Some Simple Tips for Keeping Zoanthids Happy, Healthy, and Growing Fast

[that Reef Guy]

You feel a frag saw is the best way to frag zoas despite the possibility of the saw kicking up palytoxin in the air?

Yes.

I have never had any issues.

I have made Literally Thousands of Zoanthid Frags over the Years with my Frag Saw.

And I know plenty of others who have done the same with no issues.

 

[Deniss]

@ThatReefGuy

Hello, i'm new to the zoanthids "hobby".
-I have a few questions, do you feed at evening when blue lights are on? Or any other specific time?
-Do you feed the whole tank or spot feed?
-Are you still using the aquavitro fuel, reef roids and chilli combo?
-I have a couple of frags, where some are stretched during the day and at the evening there "normal". They are not opened when stretched, so i doubt if there reaching for light or nutrients?
I tried to increase my leds, by 1 % intensity but then i had a coral frag on the bottom that went to dull color so i changed it back. Any idea's?

Cheers

 

[that Reef Guy]

@ThatReefGuy

Hello, i'm new to the zoanthids "hobby".
-I have a few questions, do you feed at evening when blue lights are on? Or any other specific time?
-Do you feed the whole tank or spot feed?
-Are you still using the aquavitro fuel, reef roids and chilli combo?
-I have a couple of frags, where some are stretched during the day and at the evening there "normal". They are not opened when stretched, so i doubt if there reaching for light or nutrients?
I tried to increase my leds, by 1 % intensity but then i had a coral frag on the bottom that went to dull color so i changed it back. Any idea's?

Cheers

I like to Feed when Lights are On and the Zoanthids are Opened Up - Usually an Hour or Two Before I Turn the Lights Off.

Some Zoanthids (Usually Proto-Paly's You can Taget Feed) - Basically if you Feed and They Close Up then it is more beneficial to Target Feed. But Most of My Zoanthids Do not do that so I Usually Just Dose the Whole Tank.

I stopped using Reef Chili and Now Just Use Fuel / Reef Roids.

Not sure about the lighting issue.

I use Kessil A150's on my LED Tanks so they are not Super Strong compared to Kessil A360's, Radions, etc.

 

[Rob Romalino]

Following

 

[Cscultho]

Question about the stump remover process for increasing Nitrates.

I have a 55g tank with with 4 fish and some zoa's that aren't growing well at all.

Is the stump remover process safe for fish? I was planning on dosing my tank until i achieve 5-10ppm nitrates which current my nitrates are at 0!!

 

[Srob]

Great info

 

[that Reef Guy]

Question about the stump remover process for increasing Nitrates.

I have a 55g tank with with 4 fish and some zoa's that aren't growing well at all.

Is the stump remover process safe for fish? I was planning on dosing my tank until i achieve 5-10ppm nitrates which current my nitrates are at 0!!

I am not sure as I am Not Familiar with this Process. Sorry.

 

[that Reef Guy]

Great info

Thank You

 

[wattson]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/potassium-nitrate-spectracide-stump-remover-dosing-steps.215730/
all the info you need

 

[pompeyjohn]

So you are gluing the rock to the plug. But how are you attaching new polyps to the rock?

 

[Triggreef]

So you are gluing the rock to the plug. But how are you attaching new polyps to the rock?

They should already be attached to the rock. If you pull zoas off what they are attached to you'll most likely kill them. And you'll have a heck of a time getting them to re attach. So when you cut zoas, you should be cutting the rock they are on as well. Then attach the rock pieces with the zoas still attached.

 

[pompeyjohn]

and how do you manage allelopathy without running carbon?

 

[rosshamsandwich]

I have Talked To and Read About quite a few People who have been Having Trouble Keeping Zoanthids so I decided to Make this Thread to Help them Out.



Here are My Tips for Happy, Healthy, and Fast Growing Zoanthids.

1. Bayer Dip
2. Keep Everything Stable
3. Feed, Feed, Feed
4. Higher Light and Higher Flow (Generally Speaking)
5. Keep an Eye Out for POX
6. Do Regular Water Changes
7. Don't Buy Animals that Might Go After Zoanthids





1. Bayer Dip -

- No Coral (And I mean no Coral) goes into my Tank without an Aggressive Bayer Dip for 15 Minutes.
- Then I check for Eggs with a High Powered Magnifying Glass with a Built in LED Light Used by Coin Collectors.
- Bayer Kills the Pests but Does NOT Kill the Eggs.
- Zoanthids are Targeted by More Pests than any Other Coral (Nudibranches, Spiders, Sundial Snails, etc.)

http://www.zoaid.com/index.php?module=Gallery2&g2_itemId=384

See the Above Link for all things that can Kill Your Zoanthids!

P.S. I put a 6 Line Wrasse in Every Tank as they LOVE to Eat Pests. Without Fail Every Time I add a New Frag the 6 Line Wrasse Swims Over and Sticks His Nose in Every Nook and Cranny Inspecting for Pests. These Guys are AMAZING and Every Tank Tank Should have a 6 Line Wrasse for Pest Control!




2. Keep Everything Stable -

For Me
Temperature - 77 Degrees
Salinity - 1.026
Alkalinity - 8.5
Calcium - 480
Magnesium - 1440

- Test, Test, Test (I cannot Stress this Enough).
- I Test and Dose Every Day on 6 Tanks (2 of the Tanks I Test and Dose Twice a Day - Once in the Morning and Once at Night).
- My Alkalinity Does not Drop more than 0.3 a Day.
- Remember Alkalinity is Depleted more than anything Else in a Reef Tank and is the Most Important thing to Keep Stable which is Why I Test So Much.




