Coral Growth - Stop/Slow Down after Fragging it or No?

[Pete polyp]

You want to frag a frag (!!) that hasn't even covered the plug it is on?

Sign of the times?

-Matt

Haha.... Yep. A colony anymore is a full plug....

 

[that Reef Guy]

You want to frag a frag (!!) that hasn't even covered the plug it is on?

Sign of the times?

-Matt

Yes.

Usually I want the Plug to be Covered but I have a Few Polyps that are growing under the Plug actually so I don't want them to get Squished.

When do you Frag your Zoanthids?

 

[that Reef Guy]

This is tough because people are saying two different things.

1. One group claims that the more Polyps you have the Faster it will Grow (This has been my Theory too). (That is why my Old Rule is wait One Year from the Date of Purchase before any Fragging if possible).
2. Another group says that when you cut them they go into "Survival Mode" and Reproduce Quickly after Fragging (They Feel the More you Frag the Better).

I have always been in Group #1 but then realized that I got 6 Polyps of Fruit Loops that were between 2 and 4 Polyps each when I got them (Shortly after the person I got them from Fragged Them). They then all hit 6-10 Polyps each Frag very very fast (Faster than any other Z or P that I have ever had). I was amazed! Then Boom they all stopped Growing. I have had no Growth for like 6 Weeks now and am Frustrated. I thought that they would keep growing and growing at that same rate.

So now Group #2's Theory of "They go into Survival Mode right after a Fragging" seems to make sense possibly.

They got cut up, grew at mock speed, then felt they were in no danger I guess, and stopped growing all together.

I need to Frag one up and see what happens.

 

[tyler1503]

So what is the "Sweet Spot"? How big should a Coral be before you begin to Frag it so that you get maximum growth and maximum Frags?

No one knows. Everyone will have an opinion, but no one is right (sorry everyone, but it's true). It's nature. Nature doesn't follow rules. Corals aren't like "oh #%^?, it's the 21st already? Time to have a baby!"
Trial and error is the only way to know, but even then it won't be definite. Take a look at how corals colour up under different conditions, frags from the same mother colony that were fragged at the same time can even colour up differently when they're only inches apart. I can only suspect the same goes for growth.
Look for the general health of the coral, not just how fast it grows.
Frags shouldn't be fragged either. If people insist on fragging, the coral should atleast be allowed to grow into a colony before being cut up and expected to survive.

 

[Pete polyp]

Why are you so concerned about having them grow faster? You will take a risk of losing every single.polyp every single time you frag. Yes a colony of 500 polyps will grow more polyps in less time compared to 5 polyps. I'm just wondering what you're trying to accomplish here

 

[tyler1503]

This is tough because people are saying two different things.

1. One group claims that the more Polyps you have the Faster it will Grow (This has been my Theory too). (That is why my Old Rule is wait One Year from the Date of Purchase before any Fragging if possible).
2. Another group says that when you cut them they go into "Survival Mode" and Reproduce Quickly after Fragging (They Feel the More you Frag the Better).

I have always been in Group #1 but then realized that I got 6 Polyps of Fruit Loops that were between 2 and 4 Polyps each when I got them (Shortly after the person I got them from Fragged Them). They then all hit 6-10 Polyps each Frag very very fast (Faster than any other Z or P that I have ever had). I was amazed! Then Boom they all stopped Growing. I have had no Growth for like 6 Weeks now and am Frustrated. I thought that they would keep growing and growing at that same rate.

So now Group #2's Theory of "They go into Survival Mode right after a Fragging" seems to make sense possibly.

They got cut up, grew at mock speed, then felt they were in no danger I guess, and stopped growing all together.

I need to Frag one up and see what happens.

No growth for 6 weeks isn't an issue. Nothing happens fast in this hobby. Just sit back and watch the tank! Have fun with it and enjoy yourself. There's no point getting frustrated because a coral isn't growing.
Some corals won't grow at all, then all of a sudden explode with growth. I have a candy cane (generally accepted as being a fast grower) that wouldn't budge at all for over a year, but then within three months it tripled in size.
Good things WILL happen if you have patience, enjoy the hobby and put a little work in.

 

[Acro]

My tank is notorious for slow growth, then a point of ridiculous growth, and back to slow growth. If it was all fast I don't think id enjoy the hobby as much! It's like getting 1 million tokens in a game instead of earning them one by one ! Lol

 

[that Reef Guy]

Why are you so concerned about having them grow faster? You will take a risk of losing every single.polyp every single time you frag. Yes a colony of 500 polyps will grow more polyps in less time compared to 5 polyps. I'm just wondering what you're trying to accomplish here

Yes, 500 Polyps will of course grow more total than a 5 Polyp Frag but I am looking for percentage growth not total Polyp Growth.

I mean if in the same period of time 500 goes to 600 and 5 goes to 7

You are getting more growth out of the 5 Polyp than the 500 Polyp (If you instead had cut the 500 into 100 Frags of 5 Polyps each you would have 700 Polyps total instead of 600 total).

 

[that Reef Guy]

My tank is notorious for slow growth, then a point of ridiculous growth, and back to slow growth. If it was all fast I don't think id enjoy the hobby as much! It's like getting 1 million tokens in a game instead of earning them one by one ! Lol

No way.

I would take the 1,00,000 tokens in the game any day.

If you were at the Casino what is more exciting getting a couple dollars here and there or winning a Million all at once.

 

[Pete polyp]

I just put them in there and let them do it's thing. If they grow slow or fast it makes no difference to me. I have some that will grow more than 1 polyp per day, and others that grew 1 polyp in the last year....

 

[reefaboo]

Months ? no way.

also depends on how you are fragging them .. if you are cutting the polyp then its more stressful both on the polyp cut and the colony but if you are just cutting the mat and break of along with the plug then its less stressful .

also every polyp is different just like with anything else ..

See I heard the opposite.

I was told that they are very very stressed from the cut and they have to focus on Healing and Not Growing.

Then they have to get used to the tank conditions again like when they move from Tank to Tank.

I was told that after you frag it then it takes months to start growing again and that concerns me.

What does everyone else think?