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

[that Reef Guy]

Monarchs

Monarchs

My Clementines

Pink Constellations

Pink Constellations

 

[that Reef Guy]

Pink Hippo / Chuckies Bride

Pink Krakatoa

Pink Zippers

Rainbow Rhino

Raptors Rainbow

 

[that Reef Guy]

Rastas

Ricks Sawz

Space Monsters

Sunny D's

Mello Yellow

 

[that Reef Guy]

Mello Yello

Tyree Orange Rainbow

Utter Chaos

Utter Chaos

Vampire Paly's

 

[that Reef Guy]

Vampire Paly's

Vamps in Drag

Vivid Rainbow

White Walkers

Wow Paly's

 

[that Reef Guy]

Frozen Armageddon

Rainbow Rhino

Ice Armageddon

 

[DereksReef77]

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

Ok great pics and it shows that what you are saying works well for you. I have a couple of questions for you.
When you feed do you use the manufacturers directions and feed the full amount specified? If so what are your weekly nitrate and phosphate readings? As I stated in a earlier reply to your thread I put on a ats and was feeding the tank heavy. Rods, reef roids, reef chilli and tested water daily and nitrates and phosphates were almost nothing so I cut back the hours and still the same results. Zoas were shrinking and not opening so I took it offline. 2 days later nitrates are 50 so 40 gallon water change while vacuuming sand. To add to that when I took the ats off I put the skimmer back on. Will test parameters when I get home today from work. Thanks in advance for your reply.

 

[that Reef Guy]

Ok great pics and it shows that what you are saying works well for you. I have a couple of questions for you.
When you feed do you use the manufacturers directions and feed the full amount specified? If so what are your weekly nitrate and phosphate readings? As I stated in a earlier reply to your thread I put on a ats and was feeding the tank heavy. Rods, reef roids, reef chilli and tested water daily and nitrates and phosphates were almost nothing so I cut back the hours and still the same results. Zoas were shrinking and not opening so I took it offline. 2 days later nitrates are 50 so 40 gallon water change while vacuuming sand. To add to that when I took the ats off I put the skimmer back on. Will test parameters when I get home today from work. Thanks in advance for your reply.

Thank You

When I feed I follow (or Pretty Close to Follow) Manufacturers Recommend Amounts.

Nitrate on 5 of my Tanks is 20

Nitrate on 1 of my Tanks is 5-10 which is Odd because that Tank gets the Most Food by Far yet has Less Nitrate than all My Other Tanks.

Phosphate I will have to Check as I have not done that in a while.

I have no experience with ATS so I cannot comment on that sorry.

 

[DereksReef77]

Thanks for the reply. Just checked nitrates and I'm getting like 25. Are you just using leds on your zoas and palys?

 

[mmw64]

Some People asked for Pictures of my Zoanthids so Here they are.

Bloodsuckers

Candy Apple Reds

I'm sooooo jealous!

 

[that Reef Guy]

Thanks for the reply. Just checked nitrates and I'm getting like 25. Are you just using leds on your zoas and palys?

3 Tanks are LED.

3 Tanks are T5.

 

[that Reef Guy]

I'm sooooo jealous!

I am Jealous that you are in California

You have access to waaaay more and waaay Nicer Corals than I do.

Most Corals are Imported into California and Florida so those are the two Hot Spots to Live In.

 

[SaltyJD]

Very helpful, thanks for posting.

 

[DereksReef77]

What kind of t5 bulbs are you using? And for the leds are you just running blues or are you running whites also?

 

[that Reef Guy]

Very helpful, thanks for posting.

Thank You

 

[that Reef Guy]

What kind of t5 bulbs are you using? And for the leds are you just running blues or are you running whites also?

All Led's are Kessil A150 or A160 (Blue 100 Percent, White O Percent).

All T5 Bulbs are ATI Blue Plus

 

[DereksReef77]

All Led's are Kessil A150 or A160 (Blue 100 Percent, White O Percent).

All T5 Bulbs are ATI Blue Plus

Thank you very very much. That is what I figured. My zoas are seeming like they like the blue leds but when the t5s come on they don't open as much, probably cause it's too white. I'm gonna try and just run blue plus bulbs and see what happens. Thanks again.

 

[that Reef Guy]

Very helpful, thanks for posting.

Thank You

 

[that Reef Guy]

Thank you very very much. That is what I figured. My zoas are seeming like they like the blue leds but when the t5s come on they don't open as much, probably cause it's too white. I'm gonna try and just run blue plus bulbs and see what happens. Thanks again.

Your Welcome

Mine are Bigger and Grow Much Much Faster Under T5

 

[PAReefer]

Some People asked for Pictures of my Zoanthids so Here they are.

Bloodsuckers

Candy Apple Reds

Beautiful! I love zoos too.