Red Grape Botryocladia growth patterns & fragging?

[duganderson]

I just got my first macros.....very cool.

 

I got a really nice piece of Red Grape Botryocladia from Keydiver. I had a question about how it grows. Currently, the piece I have has one medium length main branch/stalk with all of the branches growing off in the same direction perpendicular to the main branch/stalk. See photo below.

 

I planted this main branch/stalk straight up and down. Will the other branches start to grow off of the main branch from all sides of the main branch/stalk?

 

Will the branches start to grow upward OR do I need to mount the main branch/stalk horizontally to get growth upwards? I'm hoping to get a look like its growing upward like a bush in the attached live aquaria photo.

 

When I frag this macro, should I cut the frag pieces from the main branch/stalk OR can I cut off pieces from anywhere to grow? How big should the frags be (how long, how many branches, etc.) to increase the odds of the frag surviving?

 

Thanks

[Weetabix7]

It's pretty hardy stuff, you really don't have to do anything special to get it to grow a certain way. Just stick it in the tank where you want it and that's it.