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  #101  
Old 07/19/2006, 09:25 PM
giantbicycle giantbicycle is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by FLIPbmw
To get polyps to spread over a bare rock quickly, it would be best to place a few polyps every x distance from one another. This gives the polyps room to grow and they can grow in any direction they want (360*).

If polyps are bunched up together in a close group, only the outer ring will spread leaving the inner polyps to do nothing since the space is already taken up.

Each solo polyp can grow in any direction, 2 polyps together will only limit their growth to half of the area (ie; the polyp cant grow ontop of its neighbor).

When I started fragging (Some time in march), I noticed that my frag with dense heads didn't spread as much as the 4-5 polyps that i glued on seperately to rock. The head count was pretty close, but the area didn't get bigger with the dense frag.


As long as the tissue can spread over an area quickly, new polyps will eventually grow. I believe this is a propagation technique used by people. Place the frags infront of a powerhead, the polyps will close up but with the force of the current, their tissue will follow and slowly expand. Of course you can't enjoy the polyps, but they will grow extremely fast.
This is some great info....
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  #102  
Old 10/09/2006, 09:32 PM
giantbicycle giantbicycle is offline
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Any new findings :P
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  #103  
Old 05/03/2007, 10:51 AM
NanoCube-boy NanoCube-boy is offline
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great info guys...
  #104  
Old 05/03/2007, 11:02 AM
RedSonja RedSonja is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by giantbicycle
New findings,...

It is true to my findings that moderate flow of constant random current acting on the colony of zoothids will get them to spread faster over time.but over current might result in stress and causing them not to open.
I've found this to be true also. I have an MJ 1200 mounted to an Osci-Wave, with a Hyor-Flow attached to the MJ (three gadgets! ) The Zoas that get the random moderate flow from this have new polyps at about twice the rate as those that are too far away to get the current. Dunno if that's the only factor but it's noticeable.

-Sonja
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  #105  
Old 05/04/2007, 03:20 PM
Questin Questin is offline
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First I will talk about the zoas I have that grow the most. On zoaid I would have to say they are the Riddler Zoas, and they have outgrown every other zoa in my tank by far. They also happen to be at the bottom of my tank, but I think what will follow will explain this. I ordered this frag from Blanes a few years ago and I think it had something like 8 heads, but has grown and covered an entire rock with over hundreds.

First, I think having a good surface to grow upon was key
Second, the flow from a powerhead “pushed” the zoa to go in the direction of the flow.
Third, the tank has no skimmer, so the water was “dirty”
Fourth, I never messed around with those zoas, I let them do their thing

Now on to other things I think people should think about.

- One would be something I learned about grass. Did you know that grass only grows at night? During the day all of it’s energy is used to soak up the suns rays, then at night it focuses on growing. This is something I learned from the caretaker of a golf course, and a very nice one at that. Do you think that it is possible that a longer night period could allow Zoas more time to grow, just like grass?

- Throughout this entire thread it seems that we think that fraging the mother colonies is the fastest way to get more zoas. So to me that means cutting some zoas out and putting them on a new area to grow. How about this then? Cutting the runners tissue, but leaving everything in place. If you see the mat/tissue spreading to another area, just cut it there and maybe some heads will pop out of that. I know that I have a few runners that are about an inch long of the colonies tissue, and I could easily just cut one of those. In fact I will be doing this now, but has anyone tried to do this to see if you get more heads?

- Has anyone tried different surface types? I have notices that there are areas on my reef that zoas will not grow. These are almost always porous areas in the rock. For whatever reason the zoas hate these areas and grow around it if they can, but most stop in their tracks and don’t expand anywhere else. So maybe there is an surface area that they love to grow on.

- Dirty water I think is something zoas like as well, skimmerless tanks make for happy zoas.

- Time of year, is there a best time of year?\
  #106  
Old 05/04/2007, 09:01 PM
giantbicycle giantbicycle is offline
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Questin ,thanks for the comment...

Agreed that they are same with yumas which love dirty water as they are found in valleys, low lying area.. However, i guess that your tank which you grow the zoas are only cater to thoes zoas and nothing else , Fish ,etc, if not, there goes your fish.Am i right to say that?



