Do you think zoas are overrated?

[X-37B]

I have had zoa rocks before with many different colors. They do proliferate at a rapid rate.
I like them in nanos.
Here are some in my 15.

 

[Featherweight]

Pretty hard to look at these every day and think they are overrated

One of my favorite zoas!

 

[Hairyteeth]

I don't think they are overrated in a vacuum, I think they're super cool, vibrant, and relatively easy to keep. Now on the flip side, the way some vendors price them can make them overrated/not worth it. Generally, every zoa grows and reproduces at the same rate. What justifies charging 30-40-50 dollars per polyp???

They all grow at the same rate huh

 

[rtparty]

Yep. They haven’t been in my tanks in years.

 

[TX_REEF]

They all grow at the same rate huh

more or less - it's not as if one strain produces 100 polyps a month and another produces 1 a year.

 

[Dragen Fiend]

For some of the prices, yes.. But zoas come in a lot of colors and overall cheap compared to other corals.

 

[Hairyteeth]

more or less - it's not as if one strain produces 100 polyps a month and another produces 1 a year.

Maybe it’s just positioning and flow….and I’ll agree they all do reproduce semi evenly but dang I’ll have pandoras grow 5x faster than any others….i feel like they either fall into two categories
grows fine or weed like

 

[Reefer Matt]

No. Zoas are my guilty pleasure, and I rarely show mine.

 

[Biokabe]

I categorize zoas the same way I do mushrooms... fast-growing corals whose primary purpose is to fill in the lower levels of the tank and soften the hard edges. I don't try to cultivate them - I find a bare spot, chuck them in, and let them go.

I have enough PAR in the upper reaches of my tank that they usually melt if they get too high, so they mostly confine themselves to the lower third of the tank. Once they get going, they cover up bare rock that would otherwise be a magnet for algae, and when it works out nicely I have a riot of colors in random spots of the tank.

 

[jlitz]

It’s a love/hate thing for me. Beautiful, can be difficult to control, either grow like weeds or struggle. Always the ones you wish would grow that melt and the ones you regret putting in your tank that run wild. I think if you keep each type isolated on their own rock is the way to go. Wish I figured that out earlier.

 

[Tikki]

 

[Andamaite]

They're beautiful, but the prices and hype have really gotten wacky. When I had mine originally I could get a rock the size of my hand for $20. Also the names have become pretty absurd, but that's becoming true for all corals. It's nice to have "shorthand" for colors but I really am not keen on having to say some of them aloud to another human being in a public place.

 

[fandaga]

I just love ‘em…especially strat and utter chaos.

 

[TheNative192]

I like Zoas. It is strange how some do really well and others just melt randomly. I know people say they grow too fast but for beginners it is kind of nice to have something take off and grow really quickly. It kind of gives you confirmation that you did something at least right. That being said I do feel like they should be isolated if you can.

 

[MossyFroggyLove]

I am not too interested in them when imsee,them in the lfs, but when i do get them, i think they are really worth it!

 

[twentyleagues]

I have always loved zoas. The colors are incredible and pretty much any color or pattern you can think of there is a zoa. Pricing gets silly though. Like any coral they have their quirks, some are unkillable while others you look at them wrong and they pack up and leave. A nice zoa garden will always draw my attention first regardless of what fish or other corals are present.

Years ago my reef sensei was a hard core stick head he always said mushrooms and zoas are for "kids" and they had no place in a real reef. I thought that was funny as any time he was over I caught him staring at my zoa garden. Eventually he admitted that it was very eye catching and took some frags from me to set up a small zoa garden in a tank tied into his crazy acro tank. Good old days...

 

[BZOFIQ]

There is a color variant for every taste. You decide.

Overrated - no. Insanely priced - some, most certainly!

 

[dstahla733]

Don't get me wrong, I do like zoas. I like the variety of colors and sizes they come in, but it seems like they are the common coral for people to get. Not to mention, they can be finicky at times, are priced high depending on the colony, and can be pesky with space. So I am wondering, do you think they are overrated corals and overhyped, or do you think everyone should have some in their tanks?

I went bare bottom and purchased a 20 pack of different zoas and they are covering the bottom and look amazing. It all depends

 

[vlangel]

Nope, not over rated. There are pretty cheap zoas and they are relatively hardy. I like them a lot!

 

[corosato]

I love me some Zoas, but I can't imagine paying the per polyp price on the high end "sneeze and I'll melt" ones. But I will always have a zoa island to add a nice dense spot of color.