Skirts getting longer...what does that mean?

hot4teacher · #1 08/24/2006, 05:55 AM

Here are the zoos in question:

They are located 3" below the surface, on the right side of the 65g tank, under 384w of PC.

What is happening is the polyps on the right side of the colony (in less light and receiving more flow) have skirts that are getting pretty long. When the lights come on in the morning, they "look" shorter, but over the course of the day, they look like the skirts are getting longer and flowing more freely in the current.

This pic is from June, and the skirts on most look considerably longer now.

Lil' help would be much obliged!

Dana

Mr. Ugly · #2 08/24/2006, 08:46 AM

It's a sign of healthy growth and you can see it when the zoas are happy with light, flow, and water conditions.

smp · #3 08/24/2006, 09:02 AM

You think so?
i think the opposite. Long skirts aren't necessary healthy or unhealthy in my opinion, but they are indicative of something, not sure what but I would like to kow. Personally, I don't like long skirts.
I like my zoos to look small, tight and bright. At least, the wild colonies that I've bought that looked that way originally.

cardgenius · #4 08/24/2006, 09:24 AM

I would say it might be that there is not enought light and maybe too much flow. They do look heathy, but could use more of an intense light source. You might think about upgrading to MH or T5.

smp · #5 08/24/2006, 09:42 AM

Yup, I actually have the same zoos and I've thought it was lighting and flow as well .. not so sure about flow, but I think lighting definitely has something to do with it.
I originally had mine under PCs as well .. they are under 175 watt halide now, but it's still not enough. Most of my other zoos are fine but many of them have long skirts. It could be a water quality issue as well.
My alk, calcium etc are good, but I do have some hair algae so nutrients in the water is an issue. I am running rowaphos in a reactor though but I have slacked on water changes :\

goda · #6 08/24/2006, 01:31 PM

when skirts get longer usualy it means people are stating to have some morals once again....

ohh were talking coral here... no clue

hot4teacher · #7 08/26/2006, 01:05 AM

Have we gotten a definitive answer to this?

I have 384w of PC, but looking to change over to 324 T5 w/ individual reflectors.

Hoping a couple others chime in if it is a good or bad sign.

Dana

chris2222000 · #8 08/26/2006, 09:15 AM

I believe it has alot to do with flow. I have plenty of flow in my tank and notice where there is more flow the skirts are longer. I run 250 mh's so I dont believe (in my case) its lack of lighting.

Brock Fluharty · #9 08/26/2006, 09:48 AM

IME, it is flow. I bought a wild colony of blues, fragged it in half, and put one frag in direct flow, and the other frag in indirect flow, but both of them are at the same height in my aquarium. The one in direct flow has veeeery long skirts, and the ones in indirect flow, are, as you say, tight, and plump looking.

On the one in direct flow, I have had him there for about 2 weeks now, and it has already grown about 3 polyps.

BTW, I don't feed my zoas.

Brock

organism · #10 08/26/2006, 03:58 PM

in my opinion it's from lack of light, as they stretch out more to absorb more of the low light present, in higher lighting they probably won't have such long skirts, and fuller colors

Brock Fluharty · #11 08/26/2006, 05:12 PM

I have T5's and mine do it.

mschriskim · #12 08/26/2006, 08:32 PM

I would say flow as I noticed ones with more flow area gets longer skirts than ones with less flow.

When there is not enough light zoa stalk(?) gets long (Like base of zoa gets long) - But I do have few morphs which are tall even with good enough light.

Brock Fluharty · #13 08/26/2006, 08:48 PM

Me too. I have some that look like the eagle eyes, and they have long stalks. I hate the long stalks...

K-Dubbs · #14 08/27/2006, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by smp
Personally, I don't like long skirts.
I like my zoos to look small, tight and bright.

I agree, I like my zoas like I like my women!

could resist...

GobyJohnKenobi · #15 08/28/2006, 12:37 AM

Must stop...thinking about....SKIRT....must....stop.....

So does anyone else think that longer skirts are produced by zoos located in greater flow to increase their capacity to capture the greater amounts of prey in the flow or to make it easier for them to capture faster moving prey?

Just another thought about skirt... must.....stop.....

K-Dubbs · #16 08/28/2006, 01:41 AM

I like my zoas like I like my women... short skirts, small, tight, and bright... haha pickup line anyone?

johnanddawn · #17 08/28/2006, 05:46 AM

i too believe that flow has the greatest impact on skirt length. i have zoas in my sps nano with a ton of (variable) flow and they have longer skirts then the same colonies in my 125 were they get less flow. that being said though i'm not sure one can totally eliminate the influence of light/nutrients in the equation - it seems not to be a direct "if you do this, then that will happen" problem. all the paramters probably enter the in somewhat, but i do not believe one is healthier or better then the other. both the long skirted and short skirted zoas do well for me
here is two pics one before being placed in the high flow tank and one a few months after:

K-Dubbs · #18 08/28/2006, 01:58 PM

So if higher flow plays a part in longer skirts, can we make any inferences on why this happens? Do the skirts help to take up nutrients? Does higher flow mean there is less time to absorb nutrients passing over them, so to compensate they lengthen the skirts for more zoanthid to water surface time?

Just curious

hot4teacher · #19 08/29/2006, 04:22 AM

Video from today (15.6mb - best to "Save Target As"):

http://www.backyardbullet.com/longskirtzoo.AVI

Picture from today:

Too much flow?

Dana

hot4teacher · #20 08/29/2006, 04:29 AM

Here is a pic of some wild zoos that all had the same skirt length when I got them, however now the red zoos have long skirts and the green zoos maintained the short skirts.

Dana

Dastank · #21 08/29/2006, 11:38 PM

Well, considering that I gave you that last frag and still have some in my tank that are short and tight, I have to concur with what was said earlier. Taking into account that I use natural water, T5s, and have less direct flow it probably has to do with flow, water quality, and lighting.

Hope that clears it all up for you Dana!

hot4teacher · #22 08/30/2006, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dastank
Well, considering that I gave you that last frag and still have some in my tank that are short and tight, I have to concur with what was said earlier. Taking into account that I use natural water, T5s, and have less direct flow it probably has to do with flow, water quality, and lighting.

Hope that clears it all up for you Dana!

You are a tremendous help Mike. I don't know where I would be without you.

Seriously, why are the reds extending and the greens short and tight?

Dastank · #23 08/30/2006, 05:25 AM

Ok, Here's the same zoos in my tank:

After looking at your video, you do seem to have more flow on yours... Are you trying to blow them off that rock or something?

Dastank · #24 08/30/2006, 05:28 AM

I would be more concerned about the color of those things!!! What do you have over them a LAMP!!!!

JK Dana

I wonder if that color is the difference between T5s and PCs?

familyreefer · #25 08/31/2006, 10:06 AM

I vote for flow as well. I have had one colony in my tank for 3 years and all was well. No changes. When I added the modded maxijet 1200 the skirts took off and tripled in length. No other changes were made other than the powerhead mod.