Reef Discussion

[daniel]

Hey guys, need a few questions answered,
1- how long would it take for zoas to cover a frag plug? About the size of a 10c coin.
Also number 2
2- I have a few zoa frags that I want to glue onto a rock so it covers the whole rock over time, but I want to no should I take the zoas off the rock of leave them on the frag plug but snap the end off of the plug, this way once the zoas grow it will make like a mound and give it more shape this is where I want to put them

on the right of the white frogspawn the rock along the bottom that goes under the ledge

 

[firebird]

1) hard to answer-some zoas are fast growing and others take forever-depends what you've got
2) I HATE the look of frag plugs so I do remove my zoas off them if i can and stick them directly onto LR. otherwise the idea you've got of breaking the end of the plug off is a good one

 

[chimaera]

firebird said it well. Impossible to answer the first, and I would never permanently stick a plug or tile in my tank, even if there was a chance of it getting overgrown. Chances are if it does, it will take a year or more ... during which time you have an ugly white frag plug in your tank.

If it is too tricky to stick directly to the live rock, find some base rock, make a nicely shaped piece, stick to that and then stick the rock to your live rock.

 

[Buddy]

I fragged some of mine about 3 months ago. One type has over grown the plug and has gone off the sides while 2 other types have only grown one or two polyps. There is one more type that hasnt even grown at all and they are all next to each other on the frag rack. I fragged 3 zoas on to each plug

 

[MTG]

all zoos grow at different speeds. just be mindful of where you grow them that they don't get shaded from light they still need light to survive :P
a frag plug should be covered in a few weeks/months
depends really. i have some blues with yellow frill and they are still only frag size after 2 years+

 

[daniel]

Fark il start pulling them off later tonight and gluing them to the rock haha, I hve a patch of zoas up higher on a rock and it has trippled in 2 months, but rnt very attractive lol :( if they are higher up and getting more light will they grow quicker?

 

[MTG]

Fark il start pulling them off later tonight and gluing them to the rock haha, I hve a patch of zoas up higher on a rock and it has trippled in 2 months, but rnt very attractive lol :( if they are higher up and getting more light will they grow quicker?

with zoos i havent noticed growth pattern shifts when adding more light. i upped the par of my lights and growth has not increased.

 

[rockerpeller]

I was going to place the my zoas on a rock once they've covered the plug/tile. when they grow over the sides onto the rock, I was going to cut the plug/tile back out. Yea it'll leave a square where the plug was but, then I still have a frag I can trade later

 

[daniel]

That's a good point rocka,

 

[MTG]

I was going to place the my zoas on a rock once they've covered the plug/tile. when they grow over the sides onto the rock, I was going to cut the plug/tile back out. Yea it'll leave a square where the plug was but, then I still have a frag I can trade later

exactly what i do. the zoos grow back over the hole in a few weeks anyway

 

[webber555]

I don't know if it is a coincidence - my pink ringed zoas grow the fastest and those are the ones I'm experimenting target feeding. Maybe feeding them will up the growth rate...

 

[rockerpeller]

I don't know if it is a coincidence - my pink ringed zoas grow the fastest and those are the ones I'm experimenting target feeding. Maybe feeding them will up the growth rate...

Like you I've also noticed that target feeding helps with growth.

 

[dmck]

when you take them off the plugs you can slip a knife under the zoa body and just re-glue it to the rock.

I find that they will grow faster on a larger rock than on the frag plug. but that might just be flow/light placement.


Ive got a few that i fragged off larger rocks and put some onto plugs and some onto a shelf rock i have in hte middle of my tank.

the ones on the shelf have gone from about 5 polyps to about 15 and the ones on the plugs may not have changed too much at all (one or 2 more polyps)

these ones are the orange fringe ones that you got off me too.

 

[daniel]

thanks guys, will start targetfeeding them, dmck i took them all off the plug and glued them all onto one shell il put up a photo later once they all open up, it looks quite nice

 

[daniel]

Here is my creation half opened

 

[rockerpeller]

Its a good idea but what I'd be worried about is "choking" the slower growing zoos as the faster growing zoos grow around them

 

[daniel]

I realized that this morning hen they opened lol, if I notice alot f growth it's on a shell so I can always get te wire cutters out and just brake it into smaller pieces

 

[dino]

Fine to stick a plug of zoas to the rockwork. You wont notice the plug after a couple of months.
Scraping them of the plug will set them back severely.

This eagle eye zoas was a frag plug 3 months ago. Grew like weeds.

 

[VaultBoy]

Nice Zoa salad!

All of my zoa frags have just been pushed up or wedged against some rock so that they can grow onto it the move the frag elsewhere... Presto 2 frags!

 

[daniel]

Looks good, wana frag some ;)