How to ‘fix’ zoa coloration

JosephM · Mar 8, 2021

About a week or two ago I received a large coral shipment. Most everything was good and healthy but a couple of the zoas look NOTHING like the pictures. I probably would have said something but I got so many corals and different zoas in I was more worried about placement and getting them happy then making sure everything was right. So basically there’s these two
This was bought as USA Paly:
What I bought:

what I received:

Very browned out and look almost like my bloodsuckers that are in front of them
Next up these were bought as blue eyes beauty paly:
What I bought

What I received:

Not nearly as bad but I feel like they’re lacking a lot and they look very solid colored compared to what I bought.

saltybees · Mar 8, 2021

Different lights from the looks of it, polyp numbers seem to match? I wouldn’t be too upset about it, sometimes zoas take a few weeks to even open up.

dvgyfresh · Mar 8, 2021

Reef roids or broadcasting zooanth pyhto will increase coloration, lol you can even see it if you feed one polyp some reef roids after eating and then opening up it will be a lot brighter than the other zoas

sfin52 · Mar 8, 2021

JosephM said:
About a week or two ago I received a large coral shipment. Most everything was good and healthy but a couple of the zoas look NOTHING like the pictures. I probably would have said something but I got so many corals and different zoas in I was more worried about placement and getting them happy then making sure everything was right. So basically there’s these two
This was bought as USA Paly:
What I bought:

what I received:

Very browned out and look almost like my bloodsuckers that are in front of them
Next up these were bought as blue eyes beauty paly:
What I bought

What I received:

Not nearly as bad but I feel like they’re lacking a lot and they look very solid colored compared to what I bought.

I see the resemblances of both these. Different light and such can and will change the colors of the zoa/paly.
I gave utter choas to a couple of friends. Mine stayed the same but both theirs completely changed. They don't look similar to mine or each other.

JosephM · Mar 8, 2021

dvgyfresh said:
Reef roids or broadcasting zooanth pyhto will increase coloration, lol you can even see it if you feed one polyp some reef roids after eating and then opening up it will be a lot brighter than the other zoas

I normally spot feed everything every 3 days but stopped because I was fighting dinos. I finally beat them so I’ll be starting that up again soon!

Also was dosing phyto daily but stopped because I am using UV and kind of makes it pointless but I’ll take down the UV here in a week or two to make sure the dinos are gone

JosephM · Mar 8, 2021

sfin52 said:
I see the resemblances of both these. Different light and such can and will change the colors of the zoa/paly.
I gave utter choas to a couple of friends. Mine stayed the same but both theirs completely changed. They don't look similar to mine or each other.

Is there any way to bring them back to the original? Like higher or lower in the tank? I’ve just never had this happen and I have quite a variety of zoas

PBnJOnWheat · Mar 8, 2021

I would try to feed them but they might’ve used filters. I know a lot of big brand and even small brand sellers put filters, not lense on a camera (which ig is a filter lol) over the image, after it’s been taken. Not sure why but it’s very misleading and irritating. That’s just my 2¢ because sure lighting changes but that cant explain a yellow to green or some other colors missinf or shifting

dvgyfresh · Mar 8, 2021

JosephM said:
I normally spot feed everything every 3 days but stopped because I was fighting dinos. I finally beat them so I’ll be starting that up again soon! Also was dosing phyto daily but stopped because I am using UV and kind of makes it pointless but I’ll take down the UV here in a week or two to make sure the dinos are gone

Sounds good I run UV 24/7 , lol I’m scarred from Dino’s

saltybees · Mar 8, 2021

JosephM said:
Is there any way to bring them back to the original? Like higher or lower in the tank? I’ve just never had this happen and I have quite a variety of zoas

Unless you can replicate 100% the tank they came from, highly unlikely. Plus the chance they could’ve been using a filter on the pictures. never know though give them time they might change.