How do I get my zoas to grow nice and fat?

[Proteus Meep]

Careful Negligence

 

[Leadfooted]

Hi, What do you call these zoa’s I have identical ones, started with 2 heads and I have about 28 now

Rainbow Infusers (maybe)

 

[_pabloperetti]

Hi, What do you call these zoa’s I have identical ones, started with 2 heads and I have about 28 now

Sunny D’s

 

[CaliReefs]

From my knowledge and experience working in a coral farm and coral distributer. Zoos grow best when in a colony the size of a hockey puck. They love to climb, so anything on an incline is great to stimulate them to grow. They do best in blue and UV light. We fed them often; a mix of fresh and dried food.
Flow was kept low and chemistry remained steady along with temperature.

 

[A. grandis]

More luddite anti LED clap-trap that needs to be ignored / banned. I've grown all my zoa gardens under LED for years, and all the high end Zoa/paly vendors I buy from use LEDs, etc. Would you like more pictures of my tanks? Pretty sure this is the same guy in a couple other forums giving the same bad advice.

Metal halide / fluorescent tubes have narrower spectrums than LED systems at daylight values, and none of our artificial light sources, other than plasma sulfur have full spectrums. This is why the entire commercial lighting industry is dumping those old tech light sources. The out-put of artificial light sources is not an opinion either but a measured quanta and based on industrial standards. I have a spectrometer if you would actually like to see the energy band of a T5 vs any LED you wish.

Zooxanthellae algae don't care about light sources - they only care about photons and energy values. Ask a marine biologist.

_Pablo - my best advice is to ignore the advice from somebody telling you not to use LEDs for paly/zoa and attend some large frag swaps and talk to the big vendors selling fat and healthy colonies. They are all running LEDs. Attached is a pic from one of my old grow out tanks with a pile of scrap LEDs I quickly cobbled together on a spare power supply

. Within 6 months the tank was so over grown I had to get rid of it.

Thanks for posting.
The zoas in your picture shows one more example of a very bad colony structure IMO. They live, but that's not what I look for. I just posted what my opinion is.
Don't be so defensive. Go look other tanks with T5s and halides then you can judge, my friend.
Every one has different goals. Stay cool!

 

[A. grandis]

From my knowledge and experience working in a coral farm and coral distributer. Zoos grow best when in a colony the size of a hockey puck. They love to climb, so anything on an incline is great to stimulate them to grow. They do best in blue and UV light. We fed them often; a mix of fresh and dried food.
Flow was kept low and chemistry remained steady along with temperature.

It must be the only experience you have. In nature they do best under 6500K.
See, I'm not trying to flame your comment or to say you are lying about what you wrote, but I'm saying that is the only experience you had. Cause if you keep them under "whites" you will have WAY better growth, naturally.

 

[Ponraj A]

Hi, What do you call these zoa’s I have identical ones, started with 2 heads and I have about 28 now

Frankly speaking no idea, I have got it from my friends tank with 4 heads on 7months before.

 

[Ponraj A]

This is a great example of a person that truly believes to be offering "good light" to the system. The polyps are reaching towards the heavens for light and the colony is showing abnormal structure formation due to the lack of proper spectrum and intensity. I'm sorry to use this as an example. My intention isn't to fire nor put you down, but help. We see this more than often. It's so sad that posts like this has been the norm in regards to light.

thanks for your transparent input and I am really working on to upgrade my lights. I am having presently 2 hydra 26hd and 4 T5, (Aqua blue1, Super purple1, Super actinic2 39W for 4 hours a day) have ordered 8x54 W T5 from ATI and looking forward to change to them.

 

[Coralreefer1]

I have experienced good growth and big polyp extension from feeding Reef Roids and Coral Vibrance.
Lighting, water flow and nutrient rich water can have positive results on Polyps. Having said this though, some of the basis for polyp growth and extension has to do with where the colony originated from. Is it a deep water species, did it originate from tide pool areas, deeper reefs or next to river run offs. How long the colony or frag has been kept in the pet store and online venue and under what lighting scheme can make a significant impact also.
Strong light and white light can help some polyps with growth and expansion but can also change the color or patterns of these species of Zoanthids and Palythoas especially if they have been kept under blue light and reduced PAR.
Some of it is trial and error depending on the species. Some is the varying results of water flow, light, color, water parameters and nutrients/food or lack thereof.
I wish there were a single guaranteed answer to Zoanthid and Palythoa Growth and extension but have yet to find it for every type of them in my tank.

 

[Ponraj A]

Hi, What do you call these zoa’s I have identical ones, started with 2 heads and I have about 28 now

Got the name from my friend with whom I have got, "Pink Infusion"

 

[A. grandis]

thanks for your transparent input and I am really working on to upgrade my lights. I am having presently 2 hydra 26hd and 4 T5, (Aqua blue1, Super purple1, Super actinic2 39W for 4 hours a day) have ordered 8x54 W T5 from ATI and looking forward to change to them.

That is great news! ATI is the best simple T5 fixture found in US, IMO. No need dimmable, just get the SunPower.
The only bulbs I don't use and don't recommend are purple bulbs. IMO they take a precious space that could have a much better one.
Your corals will love you forever with the ATI fixture! You're going to have much better growth and color with T5s.

 

[Coralreefer1]

Hi, What do you call these zoa’s I have identical ones, started with 2 heads and I have about 28 now

They are called Rainbow Infusions, I believe.

