Reefer_Madness August 6, 2015 Share August 6, 2015 So I am starting to fine tune my zoa and paly placement in my frag tank and I am trying to get some input before I move anything around. I have about 30 or so frags of zoas and I have just been winging it so far, but I am seeing a few act a lot different than others. Does an extended trunk mean they want more light? On the flip side, if the head is flat to the frag does it need less light? What does it mean if it is all sucked in with it's tentacles? (other than when my cleaner shrimp walks across) How can you tell if they have too much or too little light/flow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keraxis August 6, 2015 Share August 6, 2015 Its a guessing game. I have some that have long trunks.. others have short. some long skirts.. some short. They will grow just about anywhere. The biggest indicator they are not happy is if they stop opening. Issac would probably be someone to ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness August 6, 2015 Author Share August 6, 2015 I was hoping Isaac or Ben would jump on here. They seem to be doing good, but a couple haven't been multiplying at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keraxis August 6, 2015 Share August 6, 2015 Some are just slow. They do like a slightly dirty tank. John ford keeps his tank kinda like that.... his zoas are all beautiful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sen5241b August 6, 2015 Share August 6, 2015 (edited) CORAL magazine had an excellent article on zoas. There are high light zoas (found in shallow reefs) and low light zoas (found deeper). The radioactive greens like higher light. Blues and purple deaths like lower light. One wamas member told me she keeps her purple deaths in shade. You may be able to acclimate low light zoas to higher light. I generally "light acclimate" corals very slowly and watch them with a magnifying glass to spot the first sign that they are getting too much light. Edited August 6, 2015 by sen5241b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s2nhle August 6, 2015 Share August 6, 2015 I usually put mine on the bottom. except orange and green one are some how clamp on my rock and travel upward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness August 6, 2015 Author Share August 6, 2015 CORAL magazine had an excellent article on zoas. There are high light zoas (found in shallow reefs) and low light zoas (found deeper). The radioactive greens like higher light. Blues and purple deaths like lower light. One wamas member told me she keeps her purple deaths in shade. You may be able to acclimate low light zoas to higher light. I generally "light acclimate" corals very slowly and watch them with a magnifying glass to spot the first sign that they are getting too much light. I heard there was something about zoa and their preferred lighting. Thanks for the tip on where to find that info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Ford August 6, 2015 Share August 6, 2015 (edited) It's hard to say when everyone has their own dosing supplements, lights, maintanance routine, and habits. It's a safe bet to start low in your tank and allow them to sit there for a week or so and slowly move them up and giving them another week in ther new spot. If they are reaching or stretching its safe to move them up again. Once they lay flat it's my opinion they are either happy or getting to the point where they have too much light. I have a collection of about 45 different Zoas. I don't test my water ever or dose anything and use black box LED fixtures. I just do frequent water changes and over feed my fish. They are for the most part happy where I have them but for now they are all in the middle of my grow out tank on egg crate. Stability is Key. Keep changing too much and either they won't be happy or you will never find that sweet spot. I have no pest in my system, there are people who can vouch for it and I still have some grow for months as happy as can be and in two days melt and are gone. It just happens.. Hopefully Ben will chime in, this is all just my opinion and what works for me Edited August 6, 2015 by John Ford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PK3 August 6, 2015 Share August 6, 2015 Some are just slow. They do like a slightly dirty tank. John ford keeps his tank kinda like that.... his zoas are all beautiful Backhanded compliment of the month. Hahaha. I definitely know what you mean though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Ford August 6, 2015 Share August 6, 2015 Must have scrolled past that post. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness August 6, 2015 Author Share August 6, 2015 Backhanded compliment of the month. Hahaha. I definitely know what you mean though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness August 6, 2015 Author Share August 6, 2015 (edited) It's hard to say when everyone has their own dosing supplements, lights, maintanance routine, and habits. It's a safe bet to start low in your tank and allow them to sit there for a week or so and slowly move them up and giving them another week in ther new spot. If they are reaching or stretching its safe to move them up again. Once they lay flat it's my opinion they are either happy or getting to the point where they have too much light. I have a collection of about 45 different Zoas. I don't test my water ever or dose anything and use black box LED fixtures. I just do frequent water changes and over feed my fish. They