Are Zoa's Just Not in the Cards for Me? :(

[esther]

We have a mixed reef tank that has been set up for almost 3 months now (this isn't our first reef tank). My gut is telling me that the phosphate is what's keeping our zoa's from completely opening up. All other corals (several SPS, chalice, duncan's, xenia, firecracker polyps, bubble coral, lobophylia, hammer, torch, frogspawn, gorgonians, flower pot, various leathers) are doing great and have steady (some even really fast) growth and great coloring.

We currently have the zoa's about 1/5 above the sand, so they're not getting high flow or high PAR. Any tips or suggestions? Let me know if you need any other info.

Here are the current parameters of the tank:

• Temp : 78.2º
• pH : 8.12
• Redox : 281
• Salinity : 1.0255
• Phosphate : 0.42 ppm
• Nitrate : 1 ppm
• Calcium : 441 ppm
• Magnesium : 1400 ppm
• Alkalinity : 9 dKh
• Ammonia : 0
• Nitrite : 0

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

Just going off of numbers listed, your nitrate is a bit low and phosphate is high. Zoas thrive in dirtier water. Have you tried moving the zoas up? Did you dip them? If so, what did you dip them in? Were they fully open when you bought them?

 

[esther]

Just going off of numbers listed, your nitrate is a bit low and phosphate is high. Zoas thrive in dirtier water. Have you tried moving the zoas up? Did you dip them? If so, what did you dip them in? Were they fully open when you bought them?

I did dip them in Revive. They weren't open when I got them (got them from another reefer). I brushed the plug with H202 to get rid of algae and did a visual inspection for any bugs or eggs. I haven't tried moving them up. You think light may be an issue? What about flow?

 

[gtrider]

i have higher phosphates and have trouble w/ zoas.. some make it, some melt. my LPS and SPS are thriving.

 

[esther]

i have higher phosphates and have trouble w/ zoas.. some make it, some melt. my LPS and SPS are thriving.

Mine definitely aren't melting. They're trying really hard to open, though. lol

 

[gtrider]

Mine definitely aren't melting. They're trying really hard to open, though. lol

Well.. mine lasted a while.. sometimes over a year.. then melt away. i have some that thrive and some don't.

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

Zoas can be tricky sometimes. You mentioned that they weren't open fully to start, then you added stress from dip and peroxide. There may be something on then that is irritating them. You might try using a turkey baster to blow them off and/or move them up higher.

 

[esther]

Zoas can be tricky sometimes. You mentioned that they weren't open fully to start, then you added stress from dip and peroxide. There may be something on then that is irritating them. You might try using a turkey baster to blow them off and/or move them up higher.

I've tried the turkey baster. They've been in the tank for about a month now. I'll try moving them from where they are and see if that helps. Thanks.

 

[jeffchapok]

I had no luck with zoas until my tank was about 9 months old. Now they grow fine. Wait and try again in a few months.

 

[danschoenherr]

I agree with zoas doing better once the tank matures some. I feel there needs to be the right balance of nitrates and phosphates. I have also learned that I have better luck with a medium flow. That keeps detritus off, helps prevent bacterial infections and gives the polyps continuous movement which heplps them grow.

 

[esther]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I moved it to the other side of the tank and a little higher. We’ll see what happens. Cross your fingers.

 

[LRT]

I have found some Zoas are much more Finicky than others. Try finding a lower flow, shaded area. If that doesn't work try the exact opposite.
Ive had some open and show new polyps in 1-2 weeks while its taken others 1-2 weeks to open at all.

 

[CCauthers]

I agree with zoas doing better once the tank matures some. I feel there needs to be the right balance of nitrates and phosphates. I have also learned that I have better luck with a medium flow. That keeps detritus off, helps prevent bacterial infections and gives the polyps continuous movement which heplps them grow.

Agreed, I think balance is more important that having them high/low

 

[danieyella]

It was briefly mentioned above, but I would recommend raising your nitrates a little, my zoas seem to grow and be happiest when nitrates measure 5-10 range. I know it's easier said than done but pulling the phosphates down will help everything overall, but make sure you don't bottom out. I also keep mine in medium to medium/high intermittent flow. They are all in the lower region of my tank, but not shaded at all.

