Doubt about a zoas garden

[zoroi]

Hello everyone,





I need some advice on my zoanthid garden. I’ve noticed that one of my zoa colonies specifically the red one is growing much faster than the others. I’m wondering if this species could overgrow or outcompete the others on the same rock.





I already know that watermelon zoas tend to spread aggressively, so I’ve dedicated a separate rock for them. Given the rapid growth of the red zoa, I’m considering two options:


1. Removing it from the current rock and placing it with the watermelon zoas.


2. Keeping it in place and monitoring its growth.





What would be the best to maintain balance in the garden?

 

[SaltyWalty]

I have noticed some zoas tend to grow faster and are definitely capable of outgrowing other zoas on the same rock. I’ve usually see it just shade out the other zoas and eventually they die back. I’ve traditionally just pruned like any garden to maintain my desired mixture of zoas. I’ll sometimes frag the ones that are growing faster to allow room for the others grow grow, or if I already have many frags of that zoa I’ve kalk pasted some zoas to cut back spreading.

 

[JoJosReef]

Very nice garden you've started! Yes, a faster one will eventually overtake (ask me how I know). Keeping similarly growing zoas together will make gardening easier, otherwise you will need to frag/cull more often.

A few gardening approaches:
1. Modular approach with removable colonies in the sand bed for pruning (not applicable, since yours are on the rocks)
2. Let them grow wild -- works best with similarly growing zoas
3. Garden maintenance by fragging -- when a colony starts overgrowing, frag it. Can mean lots of time in tank chopping fast growers.
4. Garden maintenance by culling -- mix up kalk paste and inject the kalk paste onto the oral disk of polyps growing outside of their "zone". Best to do the gradually, since killing zoas and palys can irritate your other corals. My euphyllia close up for 2-3 days after a sizeable culling (10+ polyps in a nano).

I'm sure there are other approaches! I would move the reds next to the watermelons and replace with something like charmanders.

 

[JoJosReef]

Charmanders (under whites, brighter under blues):

 

[Steven Garland]

Once settled in and happy,those pink zoa's (playboi bunnies) are gonna take over before anything else does.

 

[spencerkilgore]

Hello everyone,





I need some advice on my zoanthid garden. I’ve noticed that one of my zoa colonies specifically the red one is growing much faster than the others. I’m wondering if this species could overgrow or outcompete the others on the same rock.





I already know that watermelon zoas tend to spread aggressively, so I’ve dedicated a separate rock for them. Given the rapid growth of the red zoa, I’m considering two options:


1. Removing it from the current rock and placing it with the watermelon zoas.


2. Keeping it in place and monitoring its growth.





What would be the best to maintain balance in the garden?

wow absolutely stunning garden you’re creating!!! i am currently trying to do this in my tank now. I know you made this thread asking for help but now i need advice from you lol.

what do you have your lights running at?
what are you feeding your Zoas?
how long has it taken them to grow to that size?
how long did it take for them to open up after placing them in your tank?

 

[bubbgee]

I have noticed some zoas tend to grow faster and are definitely capable of outgrowing other zoas on the same rock. I’ve usually see it just shade out the other zoas and eventually they die back. I’ve traditionally just pruned like any garden to maintain my desired mixture of zoas. I’ll sometimes frag the ones that are growing faster to allow room for the others grow grow, or if I already have many frags of that zoa I’ve kalk pasted some zoas to cut back spreading.

This was my observation as well.

 

[bubbgee]

Mine took six months. It also depends on the colony. Palys tend to crowd the others. Then you'll have some umbrellas because of competition. The rock is getting 300 par and the behavior is like that.

 

[BryanM]

I'm just letting mine go the natural route for now. Might regret it.... who knows.