My Blossoming DeskMate Zoa Garden

[Brit’s Fish]

My DeskMate just recently had its 1st Birthday & I just wanted to show it off. I’ve been slowly adding more and more zoa frags and have also been collecting mushrooms from my other higher flow tanks that haven’t wanted to hold onto their rocks. My Jawbreaker even finally recently had a baby, which was pretty exciting for me. I also have a small blasto colony, an orange lobo, an orange Yuma, some GSP & Blue Green Sympodium on the back wall, and one small intruder Kenya tree. (His days are numbered.)

I have 2 fish - a Yellow Clown Goby that’s about a year old and a Priolepsis Ascensionis that’s probably around 3 years old, maybe older. Other residents are a million mini brittle stars, 3 blue leg hermit crabs, 1 snail and 1 small peppermint shrimp who is a temporary guest.

Anyhow, I’m just excited that it’s doing well & I feel like I’m getting something right here. Would love some suggestions on what you’d add or change in this tank!

 

[CBonito]

I have like 6 different kinds now, but I don't know a thing about them, what they're called or anything. All I know is that they don't like anything touching them and the ones I have are insane under blue light.

I think I have "bam bams", "Rastas", "Blue Hornets"...and I forget the others. I'll be pointing to the wrong ones and calling them the wrong names...making an idiot of myself.

Looking great so far!

 

[Brit’s Fish]

I have like 6 different kinds now, but I don't know a thing about them, what they're called or anything. All I know is that they don't like anything touching them and the ones I have are insane under blue light.

I think I have "bam bams", "Rastas", "Blue Hornets"...and I forget the others. I'll be pointing to the wrong ones and calling them the wrong names...making an idiot of myself.

Looking great so far!

Thank you! If the person you saying the names to doesn’t know what they are either, it sounds really cool though! I can’t always remember all of their names either, except the really special ones.
And I know what you mean about them not liking anything touching them. I can never get a picture where all of the polyps are open. Always a crab walking over them or the clown goby perching on them!

 

[Macbalacano]

Looks amazing! Congrats on the 1 yr!

 

[CBonito]

Thank you! If the person you saying the names to doesn’t know what they are either, it sounds really cool though! I can’t always remember all of their names either, except the really special ones.
And I know what you mean about them not liking anything touching them. I can never get a picture where all of the polyps are open. Always a crab walking over them or the clown goby perching on them!

Yes!

I have my blue hornets (I think that's what they are they're blue) up a little higher and my flame hawk uses them as his doormat. I think it's just a waiting game because the real beauty is when they start to multiply and you have a whole rock covered in them vs a dime with 3 on each. I have mine all on one rock and I'm hoping they all cover it.

 

[Brit’s Fish]

Yes!

I have my blue hornets (I think that's what they are they're blue) up a little higher and my flame hawk uses them as his doormat. I think it's just a waiting game because the real beauty is when they start to multiply and you have a whole rock covered in them vs a dime with 3 on each. I have mine all on one rock and I'm hoping they all cover it.

Good luck! I have a fairly large colony of Rainbow Hornets in one of my big tanks and they’re gorgeous. I really love all the Hornet zoas.

 

[Tavero]

My DeskMate just recently had its 1st Birthday & I just wanted to show it off. I’ve been slowly adding more and more zoa frags and have also been collecting mushrooms from my other higher flow tanks that haven’t wanted to hold onto their rocks. My Jawbreaker even finally recently had a baby, which was pretty exciting for me. I also have a small blasto colony, an orange lobo, an orange Yuma, some GSP & Blue Green Sympodium on the back wall, and one small intruder Kenya tree. (His days are numbered.)

I have 2 fish - a Yellow Clown Goby that’s about a year old and a Priolepsis Ascensionis that’s probably around 3 years old, maybe older. Other residents are a million mini brittle stars, 3 blue leg hermit crabs, 1 snail and 1 small peppermint shrimp who is a temporary guest.

Anyhow, I’m just excited that it’s doing well & I feel like I’m getting something right here. Would love some suggestions on what you’d add or change in this tank!

What's your water changes and dosing frequency?

 

[RockBox13]

It’s completely awesome and I love it! You made a sweet little Zoa Zen garden for any size tank. I like that you had a vision for it and you carried it out without trying to put a bunch of other stuff and mushroom and Zoas exist together the same way on a natural reef.

 

[Brit’s Fish]

What's your water changes and dosing frequency?

I do 1 1/2 gallon water changes every week & I use Tropic Marin Pro salt. The only thing I have needed to dose has been Alkalinity & I dose 2ml of Brightwell Alkalin8.3 once, sometimes twice a week. I had a lot more coralline algae a few weeks ago but I temporarily added a small pincushion urchin to remove some of it. No real reason why, just wondered if having a little less would affect my Alk in any way & he was a really tiny urchin. I also don’t really use any Reef Roids, although I’m sure that might speed up the growth of the zoas, I don’t want to add any unnecessary phosphate. The larger LPS get Coral Frenzy pellets which is a twofer because the fish love them too.

 

[Brit’s Fish]

It’s completely awesome and I love it! You made a sweet little Zoa Zen garden for any size tank. I like that you had a vision for it and you carried it out without trying to put a bunch of other stuff and mushroom and Zoas exist together the same way on a natural reef.

Thank you!!

 

[Tavero]

I do 1 1/2 gallon water changes every week & I use Tropic Marin Pro salt. The only thing I have needed to dose has been Alkalinity & I dose 2ml of Brightwell Alkalin8.3 once, sometimes twice a week. I had a lot more coralline algae a few weeks ago but I temporarily added a small pincushion urchin to remove some of it. No real reason why, just wondered if having a little less would affect my Alk in any way & he was a really tiny urchin. I also don’t really use any Reef Roids, although I’m sure that might speed up the growth of the zoas, I don’t want to add any unnecessary phosphate. The larger LPS get Coral Frenzy pellets which is a twofer because the fish love them too.

Is that the 4.8 g size version?

I'm asking because this is a very high zoa biomass for such a small amount of water. If I don't dose phosphate daily and it bottoms out, my zoas are instantly unhappy. They are also hungry for specific trace elements, so I was interested if you dose anything. I guess a weekly water change is enough for now, but don't skip them.

 

[Brit’s Fish]

Is that the 4.8 g size version?

I'm asking because this is a very high zoa biomass for such a small amount of water. If I don't dose phosphate daily and it bottoms out, my zoas are instantly unhappy. They are also hungry for specific trace elements, so I was interested if you dose anything. I guess a weekly water change is enough for now, but don't skip them.

Yes, this is the 4.8g DeskMate. I wish I had an issue with phosphate bottoming out but that has never been a part of my reefing journey. I’m really good at keeping phosphate wayyyy up there… I’m a chronic overfeeder, not that that’s a brag. The PO4 in this tank hovers around 0.15-0.17 & I do have some hair algae & bubble algae that grows in the back filtration area. In my opinion, better in the back than in the display. I pull it out when it gets bulky enough & I guess that’s another way of exporting nutrients.
I will absolutely keep this in mind though! Thank you for your insight!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Those are some incredible looking zoas!