 

[Ponraj A]

That is great news! ATI is the best simple T5 fixture found in US, IMO. No need dimmable, just get the SunPower.
The only bulbs I don't use and don't recommend are purple bulbs. IMO they take a precious space that could have a much better one.
Your corals will love you forever with the ATI fixture! You're going to have much better growth and color with T5s.

@A.grandis
Thanks for your reply, do you in the mean there is no need to buy dimmable? just a power module in sunpower is enough? Do the coral get shock on sudden 100% power on T5. Please reply

 

[A. grandis]

@A.grandis
Thanks for your reply, do you in the mean there is no need to buy dimmable? just a power module in sunpower is enough? Do the coral get shock on sudden 100% power on T5. Please reply

Yes, there is absolutely no need to buy dimmable.
Powermodule has LEDs. Sunpower doesn't have LEDs. Back in the day, 10+ years ago, Powermodule was the name of their "top of the line, heavy duty" all T5 fixture and the Sunpower was the "light version" of their all T5 system.
Simple Sunpower, non-dimmable, is the one to get. The one that has all T5s.
No, the corals don't get any shock by suddenly turning on 100% of the T5s. The Sunpower has 2 channels and you will be able to turn on only 2 bulbs first if you wish. You can connect the Sunpower to a timer or a controller. It has 2 cords. One controls 2 bulbs and the other control 6 bulbs.
Eight bulb Sunpower fixture:

48" SunPower High Output T5 Light Fixture

Just 2.1" thick, 48" ATI SunPower High Output T5 fixture provides optimal performance in a slim, contemporary design. Parabolic Miro-Silver reflectors made from silver-coated 98% reflective aluminum for each bulb Active cooling system 2 Power cords - one controls 2 bulbs and the other controls...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[Ponraj A]

Yes, there is absolutely no need to buy dimmable.
Powermodule has LEDs. Sunpower doesn't have LEDs. Back in the day, 10+ years ago, Powermodule was the name of their "top of the line, heavy duty" all T5 fixture and the Sunpower was the "light version" of their all T5 system.
Simple Sunpower, non-dimmable, is the one to get. The one that has all T5s.
No, the corals don't get any shock by suddenly turning on 100% of the T5s. The Sunpower has 2 channels and you will be able to turn on only 2 bulbs first if you wish. You can connect the Sunpower to a timer or a controller. It has 2 cords. One controls 2 bulbs and the other control 6 bulbs.

Great will do so and will switch on the blue T5's first and later the rest of the 6 T5's. What is the time period you feel would be good?

 

[Ponraj A]

Yes, there is absolutely no need to buy dimmable.
Powermodule has LEDs. Sunpower doesn't have LEDs. Back in the day, 10+ years ago, Powermodule was the name of their "top of the line, heavy duty" all T5 fixture and the Sunpower was the "light version" of their all T5 system.
Simple Sunpower, non-dimmable, is the one to get. The one that has all T5s.
No, the corals don't get any shock by suddenly turning on 100% of the T5s. The Sunpower has 2 channels and you will be able to turn on only 2 bulbs first if you wish. You can connect the Sunpower to a timer or a controller. It has 2 cords. One controls 2 bulbs and the other control 6 bulbs.

Is there any specific reason that you not recommend for the dimmable version, just asking on learning curiosity .....

 

[A. grandis]

Great will do so and will switch on the blue T5's first and later the rest of the 6 T5's. What is the time period you feel would be good?

Yes, if you want you can turn on 2 ATI Blue Plus bulbs one hour before the rest of the combo in the morning... Then you can leave those 2 blue bulbs for another hour before you turn off the light in the evening.
Photoperiod of max 12 hours. I like to have a 9 to 10 hours photoperiod over my systems.

 

[A. grandis]

Is there any specific reason that you not recommend for the dimmable version, just asking on learning curiosity .....

Yes, the reason is simply because if the electricity goes out, the fixture won't work normally when electricity comes back. You will have to program the time again. I don't like that at all!! Another reason is that the dimmable fixture might wear out the bulbs prematurely due to the constant changes in intensity. There is no need for dimmable. I had one of those and changed for the regular Sunpower.
My oldest fixture is 11+ years old still working!! They are the best!!!

 

[Ponraj A]

Yes, the reason is simply because if the electricity goes out, the fixture won't work normally when electricity comes back. You will have to program the time again. I don't like that at all!! Another reason is that the dimmable fixture might wear out the bulbs prematurely due to the constant changes in intensity. There is no need for dimmable. I had one of those and changed for the regular Sunpower.
My oldest fixture is 11+ years old still working!! They are the best!!!

I agree to it and I don't think that the programme will collapse after the power failure. But I agree to the point of bulk might loss its age due to constant change in intensity So I will take the normal sunpower non-dimmable version.
Thanks for your input and advise.
Happy Reefing!!!!

 

[A. grandis]

I agree to it and I don't think that the programme will collapse after the power failure. But I agree to the point of bulk might loss its age due to constant change in intensity So I will take the normal sunpower non-dimmable version.
Thanks for your input and advise.
Happy Reefing!!!!

My brand new dimmable Sunpower collapsed every time we had a power failure. The programmed photoperiod time remained in the system, but I would have to program the time of the day itself. ATI told me that unfortunately the problem would have to be addressed. I hope they fixed it since then.
You're very welcome. Enjoy.