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Great point Who Dah.... When I frag zoas, typically I am taking them off of acrylic or tile.
When fragging polyps off of live rock, It is very important that you at least try to shave some of the rock with it like WhoDah suggests.
I have been working on a new method the past few months making very thin discs with plumbers putty. That way you can easly cut through the polyps and through the hardened putty like hot butter. That way you can glue the new frags down and not have any glue touching the actual polyp. I have been experimenting with using just plain plumbers putty discs as well as discs that I have been "coating" with aragonite. After using the acrylic and tile for a long time. I am starting to believe, and in the process of trying to confirm, that zoas actually grow faster when they are in direct contact with aragonice, coral skelotans or other calcium based material. We will see how that works.
As far as the "explosive frag growth rate". It is key that you realize this is relative. If you slow growing zoas, they are going to grow slow, that's all there is too it. However regardless of how fast they grow IME the method that I am talking about works the same.
The statement about being in 4 different peoples tanks and different zoas and different parameters and such, is missing my point all together. It's all relative. We are talking about the same zoas, same tank, same parameters, same flow.... What way are those particular zoas going to grow the fastest.
So, to answer your last question, yes, it wouldn't matter if you are gluing down loose polyps vs. a few polyps that have a thin layer of rock below it. However, it is VERY important that that it's a think layer and not like a marble size chunk. You have to consider that the polyps are going to grow quicker if they can just grow outward attatching to the plug vs. having to first grow the mat down to the plug before it starts to attach.
I am going to hold off on any more explinations or discriptions until I get at least some pictures. I feel like I am not explaining this good enough to understand easily.
-Jeremy
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