 

[AZMSGT]

I had Zoa problems for the first 4-5 months, now into my 7th month and they are turning into weeds. Just give it time. Also my Phosphates are .02 so that helps.

 

[esther]

I had Zoa problems for the first 4-5 months, now into my 7th month and they are turning into weeds. Just give it time. Also my Phosphates are .02 so that helps.

nothing reduces my phosphates. I’m thinking the rocks are leaching it. I have no idea what else it could be. I don’t over feed.

 

[danieyella]

nothing reduces my phosphates. I’m thinking the rocks are leaching it. I have no idea what else it could be. I don’t over feed.

Do you feed reefroids or something similar? That was the biggest culprit for me. What have you tried so far to help reduce? There are some pads you can add to your filtration - but you need to make sure they're below foam or another type of pad that will catch debris first. There's also Phosphate Rx which helped in my tank tremendously when I was convinced it was coming out of my rocks.

 

[esther]

Do you feed reefroids or something similar? That was the biggest culprit for me. What have you tried so far to help reduce? There are some pads you can add to your filtration - but you need to make sure they're below foam or another type of pad that will catch debris first. There's also Phosphate Rx which helped in my tank tremendously when I was convinced it was coming out of my rocks.

No Reef Roids. Just Mysis, some roe from reef nutrition, pellets. Nothing crazy. Have used RowaPhos, AL99. It reduces it to about 0.2 but that’s it.

 

[littlebigreef]

@jeffchapok hit on it as well as some of the other folks. Zoa prefer slightly elevated nitrates and some phosphates. They're going to do better in an aquarium that is fully matured. Not unusual to be having success keeping some of the other ones you've mentioned. But, remember, in a mixed reef you're going to compromise the preferences of some types of corals over others... lps and zoas are going to prefer different params than sps, etc. The other thing is that zoas, for the most part, really don't need a ton of light. Some of them actually do better in 80-100 par than 130+. Depending on your lighting you might actually be hitting them with more light than you realize. A final thought on light, its always better to acclimate new frags in low light and then, over a period of weeks, bump them up to higher light areas. Zoas, at least initially, can take a lot of light without showing ill effects but it can catch up with them.

I'd suggest using lugol's for dosing iodine if you're not already, 'its got what zoas crave'. And, its also a good small hammer to dip struggling zoas.

Finally, not all zoas are created equal. In a crude comparison think of tangs. It's one family but there's a world of difference between a yellow, a hepatus, a naso and an achilles. Your photo looks like magicians (a personal bugaboo). Stuff like bam bams, king midas, eagle eyes are a good place to get your feet under you- your yellow tangs as it were. Those types of zoas are particularly forgiving.

Please don't give up on zoas just yet. They are far and away the most colorful, and in my opinion, rewards coral to keep.

 

[esther]

@jeffchapok hit on it as well as some of the other folks. Zoa prefer slightly elevated nitrates and some phosphates. They're going to do better in an aquarium that is fully matured. Not unusual to be having success keeping some of the other ones you've mentioned. But, remember, in a mixed reef you're going to compromise the preferences of some types of corals over others... lps and zoas are going to prefer different params than sps, etc. The other thing is that zoas, for the most part, really don't need a ton of light. Some of them actually do better in 80-100 par than 130+. Depending on your lighting you might actually be hitting them with more light than you realize. A final thought on light, its always better to acclimate new frags in low light and then, over a period of weeks, bump them up to higher light areas. Zoas, at least initially, can take a lot of light without showing ill effects but it can catch up with them.

I'd suggest using lugol's for dosing iodine if you're not already, 'its got what zoas crave'. And, its also a good small hammer to dip struggling zoas.

Finally, not all zoas are created equal. In a crude comparison think of tangs. It's one family but there's a world of difference between a yellow, a hepatus, a naso and an achilles. Your photo looks like magicians (a personal bugaboo). Stuff like bam bams, king midas, eagle eyes are a good place to get your feet under you- your yellow tangs as it were. Those types of zoas are particularly forgiving.

Please don't give up on zoas just yet. They are far and away the most colorful, and in my opinion, rewards coral to keep.

Won’t give up. Thanks for the advice!