while growing, be it the other hard corals in your reef tank and even zooanthids out there. Star Polyps look very beautiful when their long polyps wave with the water current. The polyps of the Clavularia species is often stung by the other corals in a marine aquarium therefore, keep it away from the other hard corals in your reef tank. Star Polyps contract or close at night. They also close or shrink when the Star Polyps get disturbed.
• Feeding & Nutrition: Star Polyps derive their nutrition through photosynthesis performed by a photosynthetic alga, zooxanthellae. The alga lives symbiotically within the Clavularia species. Therefore, Star Polyps do not require to be fed directly. Star Polyps occasionally filter feed upon brine shrimps, zooplankton and phytoplankton.

Care: Star Polyps are easy to handle and maintain. The long polyps of the Clavularia species are often stung by the other corals in a marine aquarium. The polyps may close because of this stinging. Therefore, keep Star Polyps fairly distant from the other corals in your reef tank.

FREE SHIPPING on order over $500 on all Fish, Corals, Inverts, Package Deals, and Live Reptiles excluding Live Rock, Sand, and Natural Sea Water! If order under $500 Shipping Charge will be calculated base on the actual shipping weight. All livestock orders are shipped via Next Day Air. If other shipping method is chosen we will modify the shipping method. Live Rock and Sand are ship using 2nd day service. Dry goods, Aquarium Supplies, and Reptile supplies are ship using ground service unless Specified. All livestock orders must be shipped overnight via UPS or FEDEX Priority Overnight to reduce transit time. Orders generally ship within 1-2 business shipping days. All LiveStock are shipped Wednesday and will be deliver Thursday Morning. You will receive a confirmation email with your tracking number when your order has shipped. How much is Saturday delivery? Saturday delivery must be made by special request by email or phone. Saturday delivery is an extra $26 charge. Availability In the interest of meeting your schedule, if 70% of your order is in stock, it will be shipped. Any missing items or substitutions will be marked on your order and your total will be adjusted accordingly. If you would prefer to be contacted if we are missing items, please let us know when placing your order in the comment field. However, this may delay your order. Due to the nature of our products, we cannot backorder live animals. SHIPPING AND BILLING ADDRESSES: If your shipping address is different from your credit card billing address, please make sure your card issuer has listed this shipping address as an "authorized" address. We verify all addresses with VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. Signature Required UPS generally requires a signature for delivery. You or someone authorized by you, must be present to sign for a shipment if you choose to have it delivered to your home or office. Arrive Alive Guarantee Under the following circumstances we WILL NOT be able to honor our warranty:

• Orders not received on the first delivery attempt.
• Orders not held for pick up at the FEDEX/UPS facility when temperatures are greater than 90 degrees or lower than 40 degrees.
• Orders placed during extreme weather will not be cover under our alive arrive guarenteed.
• If the weather delay a flight, or closes an airport, you live stock will be delayed. Fedex has no control over the weather, nor does Freshmarine.com.
• If your Live Stock is delay, Damaged, or Never Delivered due to severe weather condition, Fedex will not honor GUARANTEES, and therefore neither can Freshmarine.com.

FreshMarine.com only ships within the continental U.S. excludes Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico