How do you grow your Zoa's?

drainbamage · Mar 14, 2011

For the ones that accept food, the answer is easy: feed the suckers!

But for all those that don't accept reasonably sized food (e.g. larger than phyto/oyster eggs, etc), and heck, even for those that do- what are some tips and tricks you use to encourage your Zoa's to grow?

Oh, and if you suggest tips for making protopaly's grow you'll get a PM with lots of frowny faces :tongue:

A few of mine-

Keeping iodide present in the system- in a few of my tanks, the excessive population of Zs alongside LPS's creates an iodide deficiency as lacking fish, I don't feed some of the tanks often. Coupled with infrequent water changes at times, I believe my iodide levels deplete. By adding an iodide (not iodine! have sticks in the tanks and they hate iodate) supplement I believe I'm achieving some extra growth rate and color.

Placing polyps on a non-horizonal surface - I haven't done enough testing with this method, but many times that a polyp rock is placed on an offset angle, I believe I get a higher growth rate of the polyps.

Turn down the lights- This isn't an absolute, but I've noticed my SPS dominant systems do not do nearly as well for growing Zoas. I believe this may have been caused by poor light acclimation in many cases, but in other cases, zoa's I've had in high light for a good period of time will grow down and under the frag plug/rack they've been placed on when put into too much light. My teklights now run 4 bulbs for only 4 hours, with 2 bulbs running for about 10-12 hours. As of now providing best results for the most variety of corals, especially the zoa's.

Well, what tips do you got? Suggesting patience will be responded with a PM of a picture of a protopaly :tongue:

SD Actuary · Mar 14, 2011

One that I have been experimenting with over the past 6 weeks is a double photo period. 430 am til 10 am (ramp up, ramp down), and 430 pm til 10 pm.

I have started to see some of my palys really take off.

Also i have no patience and when something isnt growing fast enough I usually just buy more of them, even protopalys.

Akwarius · Apr 23, 2011

How is the double photo period working out. Im considering trying this on my frag tank.

xmetalfan99 · Apr 23, 2011

Akwarius said:
How is the double photo period working out. Im considering trying this on my frag tank.

I have read of a few people having great success with multiple photoperiods during the day. Their explanation was that corals can only take in so much energy/light at a time which is why polyps start closing up when the lights are still on. The shorter but more frequent photo periods allow for the corals to relax and rest.

Akwarius · Apr 23, 2011

I'd really like to see some data on this. How brief of a rest period is considered enough to adequately repair tissue and maintain a healthy immune system?

eggie · Apr 23, 2011

What work for me in the past and still was great flow and target feeding
If its only 1 polyp it will take time after you get like 6 polyps that's were they kick in pretty good and you end up having 40 + polyps easy
example
purple hornet from 2 polyps to like 50+ but it took time

Red hornets from 1 polyp to Like 40+ took time also

Nebula blue had like 6 polyps and went to 50+

Also there is just some zoas and palys that there just slow growers
Like my captain Americas it was 1 polyp and it has like 10 polyps now and its like 1 yr old frag

xmetalfan99 · Apr 23, 2011

eggie said:
What work for me in the past and still was great flow and target feeding
If its only 1 polyp it will take time after you get like 6 polyps that's were they kick in pretty good and you end up having 40 + polyps easy
example
purple hornet from 2 polyps to like 50+ but it took time

Red hornets from 1 polyp to Like 40+ took time also

Nebula blue had like 6 polyps and went to 50+

Also there is just some zoas and palys that there just slow growers
Like my captain Americas it was 1 polyp and it has like 10 polyps now and its like 1 yr old frag

What do are you feeding to your polyps when you taget feed them? Palys will take meaty foods, but I've never seen a zoa eat anything meaty.

eggie · Apr 23, 2011

Rods Original food and coral food mix with RO water so it ends up melted in small pieces and target feed with a coralfeeder

Flow turn off target feed slow and you will see them grabbing it and watch your fishes they tend to take it off from them
illl post pics of my zoas later so you see my growth rate

KLR · Apr 23, 2011

Nothing against what you said DB. But when I moved my zoas from a 6bulb t5powered tank(They were on the sb) to the tank lit by a 120w evolution led pendant(the zoas were on a frag rack approx. 10in. from the the light). The zoas under leds grew ALOT faster under leds. In the T5 tank my PH frag was 4 polyps for about 4 months. I moved them to the led tank and I had around 12 polyps in 1 month. I know water quality makes a big differance but the tanks were basically = on their parameters. This was the same case for my magicians and mettalic dreamz.

Akwarius · Apr 23, 2011

I think its still speculation whether small zoas are actually ingesting food when they close up. This could just be a defensive reaction to an irritant. Good growth by the way, eggie. How long did it take you to grow out those colonies?

fsu1dolfan · Apr 23, 2011

For me i started dosing vitamin C a couple of years back and i have seen good growth. Not sure if it directly related but it helped.

gqjeff · Apr 23, 2011

I use vit c and also fauna marine acan/zoo food. 1 I use and think makes a huge difference also is zeovit sponge power.

Peace....

eggie · Apr 23, 2011

Pictures of the growth in my zoas

Purple Hornets (March 09)

Purple Hornets (2010)

Purple Hornets (Today)
ill post this one later

Red Hornets (Nov 09)

Red Hornets (2011)
coming later

King Midas (Nov 09)

King Midas (Nov 10)

Akwarius · Apr 23, 2011

Excellent growth, eggie. After you target feed, do you clear off the food that's settled in between the polyps?

eggie · Apr 23, 2011

No I let them grab whatever they can plus it very small particuls they are grabbing fish and flow takes care of the rest
i just move my zoas and they are close so as soon as they open i will take an actual pic and post

tens8273 · Apr 24, 2011

Great thread! I think that mentioning skimmer size (to get an idea of how effective it might be at skimming...heavy or lightly skimming your system) and water change practices would also be helpful in this equation for growth rates. Personally, I have seen some morphs respond well to heavier skimming but have also seen other morphs quickly melt after upgrading my skimmer to one double the rating for my tank. Just another piece of anecdotal evidence for us to consider.

Akwarius · Apr 24, 2011

^that's a good point. It's true that some zoas respond well to "dirtier" water. For instance, some carribean zoas are collected from areas with silty water. One way to compensate for an efficient skimmer would be to feed more often. Unfortunately most of us are unaware of the actual water quality, lighting, and currents in the areas where most zoas are collected.

tens8273 · Apr 24, 2011

Exactly Akwarius. We get morphs from so many different parts of the world running a wide range of the parameters you just mentioned. I know first hand that darth Mauls and yellow jackets do not like super clean water. The zoas that grow in the waters near where I live thrive mainly in the inlets (i think "dirtier" water).