Well, im observing on my radioactive zoos and w/o strong current, i can see a most of them melting and lesses polyps are seen, this proves the current right..
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  #107  
Old 05/04/2007, 10:10 PM
Questin Questin is offline
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I have a lot of Zoas, a lot of rics and mushrooms, and I also have SPSs in the tank. One SPS is doing so well that is has attached itself to the glass on the back of the tank and is growing on it. About a 9 inch or so diameter area on the glass. I also have fish which include a lipstick blenny, 6 line, pygmy angelfish, and a very fat and happy purple tang that I have had for about 6 years now. There are a pair of cleaner shrimp, a couple of lettuce nudibranchs and plenty of other happy clearer crew.

I guess I dont understand why you would think I could not have fish and other coral.

Edit: Oh I forgot that there are also clams in the tank, 2 Crocea (one three inch and one four inch) 1 Squamosa that is about four inches.
  #108  
Old 05/05/2007, 06:41 AM
giantbicycle giantbicycle is offline
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Whao , and with this you are able to turn the skimmer off?

SOfties , LPS and SPS in a same tank doing well with fishes and inverts, that is one awesome tank, must have been matured ya?
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  #109  
Old 05/05/2007, 12:31 PM
Questin Questin is offline
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Its been up for years and I never really had a skimmer on it. Only a few months have I had a skimmer going on the tank.
  #110  
Old 08/04/2007, 05:43 PM
NanoCube-boy NanoCube-boy is offline
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cool thread
  #111  
Old 10/30/2007, 10:53 AM
Myrddraal Myrddraal is offline
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I'll bring this one back from the dead, does anyone have any new info that's not captured here? This is a very interesting thread so far.
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  #112  
Old 10/30/2007, 02:39 PM
WILDTHING WILDTHING is offline
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Actually I'm wondering about something I just read, someone was suggesting that NOT feeding Zoas brought out their best colors because it forced them to use their zooanthellia<--- that can't be spelled right.

Any thoughts?
  #113  
Old 11/07/2007, 03:14 AM
giantbicycle giantbicycle is offline
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Unteresting indeed.

Yes, from what my studies had made, what you said was 1 of the factors that affect the growth . But however, if you rank it in proportion as compared to current, movement, i am unsure. However , to attain fastest growth .what 1 needs is 100% the factors that affect the growth , some how which will spurt its growth, and not stunn it. I feel the more it is being moved/touched, the more growth stunn it will received and that will be a bad way to start.

For now, factors are : 1.) Current, random at all sides from the zoas,
2.) water condition , opposite from that of an SPS quality
3.) Intensity of the light. a LOW kelvin /PAR will advance growth, but colour will fade, which can be replenish with strong antinics after that.

Cheers:

Edwan
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  #114  
Old 11/09/2007, 12:03 PM
goldmaniac goldmaniac is offline
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great thread
I'm just getting started with corals, after 7-8 years of FOWLR.
I have two types of zoas and I'm (hopefully) getting another 7-8 types from an order next week, so I'm looking to get peak conditions for these guys.

I think i've unconsciously decided to have a zoa/paly-dominated tank. the variety is amazing.

Anyway, what amount of light is considered sufficient? I just tend to put everything at the top of my tank, and I currently have Armor of Gods (doing great) and some RPE's (not budding, very long stalks, poor red color), so i have a mixed bag of success.

I just replaced my 175w HQI's last night. I had 20k's, replaced them with 15k's.
In additon to the two 175 metal halides, I have two 92w PC acitinics. All of this light is part of a hood.

I think this is enough light, (is it?) but does anyone think that it's enough light for some zoa's to like mid-tank-level?

And will the 15k temp of the new bulbs be an improvement over the 20k bulbs, which have been in service for a year?

Great thread.
G.
  #115  
Old 11/10/2007, 03:13 AM
giantbicycle giantbicycle is offline
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Welcome to the thread goldmaniac . Soon you will be a zoamaniac.

Well, there is lots of discussion going around regarding the peak conditions for the best of zoa, however, since there is no proven effects for the best of zoos Currently, this thread is based on observations and sharing where one can try and maybe it can work for 1 but not another reefer. so it depends, however, to make a zoa happy, you just need its minimum requirements, to make it bloom like wild grass, its another story.

Yes, goldmaniac , the lights are suitable for the requirement of the zoas. you was saying if you want to place it in a mid-tank level, firstly, how deep is your tank? how deep is your mid-tank level? if a 5feet depth will be incomparrable with a 2feet depth.However, your 2nos of 175W Mh will be able to penetrate roughly at 2feet for maximum penetration. It will make your zoas smile.

