Fragging for fastest colonization.

[maxvan1]

Ive done this in the past, not sure if its the best way or the right way at all but it seems to work well...

My theory is that if I cut a small collony into smaller frags and glue them to a larger rock they will overtake that rock faster than if they were growing from a single point? (see pics)

Before:

Fragged:

After:

12hrs later:

Anyone have a different method of fragging for faster(est) growth?

 

[Lynnmw1208]

that looks about right. I hear if you have more than one polyp it grows much faster than just fragging one off. I can see this with mine as well. If I picked off just one it is taking forever to see a second one whereas the ones with 4 polyps grow much faster very nice frag btw

 

[Zoomadness]

+1 on that, my Dragon's eye colony were growing really slowly so I fragged about 5 polyps off and placed on an adjacent rock, now that colony has about 100 polyps in just a couple of months! Smaller colonies seem to get more nutrients and have more room for growth.

 

[turok]

+1 this is also my plan.

 

[raylost]

Nice tip! Thanks

 

[A. Grandis]

Yep, the more polyps per frag the stronger will be the frag and, most of the time, they grow faster because each polyp in the extreme of the frag has the ability to spread the colony. Basically the number of polyps reproducing, to speed the sheet, will be what what determinate the growth rate.

The frags with more polyps are stronger survivors probably because of their greater ability to use energy.

So, normally, the "one polyps deal" is not a good one at all!

I like to place the colony together, not like you've done, because it helps them to spread faster, actually.
Another reason is to avoid open area (cuts) that would be exposed for bacteria infection.

Grandis.

 

[Exxotic]

In some cases you would think that having more polyps gives you more babies growing per adult polyp but not always. I think it really depends on the type of zoanthid or paly. For instance, Rainbow palys I have made single or double polyp frags that grow very well and ill cut an entire colony into 10-15 frags and within 3 months all those frag plugs are completely covered in palys or zoas. I think some zoas palys like to be cut up smaller and they go into a survival mode. Also some others tend to do the opposite.

 

[Zoomadness]

I would agree, I had a large colony that really wasn't growing much, I fragged 5 or 6 polyps from under the rock and now they are growing like mad! It seems like they get more light/nutrients when they have less competition IMHO.

 

[ViLife]

I use to do this as well when I had my 300, it was just zoanthids, echino's and a few "named" sps. I had ridiculous growth with my zoanthids doing it this way.

 

[A. Grandis]

Hummm, I think my zoas are really the opposite of that. :worried:
All my attempts to frag less than 5 polyps at a time were weak in grow/reproduction and to attaching to the substrate.
All the ones I've got as a sheet on the rock were fast at growth/reproduction, good color and good size of polyps. That is independent of placement, species, light and flow.

Another observation in this regard is that all my larger colonies fragged attached to the rock much faster than those 3 - 6 polyps deal. Most of those smaller ones were very slow in growth and in attach to the rock. :sad1:

Just my notes...
Other people are very welcome to bring their comments here please... :worried2:

Grandis.