Playing with your PPE

[mvite]

Alright folks---You either have 'em or you wish you had 'em----but there has been no phenomenon quite like the PPE (Purple People Eater) polyp. And if you have 'em--you know you wanna play with them--don't lie. Everyone does it....

 

Let me start by saying that I DO NOT HAVE ANY FOR SALE and I DO NOT HAVE A WAITING LIST---I don't plan on having any for sale. I only say this because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings---I wish I had a million of these. For me they have been like the gold standard of reef trading. People love dem PPE.

 

I have had great luck with PPE growth. I haven't ever fed. I usually just frag them a lot and give them good water and light. One thing I had noticed was that they would reproduce more quickly right after I fragged them. So I gots to thinkin'....what would happen if I just cut the membrane and didn't actually frag them? Would the group grow more quickly????

 

My plan is to mess with the 5+ polyp bunch that I have in order to get them to grow more quickly.

Check out the double polyp that is starting---weird!!

 

I have these PPE in my prop system, (approx 200 gal), located about 30-40 inches away from a 250W MH pendant with a 20K bulb.

 

Now that I've documented the 5 (+2) polyps---here's what I did:

 

Make sure you wear your safety goggles. (Luckily I cleaned these last week.....)

Then, using a utility knife razor blade, I cut the membrane between each of the polyps. I did not do anything with the double bud except cut the membrane around it---not between, obviously.

Then, they bled.......

 

I will keep this updated. Unless of course, they reproduce out of control. In that case, you ######ing #######kers will never hear from me again until I set up my LFS in the Bahamas.

 

Post your methods and let's grow some PPE!!!

[Gerber77]

You are one crazy man Mvite.

[nano-paul]

Tagging along. I have a 3 polyp frag and your making me want to gety my razor out. I am kinda glad your doing it first though.

[reefone]

wish i did have some to play with but the price is highway robbery.........so u got some for sale? j/k j/k...........i read b4 i post. they r sweet though

[mvite]

wish i did have some to play with but the price is highway robbery.........so u got some for sale? j/k j/k...........i read b4 i post. they r sweet though

LOL! I would ask if I wasn't my post!!! I didn't know how to say it--because it's not like there's ever any problem selling any.

 

I don't like to sell them because it's kinda embarrassing to ask for big money---and then I hate to give them away for less if you can get the $$. So---I pretty much stick to trading them when I can. Most of my "grandpolyps" are with other NR's! Chime in and let me see my offspring!!

 

But here's the thought: The more we know about these and others like it---the better chance we have of increasing the supply of these----so that they aren't outrageous anymore.

 

Plus, I'm bored.

 

Paul--Post a pic of yours---and we can monitor the growth of them as well.

 

Everyone---I showed you mine...... Go ahead and show us your polyps!!!!

[nano-paul]

Mvite,

 

I have GSPPE from er1c the reefer. I will post a picture when they open back up. I just moved them so I could get a better pic.

[mvite]

Mvite,

 

I have GSPPE from er1c the reefer. I will post a picture when they open back up. I just moved them so I could get a better pic.

Right on--They are both uh zoas--so I have to believe they will act similarly. I think Er1c is gonna post some pics too.

[nano-paul]

My GSPPE

 

 

To make this more scientific, I will not cut mine and see which one grows faster. Whatcha think?

[mascencerro]

actually, to be closer to scientific, one would need to have 2 frags, probably with the same number/size polyps, mounted on the same material, and cut one and leave the other be. They would need to more than likely be right next to each other so they are both getting the same light and flow and opportunity to catch things if they want.

[colinadam]

Very interesting.

 

I get on average 1 polyp/month of growth without messing with mine and I just fragged mine (Took fraggers and cut under the polyps and got some rock with each polyp).

 

Here's a pic

 

 

Personally I think both Purple Deaths and Nuclear Greens are both cooler looking and are 2 others I'm propping.

 

Here's an old pic of my PPE's

 

 

Good Luck, hope they grow like weeds.

[basser1]

Well, I saw where the Propagator had a 2 polyp frag on e-bay today and the winning bid was $150 smackers! Gulp!

