Rastas

mike61289 · 02/20/2017, 10:08 AM

Just got myself a frag of 6 rastas yesterday. They opened up right away and are doing well so far. There isn't much info out there about their care though.

Does anyone have experience with these that they'd like to share? Is it best to place them in high light? High water movement? Feed them (how often)?

mike61289 · 02/21/2017, 08:03 PM

Anybody? Rasta info?

organism · 02/21/2017, 09:12 PM

Lower to medium light with moderate flow in my tank. On a side note no zoas need food.

mike61289 · 02/21/2017, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by organism

Lower to medium light with moderate flow in my tank. On a side note no zoas need food.

Thank you!

AlSimmons · 02/23/2017, 11:40 AM

They've always melted for me, no matter where I placed them or where I got them from.

mike61289 · 02/23/2017, 02:32 PM

That's not encouraging.

How long did you have them before they melted?

jd371 · 02/23/2017, 02:51 PM

I had a total of 16-17 polyps form the same colony on two separate plugs that I bought from a member on here. The polyps on one of the plugs melted away, but the other is doing alright...growing really slow but otherwise okay.
They were placed in the same location in the tank.

Kremis · 02/23/2017, 03:01 PM

I picked up a frag of 3, and now I have 30+ a year later. Does well in my tank with moderate light and moderate flow, and is a relatively fast grower. The other red zoanthids I had right next to it melted though, but they do fine in another area of the tank, makes no sense.

AlSimmons · 02/23/2017, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike61289

That's not encouraging.

How long did you have them before they melted?

For the first couple weeks or so they looked ok, but after that it was just a slow decline. I've got a Space Monster and some other unknown polyps doing the same thing right now. I just don't get it. The tank has been set up for about 8 years and the rest of my corals look fine, but for some reason certain zoanthids just don't like my tank. Rastas, Gold Mauls, Blue Hornets, Purple Hornets, Mohawks, GBP have all melted in my tank at one time or another.

mike61289 · 02/24/2017, 12:51 PM

I've read that they were hit or miss. The frag I got came from a colony that has been at my lfs for a few years so I'm hoping they'll do well and spread.

As of right now, they're always open. I only see them closed when my cleaner shrimps decide it's fun to walk on them... They open back up within seconds of the shrimps moving away though. They're still on a plug in the sand acclimating to my light, but I'm inclined to move them up to the rocks because the polyps seems to be doing well.

jda · 02/28/2017, 11:18 AM

They grow like crazy for me under metal halide and SPS/Natural-Reef quality parameters. I have some in my frag tank under 4" of water directly under a 250W 20K radium and they glow and grow like crazy.

DrChop · 02/28/2017, 12:23 PM

I have some that are growing out well. While I don't specifically feed mine, I use Red Sea Reef Energy A&B along with Reef Roids and Reef Chili (alternating every few days) and PE Calanus. Bought 1 single head is now 8. Keep in the lower 1/3rd of my tank (jbj 28g) and they are cranking out well. Not the clearest pic, but here they are full light and blues

FattyK21 · 02/28/2017, 03:56 PM

SWEET MAN
I finally got me some rastas about a week or 2 ago
Went to store yesterday and they had some BOB MARLEYS so had to get those lol
The wife said we can start calling the tank the 420 LOL

jda · 02/28/2017, 05:47 PM

Metal Halide and clean reef-quality water...

mike61289 · 03/01/2017, 07:56 AM

I love the pics and the info! Thanks for sharing everyone!

I moved my frag of 6 polyps off the sand and onto a rock last weekend. They're looking great! I never see them close and that's what I love about them.

Here are mine so far. I wish they weren't on the frag plate, but whatever. Since they're doing well, I don't want to risk damaging them by removing them.

ryeguyy84 · 03/01/2017, 09:17 AM

looks like there's a rock underneath that's glued to the plug. I'd just pop it off with a Flathead screwdriver.

*wear gloves and eye protection :-)

mike61289 · 03/01/2017, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryeguyy84

looks like there's a rock underneath that's glued to the plug. I'd just pop it off with a Flathead screwdriver.

*wear gloves and eye protection :-)

Everyone keeps saying that they don't like any major disturbances. I'd rather leave them be and let them grow onto the plug and eventually onto the rock.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

PsychoticBeauty · 03/01/2017, 11:26 AM

I wouldn't mess with them either. It's only a matter of time before they completely cover that frag plug anyways. (hopefully)

mike61289 · 03/01/2017, 02:54 PM

I'm hoping that will be the case!

mike61289 · 03/26/2017, 03:14 PM

3 new heads are growing in! I'll soon be up to 9 heads

surferarnie · 03/26/2017, 04:59 PM

I have mine up high under kessil 360's and t5's and they are growing like crazy.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

jeremevans · 04/05/2017, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jda

Metal Halide and clean reef-quality water...

That is a nice rock!

sde1500 · 04/06/2017, 06:10 AM

Mine have been pretty hardy. Hardy in the sense they haven't been treated very kindly by me and they are still alive, and finally starting to grow again. Dealt with some algae issues that come and go, knocked them off the rock they had been glued to and had to take them out to glue them back. They weren't spreading but they weren't melting either. Just popped out a new head so feeling hopeful that continues.

fischcrazy · 04/10/2017, 07:18 PM

Mine are very happy 8" from 6x39w T5s just to the side of a high flow spot. Started with a 6 polyp head on 3/18 and now have 9 polyps. I feed reef roids to my tank 3x/wk and a few of the polyps seem to be getting some food as i feed.

mike61289 · 04/11/2017, 10:38 AM

Cool! My 6 Rasta polyps are now 9 as well. They're about a foot below my LEDs but are always open

02/20/2017, 10:08 AM	#1
mike61289 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Montreal, Quebec Posts: 424	Rastas Just got myself a frag of 6 rastas yesterday. They opened up right away and are doing well so far. There isn't much info out there about their care though. Does anyone have experience with these that they'd like to share? Is it best to place them in high light? High water movement? Feed them (how often)? __________________ Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming swimming swimming. What do we do? We swim swim!