3. Feed, Feed, Feed -

- Don't Listen to anybody that says you should have Zero Nitrate and Zero Phosphate with Zoanthids.
- They LOVE Food!
- I feed 3 Times a Week.


I Feed 4 Different Foods to my Corals

1. Reef Roids
2. BRS Reef Chili
3. Seachem AquaVitro Fuel (Vitamin and Ammino Acid Supplement)
4. Larry's Reef Frenzy Frozen Food (LRS)


Here is my Feeding Schedule

Tuesday -

- Reef Roids
- BRS Reef Chili
- Seachem AquaVitro Fuel (Vitamin and Ammino Acid Supplement)

I mix all 3 Together in some Tank Water

Friday -

- Reef Roids
- BRS Reef Chili
- Seachem AquaVitro Fuel (Vitamin and Ammino Acid Supplement)

I mix all 3 Together in some Tank Water

Sunday -

- Larry's Reef Frenzy Frozen Food (LRS)

LRS is more for my Acans and Chalices which I Target Feed after Chopping it Up Fine with a Razor Blade but there are Fine Particle Coral Foods in LRS that the Zoanthids can Use.




4. Higher Light and Higher Flow (Generally Speaking) -

Unfortunately alot of people will Classify Softies like Zoanthids as Low Light / Low Flow Corals.

I think this is at least Partly Due to the Fact that Softies are More Forgiving Corals than SPS and LPS and a Lot of New People are Told to Start with these Corals when they enter the Hobby. Most people when starting out typically do not have a lot of light and flow so I think alot of LFS's just tell the New Hobbyist this because they know the Corals will Probably not Die on Them.

Now they may Live in These Conditions and Tolerate Low Light / Low Flow but they will not Thrive and be Healthy and Grow Fast in these Conditions.

- Remember not all Zoanthids are the Same.
- Some will do better in Lower Light and Flow.
- But in My Experience Most will Grow Faster, Have Bigger Polyps, and Better Color in Higher Light / Higher Flow Tanks.




5. Keep an Eye Out for POX -

I used to get Pox Outbreaks Quite Often When I Did Not Feed My Corals and Had Zero Nitrate and Zero Phosphate.

But Since I have been Feeding Heavily I have never gotten it so I feel that Poorly Fed Zoanthids are Prone to POX because of this.

I have also Read that some people feel that it comes from Changing of the Seasons or Temperature Drops in the Tank and I have noticed POX from both of these Situations (Fall to Winter and Spring to Summer Time, Power Goes Out and Temperature Drops - Boom POX the Next Day).

Thank God I do not get POX anymore (What a Nightmare)

If you get POX Dip the Zoanthids in Furan-2

Furan-2 can be found at your LFS (It is usually used to Treat Fungus on Freshwater Fish)

- Dip Once a Day for 3 Days in a Row.
- Wait 4 Days and if POX is still there Repeat.




6. Do Regular Water Changes -

- Do Water Changes on a Regular Basis.
- Water Changes will Help Take Out Excess Nutrients.
- They also help Replace Minerals that were Used Up in Coral Growth (Calcium, Magnesium, Strontium, etc.)




7. Don't Buy Animals that Might Go After Zoanthids -

- Angelfish
- Butterflies
- Foxface (Rabbitfish)





Hopefully these Tips will Help Some People Out that are Having Issues Keeping Zoanthids

this is amazing. Thank you so much

 

[that Reef Guy]

So you are gluing the rock to the plug. But how are you attaching new polyps to the rock?

I Use a Frag Saw to Cut Them.

 

[that Reef Guy]

and how do you manage allelopathy without running carbon?

I don't have any issues.

I know a Ton of people that do not use Carbon.

They don't seem to have any issues either.

 

[rosshamsandwich]

allelopathy in zoas/ i heard toadstools and nepthea...

 

[Billymack]

Reef Guy very informative write up from start to finish , good job

 

[rosshamsandwich]

yes this is fantastic

 

[Surfandturf]

So when you say feed, feed, feed. What exactly does that mean? I have tried to feed my zoas, but I have never actually seen them eat. I do use amino acids and broadcast feed reefroids, so maybe they absorb this very fine food source? I have watched Than's video on YouTube and I am pretty sure he states that he is unsure if the zoas are actually eating. Palys on the other hand do eat and I have seen this first hand. Please let me know what you feed them because I consider them to be purely photosynthetic. I could be wrong, I am constantly learning in this hobby after 8+ years. Thanks.

 

[rosshamsandwich]

So when you say feed, feed, feed. What exactly does that mean? I have tried to feed my zoas, but I have never actually seen them eat. I do use amino acids and broadcast feed reefroids, so maybe they absorb this very fine food source? I have watched Than's video on YouTube and I am pretty sure he states that he is unsure if the zoas are actually eating. Palys on the other hand do eat and I have seen this first hand. Please let me know what you feed them because I consider them to be purely photosynthetic. I could be wrong, I am constantly learning in this hobby after 8+ years. Thanks.

i noticed when zoas are feeding, they don't close up like duncans or palys.... rather they get puffy and really open and stretched out... like spread eagle zoas...that's what they do when they are feeding