zoas not opening

[mazon56]

 

[mazon56]

 

[mazon56]

sorry for the candy canes even though idk if they are doing good.

 

[XSharkboyX]

I frag too often for that to be practical. In other words, I'll take the loss over the clutter and the inability to make frags as frequently as I want.

Wait a min... I guess I missed something... What happened to the days when we cared about our corals, and not about the potential frags?

I'm not particularly obsessive about stability, even though it helps that I have an extremely large system.

Stability is what a reef tank is all about... It mind as well be its middle name... If you don't have stability, you have nothing....

 

[RonMidtownStomp]

Let's be entirely clear. It's a rare day when I lose a zoa frag. If I make four 2-polyp frags of my Capt Americas (for instance) I'm pretty much guaranteed to have four 2-polyp frags of Capt Americas a week later. I'm just saying that you don't need to be overly obsessive to be successful at fragging corals. Furthermore, who's to say that putting them in more light is stressful for them? They seem to react extremely well, stay very healthy, and grow almost immediately. How do you know that they would prefer being in the dark for 3 days? Wouldn't that be more likely to cause them to not heal since they're essentially not eating?

Plus, Sharkboy, the mother colony's not at risk. It goes back in it's place. I can't remember losing a mother colony due to fragging. And if you're serious about not being into small frags or high end corals that fetch a high price, then we are participating in different hobbies.

I also believe that from a propagation standpoint that my frequently fragged corals grow faster and if trimmed intelligently SPS especially can be healthier. My PPE's hadn't grown noticably for months. I made three frags from them and now I'm getting new polyps. All of the frags were fine.

As far as stability I send off once a month for lab water tests and my water conditions are consistently excellent. I do 50 gallons/week minimum of water changes. I run a good CaRx, a very good skimmer with a very good skimmer pump, I have tremendous amounts of flow in all of the tanks in the system, I have a generator and battery backup in case of power outages. I have a good heater in the "winter" and a good chiller in the summer that doesn't come on very much. I allow for a significant amount of temperature swing. I don't sweat anything over 72 or anything under 83 degrees.

 

[RonMidtownStomp]

@OP I've had zoa colonies crash when moved to a new system. In my experience frags do better than colonies.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

thanks alot man that was really helpful. im gonna try a reef dip n see if that helps. how can you know if you have stray voltage and how do you fix that? thank again mucho

Take a peek at this thread

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1982254

Then alternate unplugging each tank component and test. The meter will tell you which is leaching stray voltage. Good Luck.


Mucho Reef

 

[mazon56]

So what should I do mucho with these zoas

 

[XSharkboyX]

If I make four 2-polyp frags of my Capt Americas (for instance) I'm pretty much guaranteed to have four 2-polyp frags of Capt Americas a week later.

I dont know what you are talking about here, im assuming a zoa or paly (I am not into all the designer names), but thats great that they heal and polyp loss is prevented...

I'm just saying that you don't need to be overly obsessive to be successful at fragging corals.

Your absolutely right, nearly anyone can be successful at fragging these days, all it takes is a razor blade and some super glue. However, if you want 100% of your fragmented corals to make it, certain precautions must be made to achieve this.

Furthermore, who's to say that putting them in more light is stressful for them?

Just about any coral book will tell you that too much light stresses corals... Its a no brainer.

Wouldn't that be more likely to cause them to not heal since they're essentially not eating?

Think of it in terms of you being sick... The only thing that helps you achieve great health again is rest. Polyps dont need light 24/7 to feed. They feed in the dark just as much as they do in the light. Again, most coral books would describe their feeding habits.

Plus, Sharkboy, the mother colony's not at risk. It goes back in it's place.

Most times in more recent years we see people fragging frags, not mother colonies. A mother colony doesnt consist of 10-25 polyps, it consists of hundreds-thousands of polyps. So if the mother "frag" is too small, then yes it is at risk when being sliced and diced.

And if you're serious about not being into small frags or high end corals that fetch a high price, then we are participating in different hobbies.

Your right on here. There seems to be a great divide in the hobby these days, some people are still into reefing... Others are into collecting designer named frags.

As far as stability I send off once a month for lab water tests and my water conditions are consistently excellent. I do 50 gallons/week minimum of water changes. I run a good CaRx, a very good skimmer with a very good skimmer pump, I have tremendous amounts of flow in all of the tanks in the system, I have a generator and battery backup in case of power outages. I have a good heater in the "winter" and a good chiller in the summer that doesn't come on very much. I allow for a significant amount of temperature swing. I don't sweat anything over 72 or anything under 83 degrees.

Not sure what you are trying to prove here, but reefing is about so much more than the best equipment, and tremendous amounts of flow... I am also not sure why you would want a significant temperature swing. Are you speaking of a daily swing? Its unnatural to most corals to experience a regular temp swing of 11 degrees... In fact I am astounded you would practice that. Thats a pretty basic concept about keeping reef tanks. Temperature stability is exceptionally important in maintaining the health of fish and corals alike.

 

[RonMidtownStomp]

I have large zoanthid colonies and large SPS colonies in the display tank. I have frags that are set aside for growing out into colonies in the display tank and I have frags for propagation in the frag tank. Since zoas and palys colonize well and are easy to trade in small frags, and are hardy that way, I find small zoa frags to be ideal.

Your assumption that people who collect named corals are not reefers is particularly arrogant and annoying. It's a hobby. Do what you enjoy. My point is that certain things are very important and a lot of people like to overemphasize things that are insignificant in my experience, and I make a lot of frags and do a fair amount of trading.

 

[XSharkboyX]

Your assumption that people who collect named corals are not reefers is particularly arrogant and annoying.

Well brother, from my experience, people who are into collecting the latest and greatest fad of named corals are in it to sell high dollar frags... Nothing more, nothing less... I do not consider that reefing, thats called collecting and price gouging. The people who defend it, are usually in on it. :eek2:

My point is that certain things are very important and a lot of people like to overemphasize things that are insignificant in my experience

If the things you stated in your post about high dollar equipment, massive amounts of flow, and an eleven degree temperature swing are of vast importance to you, then what would you consider insignificant? We allready know you don't consider the practices Mucho posted to be a significant practice, so please inform us what it is exactly that is so overemphasized in the hobby today?

I make a lot of frags and do a fair amount of trading.

You stated that you make alot of frags, but only do a fair amount of trading... So what happens to the rest? Are these the frags that you dont mind losing in the process of placing the frags in massive amounts of light?

 

[RonMidtownStomp]

I'm sorry your experience with those who collect corals is so misleading. Almost every RC TOTM is full of those named high dollar corals. All of those members who's tanks are displayed are clearly excellent reefers. Here are some shots of my mother colonies:

I don't appear to have any good zoa colony shots handy, but I have those, too.

 

[XSharkboyX]

Thanks for posting pictures, I guess... I am just wondering why you dodged my questions two times in a row now. The first time you called me arogant, which I kindly dismissed. The second, you just posted random pictures of some stony corals...

I apologize to the op, I did not mean for your thread to be derailed... I hope your questions have been answered my friend. How about an update on your polyps?

 

[popwin]

The yellow ones seems will get through.