From what you said, very long stalks RPE is an indication of them wanting more light, it might be beacuse they are obtained from places of a more penetration from light source as that compared to your tank, condition it and slowly move it higher up till it starts growing sideways. .

Again, not all zoas are fitted at the same position of the tank, this depends on the colour and the source it is from.Some will lose colour when it receive too much light while some may de-colour when it receive too less of a light.

The kelvin (K) of the light is one of the disscussion we had made earlier on, and from my observations, the lower the K, the faster it will grow, but, it will lose its intense colouration, this can be replenish with supplements of iodine and intense Antinics.( a long,long time thou). Improvement wise, its hard to judge as u could mean improvement for the tank overall look ? or for the growth of the corals, anw, a year is good to change thoes bulbs.

Cheers:
Edwan
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  #116  
Old 11/10/2007, 03:33 AM
giantbicycle giantbicycle is offline
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Any inspirational to this thread


http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=586173&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
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  #117  
Old 11/10/2007, 10:35 AM
goldmaniac goldmaniac is offline
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GiantB:

Thanks for the words - yeah, I think these zoas are great. I'll slowly move my stretching RPE's up a little bit more, meanwhile, I've found and devoured everything on the Zoanthid Information Draft - I know enough in this hobby to know that it's a good start.

My tank is 24" deep. it's a 2'x2'x4, with plenty of room for [some of] the variety out there... so the RPE's are about 8 inches from the top, I'll move them up. I'm just a little concerned that any and all zoa's will need to be at the top of the tank, where real estate is most precious. I'll test out, with as few movements as possible.

Thanks again -

Eric G.
  #118  
Old 11/10/2007, 11:13 PM
giantbicycle giantbicycle is offline
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No worries.

Looks good. Do keep this thread an update if you noticed your precious growing like wild grass after some time. You can as well add on to the disscussion of this thread, and your input will be well apreciated by many.

To the zoas.
Cheers:
Edwan
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  #119  
Old 11/10/2007, 11:20 PM
giantbicycle giantbicycle is offline
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Opps, got the website wrong.

CLICK HERE
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  #120  
Old 11/10/2007, 11:29 PM
giantbicycle giantbicycle is offline
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Do you guys notice any co-relation between KH and your zoos?
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  #121  
Old 11/11/2007, 04:29 AM
islandcreation islandcreation is offline
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Good topic. I collect zoas/palys but I generally tend to go with Palys. Why, there are many reasons. Zoas are small, unless target feeding is a daily job. Palys grab food and close up most zoas don't close up even if target feed. I see zoas being more affected by nudibranches rather than palys (thicker skin?).

For growth, I feel the main factor that I don't think anyone mentioned (I didn't read the whole thread) is the diffrence from a wild colony to a aquacultured. I have seen my devils armor aquacultured grow like crazy, then I got a colony of fire and ice (wild) take awhile to get adjusted then open up with slow growth. Their not even rare zoas and the growth rate was slower than slow. I can vouch for this numerous times. But then again I did get a colony of ked redds to produce pretty fast after being in the tank for 6 months but that was a rare scenario.
For placement, I have great luck with a good flow (meaning the heads are moving gently)! Then I target them with a mixture of cyclopeeze, mysis, and brine shrimp! Anytime I trade or sell a frag pack individuals are always talking about how big the heads are that they got. Some of my colonies palys heads are as big as a nickel. But thats based on target feeding 5 days a week.
  #122  
Old 11/11/2007, 09:11 PM
giantbicycle giantbicycle is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by islandcreation
Good topic. I collect zoas/palys but I generally tend to go with Palys. Why, there are many reasons. Zoas are small, unless target feeding is a daily job. Palys grab food and close up most zoas don't close up even if target feed. I see zoas being more affected by nudibranches rather than palys (thicker skin?).

For growth, I feel the main factor that I don't think anyone mentioned (I didn't read the whole thread) is the diffrence from a wild colony to a aquacultured. I have seen my devils armor aquacultured grow like crazy, then I got a colony of fire and ice (wild) take awhile to get adjusted then open up with slow growth. Their not even rare zoas and the growth rate was slower than slow. I can vouch for this numerous times. But then again I did get a colony of ked redds to produce pretty fast after being in the tank for 6 months but that was a rare scenario.
For placement, I have great luck with a good flow (meaning the heads are moving gently)! Then I target them with a mixture of cyclopeeze, mysis, and brine shrimp! Anytime I trade or sell a frag pack individuals are always talking about how big the heads are that they got. Some of my colonies palys heads are as big as a nickel. But thats based on target feeding 5 days a week.
Thanks for the inputs.

