Any advice on splitting Paly's?

[caferacermike]

I've got these 2 paly's, no idea where they came from. They've been around now for about 9 months. When they arrived they were zoa sized, now they are around 2" diameter. I really like them and want them to spread. Any advice on this? They've never moved and never reproduced. Just keep getting larger and larger. They could compete with some of the most sought after zoas if they'd grow out. Seriously bright orange with neon green mouths. I once read that if you cut a zoa from it's base the top and bottom will both live. Something else as mentioned about the base budding into several new clones instead of just one. But I think I read that about a year ago and that was way before I ever wanted zoa to spread, my retention may have gotten fogged.

[josephatmbimortgage]

Hey Mike, the way I split my palys is feed them a little mysise shrimp with the current off every other night and they will quadruple. My red ppe split 5 ways with one original paly. Remember palys are anemone and will take food all the time.

-Joseph

[caferacermike]

You'd think it would have done that in 8 months. It needs some sort of stimulant besides food. I feed everyday but still don't reproduce myself.

[stoneroller]

Do they look like these Envy Orange? Not that I'm an expert, but I've read that these (and others) are just slow growers. Kyle told me to place my RPEs high up in the tank and they would grow like mad. They did. What about seperating the two? one high & one in original placement. Worth a chance? If you are sitting on Envy Orange, I wouldn't risk cutting them as you described.

Image from Zoaid...

[apedroza]

Man Kevin I like those palys!!!! I have never spot fed my pays or zoas it seems like when the want to produce they just do it and do it quickly. ALl my PPE's and RPE's have started small and just exploded on their own. They would then spread off the main colony and start again.

[caferacermike]

Nah it's not a PPE paly, more of a button or sand polyp paly. Just gigantic.

[josephatmbimortgage]

ohh, okay, The next thing I was gonna saw is more light. Mine sat in the middle of the acro colonies under the Mh for like two weeks and then it split into 5 ways, now it split again into 10 ways. So light must be the answer.

-Joseph

[stoneroller]

Me too, Anthony. I wish I had some OE.

No pics, eh, Mike? Are they on any pics on your TOTM? Congrats, BTW, I'd like to see your setup someday.

[DaBird47]

Mike, You might have a Protopalythoa, those things are giant, try to Google it and see, if it is those, they are super slow reproducers...
Protopalythoa grandis

[caferacermike]

protopaly it is, thanks. No pics. I still have no PC. Don't want to start loading my software on this borrowed laptop.

Ok thing is you'd think sitting directly below a 250W halide for 8 hours a day would be enough. I also have these bright green ones that are otherwise identical. About 5 months ago I started with 3 of the green ones. Hitch hikers on a frag base. Well now I literally have close to 1,000 of the green ones. In fact they've grown up and all around the orange ones and I never even placed them near those, basically what I'm saying is they are on opposite sides of the tank and the green ones grew all the way over.

It isn't light, 10wpg. it isn't food, there's plenty and everything else grows like crazy. It isn't supplements as I pour B Ionic in nightly until my arms are sore from holding the jug. Plenty of flow. It's just these 2 won't spread. That's why I was wondering if I were to cut them would it stimulate them like ricordia?

[DaBird47]

well...one way to find out...AND if you are successful, I'm in the market for some Grandis...

[loans_n_fishes]

I haven't looked over there yet, but GARF may have some tips...or you could shoot them an email.

http://www.garf.org/