Hi chrisstie, I have yet to see a colony or polyp that will have the exact same growth rate in tank A, tank B and tank C. I have some zoas and palys which I have heard were very slow growers and they grew like weds in my tank. On the other hand, I have had zoas and palys which I was told were the fastest growers they'd ever seen, yet they grew at a snails pace in my tank. I have never read, seen, not witnessed any concrete information that growth would be duplicated in every tank. In 15 years of zoas keeping, propagation and trying to prove anything that has interested me as it relates to zoas and palys, I have yet to reproduce the same rate of growth.
What I do know is this. Stable parameters that seldom if ever fluctuate dramatically, water quality, good current and descent lighting, ( doesn't have to be MH's BTW ), will yield the best growth and reproduction that I have ever seen. The great debate continues on whether or not feeding is a necessity. Some have said that they never see their polyps exhibiting a prey/capture response. That's true, there might not be any visible signs, but does that mean they aren't feeding? I believe that it has been proven that zoas do feed since they have a gastral intestinal tract, however lighting is also proven to be their main source of nutritional uptake. External feeding should be a secondary source of nutrition. Good lighting alone along with the above condition will do the job adequately. Adding a food source once or twice a week marginally won't hurt a bit. I would use caution when it comes to the type of food you add. There are food sources on the market which you shouldn't feed.
I would work towards creating a mature, stable Eco system with medium to strong current and a good light source. I pay close attention to my weekly additions of vitamins and ammino acids. I hope this helps as I didn't mean to go overboard.
Mucho Reef