02/21/2017, 08:03 PM	#2
mike61289 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Montreal, Quebec Posts: 424	Anybody? Rasta info? __________________ Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming swimming swimming. What do we do? We swim swim!

02/21/2017, 09:12 PM	#3
organism code monkey Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: south bay Posts: 6,223	Lower to medium light with moderate flow in my tank. On a side note no zoas need food. __________________ I don't always grow frags... but when I do, I prefer Dos Acros

02/23/2017, 02:32 PM	#6
mike61289 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Montreal, Quebec Posts: 424	That's not encouraging. How long did you have them before they melted? __________________ Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming swimming swimming. What do we do? We swim swim!

02/24/2017, 12:51 PM	#10
mike61289 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Montreal, Quebec Posts: 424	I've read that they were hit or miss. The frag I got came from a colony that has been at my lfs for a few years so I'm hoping they'll do well and spread. As of right now, they're always open. I only see them closed when my cleaner shrimps decide it's fun to walk on them... They open back up within seconds of the shrimps moving away though. They're still on a plug in the sand acclimating to my light, but I'm inclined to move them up to the rocks because the polyps seems to be doing well. __________________ Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming swimming swimming. What do we do? We swim swim!

02/23/2017, 11:40 AM	#5
AlSimmons Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: California Posts: 2,482	They've always melted for me, no matter where I placed them or where I got them from.

02/23/2017, 02:51 PM	#7
jd371 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Long Island Posts: 615	I had a total of 16-17 polyps form the same colony on two separate plugs that I bought from a member on here. The polyps on one of the plugs melted away, but the other is doing alright...growing really slow but otherwise okay. They were placed in the same location in the tank.

02/23/2017, 03:01 PM	#8
Kremis Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 799	I picked up a frag of 3, and now I have 30+ a year later. Does well in my tank with moderate light and moderate flow, and is a relatively fast grower. The other red zoanthids I had right next to it melted though, but they do fine in another area of the tank, makes no sense.

02/28/2017, 11:18 AM	#11
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	They grow like crazy for me under metal halide and SPS/Natural-Reef quality parameters. I have some in my frag tank under 4" of water directly under a 250W 20K radium and they glow and grow like crazy.

02/28/2017, 12:23 PM	#12
DrChop Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 12	I have some that are growing out well. While I don't specifically feed mine, I use Red Sea Reef Energy A&B along with Reef Roids and Reef Chili (alternating every few days) and PE Calanus. Bought 1 single head is now 8. Keep in the lower 1/3rd of my tank (jbj 28g) and they are cranking out well. Not the clearest pic, but here they are full light and blues

02/28/2017, 03:56 PM	#13
FattyK21 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Mebane NC Posts: 186	SWEET MAN I finally got me some rastas about a week or 2 ago Went to store yesterday and they had some BOB MARLEYS so had to get those lol The wife said we can start calling the tank the 420 LOL __________________ 60g RIMLESS http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=24816891#post24816891 Current Tank Info: 60g Rimless

02/28/2017, 05:47 PM	#14
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	Metal Halide and clean reef-quality water...

03/01/2017, 09:17 AM	#16
ryeguyy84 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,753	looks like there's a rock underneath that's glued to the plug. I'd just pop it off with a Flathead screwdriver. *wear gloves and eye protection :-) __________________ Current tank: 90G mixed reef. Current Tank Info: 90 gallon

03/01/2017, 11:26 AM	#18
PsychoticBeauty Registered Member. Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Gotham City Posts: 123	I wouldn't mess with them either. It's only a matter of time before they completely cover that frag plug anyways. (hopefully)

03/01/2017, 02:54 PM	#19
mike61289 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Montreal, Quebec Posts: 424	I'm hoping that will be the case! __________________ Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming swimming swimming. What do we do? We swim swim!

03/26/2017, 03:14 PM	#20
mike61289 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Montreal, Quebec Posts: 424	3 new heads are growing in! I'll soon be up to 9 heads __________________ Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming swimming swimming. What do we do? We swim swim!

03/26/2017, 04:59 PM	#21
surferarnie Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Warren mi Posts: 48	I have mine up high under kessil 360's and t5's and they are growing like crazy. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

04/06/2017, 06:10 AM	#23
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	Mine have been pretty hardy. Hardy in the sense they haven't been treated very kindly by me and they are still alive, and finally starting to grow again. Dealt with some algae issues that come and go, knocked them off the rock they had been glued to and had to take them out to glue them back. They weren't spreading but they weren't melting either. Just popped out a new head so feeling hopeful that continues. __________________ My build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2548422 Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef, Eshopps sump and HOB overflow, RO-110int skimmer, Reefbreeder 32" photons V1.

04/10/2017, 07:18 PM	#24
fischcrazy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: USA Posts: 816	Mine are very happy 8" from 6x39w T5s just to the side of a high flow spot. Started with a 6 polyp head on 3/18 and now have 9 polyps. I feed reef roids to my tank 3x/wk and a few of the polyps seem to be getting some food as i feed. __________________ From a wave slider and crazy geologist...

04/11/2017, 10:38 AM	#25
mike61289 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Montreal, Quebec Posts: 424	Cool! My 6 Rasta polyps are now 9 as well. They're about a foot below my LEDs but are always open __________________ Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming... Just keep swimming swimming swimming. What do we do? We swim swim!