question about pollyp size

[chrisdaphish]

hi... i konw zoas and paly are different things... but it seems like some ZOOS are smaller than normal sized zoos.. im not really sure how to explainit..but normally i see zoos about a pencil eraser size...but then othertimes. i see thesame color more zoos much smaller... i used to think they were jsut.. baby zoos.. the otherday i saw a whole colony of mean greanzoos... just miniture pollyps... tewhole colony was the smaller pollypsize.. none were even really close to t he pencil eraser size.. anyways i hope i dont sound dumb and other people understand what im saying..anyways.. whats the differnece between these zoos.. is one healthier?! does one grow faster?! or does.. it jsut not matter... haah iudnno thanks for ur hlep

 

[loyalty]

i've noticed that too. i have some pinks that have polyps almost as big as dimes, and others like pencil erasers. i've also noticed that (in my tank) smaller polyped zoos grow faster

 

[ficklefins]

Good info here that should answer your question.

http://www.extremereef.com/modules....ile=article&sid=1&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

If you are asking why the same zoanthid can differ in polyp size then that would be a different question. I have found that it is do to lighting.

 

[bobafett]

I have purchased colonies in the past that were packed pretty tight and the polyps were about 1/8" in diameter. When I fragged them and they had more room to spread out they grew to about the standard 1/4" diameter size.

 

[chrisdaphish]

okay.. so another question is.. if i got 1/8th inch pollyp zoos.. should i/ could i expect them to become the standard sized zoos'?

 

[gflat65]

Not necessarily. Some are just smaller than others. I have some (I think they are called Vols or Vols Orange on zoaid) that are small in every picture I've seen them in. I have some larger polyped meanie greenies and some smaller polyped ones in the same location in the tank. I've not had the larger polyped ones very long (just over a month), but I do expect them to shrink up because of lighting (mixed tank with 250W DE's and VHO's). Some will get larger/smaller, some are just that size.