New to Zoo's

[tjmallory]

I have a couple clusters of Zoo's one seems to open up really well, while the other is not so great. I think it has actually lost some of the polyp since I bought it.

I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for keeping zoo's like where the best tank placement is, if their is an additive that is really great for them, how to get them to multiply instead of deplete.

maybe their is a website I just have to check out... I just wanted to reach out to the pro's

 

[devids]

zoanthids have different placement requirements, depending on what kind they are. generally, they like medium light and flow. you just have to play around with them. move them around and leave them where they seem to be thriving best. as far as additives, i dose my tank with iodine, calcium, and magnesium, or Kent marine nano parts A&B cuz they like those stuff. if u want them to grow fast, u can also try hand feeding them with mysis shrimp. good luck! hope this helps

 

[Faciosity]

There are soooooo many different kinds of zoas/palys, and they all like something different. I have collected them valiantly for the last 2 years and have 50+ varieties, and still can't figure out what they want sometimes. Best thing to do, is make sure you have good water quality and a stable ph and salinity, and then determine through trial and error (hopefully not error!) where each variety wants to be. You should start them all low in your tank and move them up accordingly. From my experience, some get the best color and growth under low light, while some of them take off with beautiful color and reproduction being blasted by light at the very top. The larger palys will enjoy a good feeding, but smaller zoanthids will not accept meaty foods. I hear they should have an iodine supplement, but I have never dosed anything, just keep up with the water changes.

 

[Faciosity]

Oh, and when a colony starts receding or melting, immediately look for any possible sign of pests and predators! They are passed off as easy corals, but are far from it. Any little irritation can lead to a colony dissapearing within a matter of days.

 

[mfinn]

Pictures really do help when trying to figure out what is going on with zoanthids.
There are several different pests that make zoanthids disappear. Also a few fish have been know to snack on them.
Many times we bring zoanthids home from our lfs's that already have some of these pests on them.
The best advice I could give anyone new to zoanthids is, always treat the zoanthids as if they had these pests on them from the start.
http://www.zoaid.com/index.php?module=Gallery2&g2_itemId=384

There are several different ways to treat them before putting them in your tank.
First, use a q-tank and watch them for a couple weeks.
If that isn't possible, there are a few dips that can be done that are very effective.
ReVive, Coral RX, and Lugols Iodine are a few. Even freshwater and lugol dips will help kill these pests.
My current favorite is a really strong Flat Worm Exit dip.

 

[mfinn]

Some zoanthid reading info.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=451720


http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1154238


http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=533167

 

[mfinn]

Plus, I would NOT add any chemicals unless you test for those chemicals.
IMO zoanthids take very little amounts of iodine, calcium, and magnesium, or Kent marine nano parts A&B from the water.
Also most zoanthids don't eat the solid foods we usually use for fish foods.

 

[returnofsid]

I'd also not suggest dosing iodine. Especially if you aren't testing for it, and know exactly how and why it benefits your tank's inhabitants.

As Finn said, don't dose for anything, unless you're testing for it AND understand how your inhabitants utilize it.

Also agreed, Zoanthids won't eat any foods that you provide them. If they appear to be eating, they're just closing up to protect themselves, not closing up around food to eat it.


Start them low in your tank, under moderate to high lighting, and moderate flow. There are some that need very intense lighting, similar to an SPS, but these are typically much harder to find/expensive Zoanthids, that I'd suggest steering clear of, until you've gotten more Zoanthid experience under your belt.

99% of Zoanthids are fairly easy to care for and will multiply somewhat quickly. There are a few types that are very difficult to keep alive and prone to "melting." The biggest issue, with keeping Zoanthids is learning to identify pests and learning to recognize signs that the Zoanthids are being irritated. Another somewhat common issue, is fish compatibility. There are a lot of different species of fish, that are considered "reef safe," that can suddenly take a liking to Zoanthids, wiping them out quickly, when they do.

 

[pravdaseeker]

Words of encouragement for you

Hello and welcome to a very addicting hobby.

I have recently added zoa's to my aquarium.. after a bit over a year getting tank up to speed, and established.. I looked at pics from the beginnings of this project compared to now, and my what a change has gone on!!

I am currently going through trying to figure out where is best for each kind, along with trying to pick a spot that the darn maroon clown fish doesn't think needs rearranging cuz she don't like where I have set them up at! The little bugger is persistent in rearranging things in her territory..I say her, a she was the biggest of a pair, with the male not pulling through on getting a pair... so I got the gal left, and afraid to add a boyfriend, she is a territorial critter.

For me,,, and I have halogin lights... VERY bright.. the brighter colors, say like Fire and Ice Zoa's, or the very orange kind, for me, are doing best higher up in the tank where they get lots of light. I even see where they are beginning to spread out, and colonize adjacent rock.. which is/was the goal.

The GREEN ones, or mostly green kind seem to be doing better in the lower levels of the water column for me..

NOW, if I could just get the dang glass astapia (SP?) to disappear..arggh.
Bought some nudibranches, and waiting for the tide to turn with them.. and I got a file fish that eats em too, BUT, all I see the file fish eating is algae, and brine shrimp, and mysis shrimp..lol When I feed the other fellers in the tank..

I screwed up with the glass bad kind...of animonoes .. I went to Australia for 5 weeks BEFORE getting nudibranches... when I came back the miserable buggers had gone like polyploid, and freaking me out as to how fast they have grown and spread.. SHOULD HAVE addressed issue BEFORE I went to Australia.. sigh, live and learn I guess.

But the ZOA's are doing ok so far... about a month into it so far..my first venture besides fish and live rock..The "eyes" are getting their colors back.. and glowing a nice orange or deep green, or whatever..

The above noted change was also AFTER I increased the light timer on one of the lights.. to give it longer high bright light time.. closer to a 12 hour light cycle..

But since the extra light has been increased, NOW I am watching to see if the algae issue doesn't get out of hand.. a fine balance seems needed to be found here.

Just a beginner here.. but loving it all.. My tank has changed so MUCH in a year... amazing.

Since the tank has been in place, the TV is on MAYBE 10% of the time it used to be.. I just zen out at the tank.. got a good variety of critters in there, as it a 210 gallon, got a bit of room to add different kinds of critters.

I have got one small group of green zoa's, that are doing the best clear at the BOTTOM of the tank..which is about 3 feet from the light source. Small but so pretty.. lovely orange eyes in the middle..

Due to the colors, and my obvious successful placement with the Fire and Ice zoa's, I will be getting MORE of them and planting them all along the tops of the live rock now.. IF I CAN KEEP THAT DANG CLOWN FISH FROM REARRANGING THINGS...lol

GOOD LUCK, and watch out, you WILL get hooked on this hobby.. I LOVE my zoa's, praying they hang in there and continue to spread about..

Pravdaseeker