so when does frags start colonizing

so when does frags start colonizing
i started buying some frags and was wondering when do start colonizing about how long

 

Too many variables.

Type of coral, parameters, lighting, nutrition, flow........

No two corals grow alike.

Please list corals in question ie: LPS, SPS.......

 

i have a 40br with some corals (starter corals) mush, kenya tree, Zoas , polyps, candycane

not sure of my parameters im at work
i know my
ph -8.3-8.5
ammon 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 20ppm

4 bulb t5 ho with ati bulbs 2 coral, 1 blue plus , 1 antr

 

no one can give u a time it all deff something grow slow some grow fast how longs tank been up ? how big of water changes do u do ?

 

The tank has been up sense July
About a 5gls every 2 weeks or so

 

somethings grow fast like green star polyps and things like zoas grow slower

i had a two head candy cane that seemed like it never grew i've had it for about a year and it has 3 but one is splitting so hopefully 4 in a month

it also depends on what youre describing as fast

you can try spot feeding them once or twice a week w/some sort of coral food if you want what i've been doing the last month or so is when i feed my fish frozen mysis i use the left over water from it defrosting and mix in some phyto feast or oyster feast or both and with the pumps off just gently spray the corals

some say this is good and works some say it doesn't do anything but mess up your nitrites i'm givin it a shot for now

 

I think the worry about the frozen food binder is phosphates. If your adding the water from defrosting the food why bother seperating them in the first place?

 

in order to spot feed the corals.. i don't think that the mushrooms and zoas are going to eat the whole mysis peices

and it's more fun to do that way

plus it's not just the melted cube it's tank water + frozen foods

so i guess the answer to why bother is that's the way the wheels turn in my head

 

Makes more sense to me now. Low levels of phosphates were driving me crazy because i couldnt get rid of algae in my tank. Now I regularly use my tank water to defrost the cubes but I usually strain the contents to remove the binder and water. I add more tank water to float the food and add my enrichments then (cyclops, ova, selcon,whatever else) and feed everyone. The high water gets a shot to distribute in the current and I target feed as necessary. I figure my zoas will take what they want and anything they miss my CuC will get.
I see your differing tack though, id do the same if it weren't for the darn algae in my tank. Every tank takes a different approach to manage it. I can appreciate yours.

 

yeah and depending on your view about algae too.. i don't mind some algae because when i first got my first emerald crab he ate it all in a week and i felt bad because he didn't have anything to eat other than left over flakes but the shrimp and hermits would usually get it before him since he stays on and in the rocks so i like a SMALL amount of hair algae growin

and on top of that you guys will think i'm crazy but i don't run any sort of filter or fuge or anything just circulation and live rock in the display so i like a little more life like that for filtration been doing it this way for almost 2 years now and works... but like you said every tank is different and before i let some excess algae build up i had a really hard time keeping my water balanced