A couple questions

[Zer0]

Alright well i've got a couple questions now.

First about my fuge. From everyone's experience, what is better? To keep the fuge light on 24/7, or to keep the fuge light on when the DT tank is off. I hear that keeping it on when the DT light is off will help keep the pH balanced always. Not sure about all that..

Second, i'm going to be ordering some zoa frags within the next couple weeks, and i was just wondering if there was a way i could scrape the polyps off their frag plugs or frag rocks, so i can glue them right on to my rock structures with super glue gel. Would doing something like that damage the polyp? If so, does anyone know of any safe ways to get a polyp off it's frag rock or plug?

Oh and also, i want to feed my zoas pods occasionally, and was wondering, how am i going to catch them? lol. They're pretty quick and pretty small.. so i was thinking of some sort of trap i guess? Something like a shot glass with a cover and a little bit of food inside of it? Not enough to make my water parameters shoot up.. but just enough to attract some pods. Whatdya guys think?

 

[cmor1701d]

Fuge lights on the reverse schedule from the DT. Yes it helps keep pH stable.

Yes you can scrape them off the plugs, but zoas usually come on a piece of lr. I usually scrape my sps off the plug if the plug doesn't fit my tray during acclimation and then when I want to glue it directly to a rock.

No need to target feed zoas. They will get plenty when you feed the tank.

Once upon a time you could use the plastic 35mm film containers with some flake food and small hole drilled in the cap. Place it in a corner pointing towards the light. The pods would swim out.

 

[Ziggy953]

Alright well i've got a couple questions now.

First about my fuge. From everyone's experience, what is better? To keep the fuge light on 24/7, or to keep the fuge light on when the DT tank is off. I hear that keeping it on when the DT light is off will help keep the pH balanced always. Not sure about all that..

Second, i'm going to be ordering some zoa frags within the next couple weeks, and i was just wondering if there was a way i could scrape the polyps off their frag plugs or frag rocks, so i can glue them right on to my rock structures with super glue gel. Would doing something like that damage the polyp? If so, does anyone know of any safe ways to get a polyp off it's frag rock or plug?

Oh and also, i want to feed my zoas pods occasionally, and was wondering, how am i going to catch them? lol. They're pretty quick and pretty small.. so i was thinking of some sort of trap i guess? Something like a shot glass with a cover and a little bit of food inside of it? Not enough to make my water parameters shoot up.. but just enough to attract some pods. Whatdya guys think?

I ran my fuge lights 24/7 and used a simple daylight compact florescent energy saver bulb. I think it was a 13watt bulb something like that. Here is a pic:

Lighting a fuge depends on the type of macro you use. I had alot of different kinds of macro and to keep some of them from going sexual I kept my light on 24/7 as a result my PH remained stable and I had excellent nutrient export. Many people on here can tell you how I preached about natural filtration and the benefits of a large fuge. I haven't changed in my absence it is the best method IMO!

Be very careful when gluing zoas to anything. You only need a tiny tiny drip of superglue gel. Also be sure to wash your hands immediately after handling them if you don't wear gloves. They produce toxins that can make you a bit ill.

 

[HN1]

As for scraping and glueing the zoas.... don't. Not soon anyways. You may need to adjust their placement a few times before you find their individual "sweet spots" as far as depth and flow go.

 

[mr_X]

i like running the refugium light opposite the display if possible, for the above mentioned reasons. also, in the refugium, things reproduce, like pods and such, that are more active at night. if you don't have a night period, i think it would effect their behavior.

i would leave the zoas on plugs and let them grow off of the plugs and onto the rock, then remove the original plug and sell it.

 

[Zer0]

All pretty good suggestions and thoughts guys. Thanks for the input. I know there's no need to feed the zoas as they get all their nutrient needs from the light and whatever is in the water column. However, i think it's pretty neat that small corals like that can eat, and it would be pretty cool to watch. I'm not going to make it a habit.. i just want to see it every once in a while. Plus, i hear that feeding coral can help the coral gain nicer colors. Any truth in that? I plan to do a dosing schedule down the road.. but for now i just want everything to settle in the tank.

About the zoas, HN1, that's what i had in mind. Place them, and then once i see they're happy and they start sprouting new polyps, i'll take them off the plugs or rock and then place them in the same spot. I really don't like the ugliness of the square plugs, or pieces of rock that don't really fit in to my aquascape. That's mainly the whole reason i even ask. But yeah.. anyways, no coral yet.. so who cares. Just planing ahead.

As far as the fuge lighting.. i'm not really sure what i'll do. I mean.. i agree with mr. X about the whole pods are more active at night.. but i've seen the tank at my LFS that grows macro algae and there are TONS of pods in there and they say they run the lights 24/7. They even get intense growth there too.. the tank is a huge 75G tank basically dedicated to macro algae growth. I might go with the 24/7 lighting because i guess i'll always have something to look at haha, and because i want some serious growth on the macro in my tank. I'm assuming that having the lights on 24/7 would mean the macro is always growing... right? And i agree with you Ziggy, i like this natural way a lot. That's why i chose a fuge instead of running a skimmer and all that other stuff. But really only because i have a nano. If i had a larger tank i would definitely have two seperate tanks dedicated to skimmers and other filtration systems, and then a huge refugium tank. That would be so sick.

 

[cmor1701d]

You'll see the zoas feeding whenever you feed the tank. They will close around the food particles that touch them, so no need to target feed unless you get something that specifically needs it (sun coral, etc.)

I've run my fuge 24/7 for years, but as I no longer have any grape caulerpa I recently decided to go to the opposing light schedule.

My fuge has always prodcued a ton of pods on a 24/7 schedule and all macro has grown. From my experience I'd say it's a personal preference.

 

[melosu58]

I run my fuge lights 24/7. I do have grape calerpa and I think they recommend 24/7 lighting for that.

 

[Zer0]

Yeah, i also think i snagged some caulerpa when i went to get chaeto, and i do want the caulerpa to grow so i think i'll be doing a 24/7 lighting schedule. I have one of those spiral plant grow out lights anyways.. supposedly they're energy savers and last a heck of a long time so it's not a big deal.