are for the most part happy where I have them but for now they are all in the middle of my grow out tank on egg crate. Stability is Key. Keep changing too much and either they won't be happy or you will never find that sweet spot. I have no pest in my system, there are people who can vouch for it and I still have some grow for months as happy as can be and in two days melt and are gone. It just happens.. Hopefully Ben will chime in, this is all just my opinion and what works for me I have a little 6" deep frag tank that I have plumbed into my SPS display. I feed a lot, but I also skim heavily. Most of my zoas and palys are multiplying like crazy, but a few close up at random times and some are stretched out. The ones that close up are the ones I am trying to figure out. My palys seem to be the ones that aren't happy. I have a Grandis that I have had for about 6 months. He never looks happy and is closed about 30% of the time. Any tips? Here is an old pic of my little frag tank Edited August 6, 2015 by Reefer_Madness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khh27 August 6, 2015 Share August 6, 2015 I keep my grandis shaded in indirect light Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PupChow August 6, 2015 Share August 6, 2015 I'm definitely following this thread. I have one or two colonies that are closed up and a few not opened as large as they were before (eg: tenticles pointing upwards instead of spreading out), one colony stretching upward but as soon as I increase the light intensity all the polyps in that colony close up. I thought zoas are supposed to be easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A August 6, 2015 Share August 6, 2015 (edited) Watch out for asterina stars. The ones I find in my tank like to eat zoas. Almost any time mine are closed up, or if a colony is thinning out there is a star on them. Edited August 6, 2015 by Rob A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevnjeep August 6, 2015 Share August 6, 2015 Long trunk means they are reaching for the light. Low to frag disk is OK but if its closed during the highest light of the day too much light. If they are open its not toouch flow This is just my personal experience. I'm sure Ben N. Would be the person to ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Ford August 7, 2015 Share August 7, 2015 I run my blue leds at 50% and my whites are on their lowest setting and only run them for about a half hour in the middle of the day. Zoas dont need to get blasted with light to be healthy in my experience, thats what makes a mixed reef so hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Ford August 7, 2015 Share August 7, 2015 I used to use vitamin C and would target feed reef roids but I havent in awhile and dont notice a change in anything so I stopped. My 40 breeder is way overstocked at the moment too waiting to figure out if im restarting the 75 or not so theres plenty of poop in the water column due to my fish population. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime August 7, 2015 Share August 7, 2015 I've not used anything special for zoas ever, except switching to T5's seemed to help a lot. Like John mentioned, it's a mixed bag. Some Z&P do really well in some tanks, and not so well in others, with most things reef, I think consistency is key. Also, like John mentioned, start low, and then work up if you're worried about light, I've never put to much stock in it. I usually just place everything around mid level and keep my fingers crossed. Zoas can be as finicky as SPS, and sometimes they melt, or fuss. I've lost zoas when all my others are doing fine, like Forrest Gump said, "S Happens." I don't think anybody has got it worked out, most of my procedures are pretty cavalier, so hopefully you'll be able to give me the recipe in a year or so! Edit: I also just read that John pretty much said all the exact same things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness August 9, 2015 Author Share August 9, 2015 What about curled in like the attached pic? Assume too much light? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmerek2 August 10, 2015 Share August 10, 2015 Never seen that. Possible too little light? It's Not sure if it is getting light to open up? If it's a fresh cut I wouldn't worry yet everything looks great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness August 10, 2015 Author Share August 10, 2015 Never seen that. Possible too little light? It's Not sure if it is getting light to open up? If it's a fresh cut I wouldn't worry yet everything looks great I've actually had it a couple months. It is right by where my cleaner shrimp hangs out. Maybe it has been retracting so much that it is starting to just stay protected? You think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmerek2 August 10, 2015 Share August 10, 2015 I have no idea but I would try moving it to a different spot before doing anything Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime August 10, 2015 Share August 10, 2015 Are you talking about the one that is all closed up, or the one that is partially open? Not a big deal, like Brian said, everything looks great. I used to take my zoas out every few months or so and do a Revive dip on everything, usually seemed to spruce everything up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mling August 10, 2015 Share August 10, 2015 Revive dip? What is that? Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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