stalk length question

[tslabaugh]

What makes zoo's stalks long?

I have a 14k 400W MH over my 58g and most of my zoo's tend to have long stalks. Why is this?

 

[LoudProudNPunk]

i hear its from wanting light, but doesnt sound like thats your case

 

[MTB]

I have the same prob. Not as close to you in lighting intensity though. Some longer than others. I have moved some down and had them shorten up. Go figure.

 

[tslabaugh]

I started doing some research and a few sites said flow could also be a reason, but my zoos do move with the water flow so I am not sure if this is right.

I did adjust the directions of my powerheads so maybe the new growth will be shorter. I need to frag some of these long suckers.



EDIT: Speaking of it, could they be getting longer so they can out compete the other zoos around them?

 

[hexedagain]

These are long stemmed no matter where I place them in my tank.
Here is my clown hosting them, and the second pic is old, but is this original mother colony.

 

[stevemc]

I have some that really like/need bright light, and with a moving of rocks to get a fish out, some got placed lower/at an angle to the light. Those have longer stems and curve out to the light.

 

[MTB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9944011#post9944011 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tslabaugh
I started doing some research and a few sites said flow could also be a reason, but my zoos do move with the water flow so I am not sure if this is right.

I did adjust the directions of my powerheads so maybe the new growth will be shorter. I need to frag some of these long suckers.

EDIT: Speaking of it, could they be getting longer so they can out compete the other zoos around them?

Out competing other zoas is a good thought. I have some next to each other and one has extremely long stems. Maybe the other kind don't feel the need to be competitive.

I will try messin with my flow and see if there is an improvement.

 

[fload]

I had a giant piece of rock with reaching zoas and tried blasting them with more light and it didn't seem to help, I did double my flow to about 50x turnover and it reallly helped out.. Now they are a lot tighter and seem almost to have no base I really like this look a lot better

 

[fload]

I had a giant piece of rock with reaching zoas and tried blasting them with more light and it didn't seem to help, I did double my flow to about 50x turnover and it reallly helped out.. Now they are a lot tighter and seem almost to have no base I really like this look a lot better

 

[jasonj90]

when i added vho actinic supplementation to my dual 250s every single colony shrunk back down to little to no stalk!!! it made everything mad at first, but once they got used to the additional 440 watts, they seemed to appreciate the additional light!

 

[650-IS350]

Read on a lot of places, when they extend out like that, it does mean their looking for more light, trying to extend out to get more light compared to other polyps around em'....

 

[jasonj90]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9956405#post9956405 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by delsol650
Read on a lot of places, when they extend out like that, it does mean their looking for more light, trying to extend out to get more light compared to other polyps around em'....

agreed!!! :uzi:

 

[tslabaugh]

I adjusted my flow so it would hit most of my zoo's more and it seemed to help some. I am waiting on my frag tank to cycle then I am gonna frag alot of mine so they wont be having to compete with one another.

 

[Eklikewhoa]

I have been observing some colonies I gt that had long stalks and now that they are a lot closer to the light they have been slowly getting shorter.

The zoas were under MH at the store but in a taller tank and now that they are in my nano its much more light.

 

[Pinner reef]

I too agree with the lighting theory...

Here's a mother colony

And some strays that stretched an inch to get around the rock for better lighting

Though from the sounds of it, the origional poster had waay more light than me so... unless the previous owner of the frag had better than he did I don't know what the cause may be.
-pinner