Its a new finding on aquaculture V.S wild, i only thought that applies to SPS. If that is true, why not the mother coloney of the wild specimen will be fragged and we aquaculture it resulting in faster growth, so the factor that spurs it to growth is agian fragging. Right? The sureface of the new rock, the space it has and such .

Gosh, a nickel. thats huge.

Target feeding, Guys , please try that .
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  #123  
Old 11/11/2007, 09:28 PM
islandcreation islandcreation is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by giantbicycle
Thanks for the inputs.

Its a new finding on aquaculture V.S wild, i only thought that applies to SPS. If that is true, why not the mother coloney of the wild specimen will be fragged and we aquaculture it resulting in faster growth, so the factor that spurs it to growth is agian fragging. Right? The sureface of the new rock, the space it has and such .

Gosh, a nickel. thats huge.

Target feeding, Guys , please try that .
Yeah, I have great feedback as a seller/trader on here and have compliments on the size of the heads. For the wild VS aquacultured... its just the fact that some colonies are harder to adjust to a repilcated environment. Fragging doesn't necesarly mean faster growth, it all pends on that particular zoa/paly. Like all of the exotic ones grow slow. I've had PPE that were snails and AOG's but then again my devils armor grow like weeds. And I guess the most exotic is the orange people eater which grow 1.5-2 heads a year? Thats what I read and heard.
  #124  
Old 11/13/2007, 09:35 AM
goldmaniac goldmaniac is offline
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well, I replaced my 175w HQI's, and my RPE's went from stretching 3/4" to the light to back down to the 1/4". the bulbs I replaced were my first metal halide bulbs, as I got my hood last year, and I was surprised just how much brighter new bulbs were.

I thought certain wavelengths wore out in old bulbs, but didn't expect the brightness to reduce so much over time. wow! the more light seems to make my little RPE's happier.

MY QUESTION:

I replaced my 20k bulbs with 15k's, not only do I not like the new wavelength, but I hear that lower temperature bulbs diminishes color, even if they encourage growth. Is that right?
I'm happy with my old acitinic PC / 20k metal halide combo, will this combo be best for color?

The RPE's I bought from a seller here at RC are much more dull and drab than the pictures I saw, i thought the 20k's just weren't showing the true red.. but maybe not. They're not much more colorful under 15k. I wanted a more balanced display of color, I thought the 20k's were too blue to show nice oranges and reds, but now I'm thinking that's not the case.

thanks,

G.

thanks,

g.
  #125  
Old 11/13/2007, 12:06 PM
islandcreation islandcreation is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by goldmaniac
well, I replaced my 175w HQI's, and my RPE's went from stretching 3/4" to the light to back down to the 1/4". the bulbs I replaced were my first metal halide bulbs, as I got my hood last year, and I was surprised just how much brighter new bulbs were.

I thought certain wavelengths wore out in old bulbs, but didn't expect the brightness to reduce so much over time. wow! the more light seems to make my little RPE's happier.

MY QUESTION:

I replaced my 20k bulbs with 15k's, not only do I not like the new wavelength, but I hear that lower temperature bulbs diminishes color, even if they encourage growth. Is that right?
I'm happy with my old acitinic PC / 20k metal halide combo, will this combo be best for color?

The RPE's I bought from a seller here at RC are much more dull and drab than the pictures I saw, i thought the 20k's just weren't showing the true red.. but maybe not. They're not much more colorful under 15k. I wanted a more balanced display of color, I thought the 20k's were too blue to show nice oranges and reds, but now I'm thinking that's not the case.

thanks,

G.

thanks,

g.


You hit it on the spot when you switched the bulbs first hand. I feel 20k's are sufficient enough to not needing PC's (most people use PC's for the actinic for both color or to slowly get their corals to acclimate to light before the halides come on). Overall, from what I witnessed along with a good amount od inidividuals are 20K's are a good choise as far as halides. But then again I have a 14K phoenix HQI which is by FAR the best balance I have seen! I have heard testing for magnesium can have an affect on the coloration of zoa/paly's if anyone knows please chim in.... Thanks
 

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