[sephroth_r1]

I have to agree with Mvite. Cut corals (zoanthids and palythoas) grow faster. The other day, i cut one polyp that took a month to grow from frag to rock, to seperate them, and now there are 4 polyps total from one after a weeks time.

 

So... I went a slicing this morn, and hiping to see some growth!

[nUgZ]

I think you'll have great results with this method. Many corals will respond in the same way. The trauma many times will trigger accelerated growth. Not trying to argue, but PE's aren't Palythoa. They are Zoanthus gigantus. Doesn't make any difference for this experiment, but just for clarification.

 

http://www.zoaid.com/index.php?module=Gall...;g2_itemId=2459

[mvite]

I think you'll have great results with this method. Many corals will respond in the same way. The trauma many times will trigger accelerated growth. Not trying to argue, but PE's aren't Palythoa. They are Zoanthus gigantus. Doesn't make any difference for this experiment, but just for clarification.

 

http://www.zoaid.com/index.php?module=Gall...;g2_itemId=2459

oops! It confuses the heall outta me--I thought Zoanthus, Palythoa, Protopalythoa. That's as deep as I go! I just assumed because of the size.

 

It has to do with the membrane, right? I guess I could read the link!!

 

 

 

actually, to be closer to scientific, one would need to...

To be more scientific, I would at least need to get a labcoat or something too.

[nUgZ]

Hey man I don't pretend to know exactly WHY things are classified the way they are...I just listen to the experts. Some of the differences have to do with the mat and how they grow. He says they are molecularly confirmed as Z. gigantus so I'll believe him. There's no way I could argue otherwise. They are badass regardless. The info on the research he has done is very interesting. There are many more types of Zoanthid/Palythoa than most people realize.

 

http://www.zoaid.com/index.php?module=Gall...;g2_itemId=2404

[sambo123]

also there arent protopalythoa anymore they merged the group with palythoa to make it even more confusing!!!

 

I just going to go with zoo if its small and paly if its big

[mvite]

Well, I saw where the Propagator had a 2 polyp frag on e-bay today and the winning bid was $150 smackers! Gulp!

Yo G-- How are yours doin?

[SeeDemTails]

Here are mine...I am gonna cut them once they grow a couple more polyps.....I only have two right now!

 

[sephroth_r1]

MUST HAVE!!!! want ppe's... geh. oh well.

[lgreen]

Original Frag (3 polyps):

 

 

Like 2 months later (5 polyps):

 

 

To date (6 polyps):

 

Sorry don't have pic.

 

Growth has slown down a bit though. Perhaps it is time to show them to my little stainless steel friends:

 

 

(size 21 carbon steel surgical scalpel)

[circusordie16]

(size 21 carbon steel surgical scalpel)

now thats high class cutting.

 

when you cut them do you just score the area in between polyps or do you score the membrane on the outside of polyps too?

[er1c_the_reefer]

ok, so are we having a PPE growing contest or what?

 

i say we all start out with 2 polyps and we can decide if we want to do the slice and dice from there or just leave them.

 

oh yea, mvite question: do you have 3 arms or what? cause seriously, how are you taking pictures with the camera and fragging at the same time?

[sephroth_r1]

he has a trained serpent star that dose all photography

[mvite]

ok, so are we having a PPE growing contest or what?

 

i say we all start out with 2 polyps and we can decide if we want to do the slice and dice from there or just leave them.

 

oh yea, mvite question: do you have 3 arms or what? cause seriously, how are you taking pictures with the camera and fragging at the same time?

LOL!! It was my daughter helping!! She is so proud that her pics are on the internet now!!

 

I don't wanna slice two off of mine---but we can have a contest even if we all start at different times.

 

As for the question about scoring them---myself---I only made one slice between each polyp. I cut between each clean down to the rock--just one time.

 

I may try and slice them several times next time, but I didn't want them to come loose. They let loose of the rock kinda easily. I think it's because they are meaty polyps. If you tug on em too much, some of them will peel right off---IME.

[basser1]

Yo G-- How are yours doin?

 

 

Mark, sorry to say they "melted away" Don't have a clue as to why, everything else is doin' fine. So my quest has started anew. (Hint, Hint, wink, wink).