SERIOUS TIPS to keep healthy zoas in the long run wanted, please.

[scubaman]

Chemiclean. Huh, I'm going to have to give this a shot. I currently run a small amount of carbon and do dose Iodide.

 

[amppdx]

Just throwing it out there that I have seen large amiphipods chewing on my zoas. The response I usually get is that they will not eat zoas and that I must have something else preying on them and the pods are just cleaning up the mess. I keep my zoas on racks along the back and sides of the tank and I guess there is not enough hidding space for the big ones on plugs so its not an issue anymore.

 

[Swine]

I'm going to try the furan 2 and chemiclean for sure! I've recently got an order and my blue agaves are the only ones not to open up. Ive been doing lugols and removing the algae by hand but I'm very close to taking more desperate measures and doing the peroxide dip. Its been two weeks and no sign of opening up...

Does it mean anything if a paly doesn't ever close at night? I'm not complaining just doesn't seem like normal behavior

This thread is awesome.

sent from my phone.

 

[Rikerbear]

Thismis a great thread! I can't wait to finish reading through all the posts...learning lots!
Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge and opinions

 

[tampasnooker]

Just throwing it out there that I have seen large amiphipods chewing on my zoas. The response I usually get is that they will not eat zoas and that I must have something else preying on them and the pods are just cleaning up the mess. I keep my zoas on racks along the back and sides of the tank and I guess there is not enough hidding space for the big ones on plugs so its not an issue anymore.

Amphipods can definitely irritate zoas to the point where the whole colony won't open. Whether they are there causing the irritation or feeding on mucus caused by the irritation is open to debate. Either way, I consider a dip to be a good decision. A cleansing dip like FW, revive or coral rx will rid the colony of those pods which would allow you to monitor for other irritants. Furan or peroxide dips probably aren't a bad idea as a followup to prevent infection caused by the pods.

 

[tampasnooker]

I'm very close to taking more desperate measures and doing the peroxide dip. Its been two weeks and no sign of opening up...

A 10% peroxide dip for 5 min isn't that drastic, IME. It will knock out most stubborn "hair" algaes. Protopalys - the larger, real slimy ones (nuke greens, button polyps, etc) don't seem to like it as much so monitor the colony during the dip. I just did this dip on a nuke green colony 2 days ago for 5 min and they are fine; bryopsis is gone PE's may be next in line for sensitivity but I've only harmed colonies when I've grabbed a fresh beer and forgoten about them...

 

[Dragonreef202]

I have had some zoas do good and some just wither away. So I haven't mastered keeping zoas just trying to keep theones I have. It all depends on which ones will be acceoting the parameters in your tank.

 

[andrenym00]

Has anyone used brightwell aquatics medicoral dip? Would it be just as good as revive and coral rx? Only one my fish store has available. Brightwell Aquatics MediCoral Coral Dip 30ml / 1oz

 

[All_Thumbs_32]

Great info for someone new. Was looking for how/what to feed zoa's be for purchasing any. Info received thanks. But in reading you have mentioned a bit about iodine. Can any point me in the direction of where info for that is.

 

[Oscaror]

Here's a tip: You know how they say zoas are beginner corals? LIES! That is a very broad statement, many zoas just love to melt if they aren't as happy as a toddler with candy and bubble wrap.

 

[LizB]

I had a zoa as my first coral and it is still doing great. I found that blue light really brings out the colors, but also to have white light and "rainbow" light on for the health of these as well. Although it isn't needed, I have also found that seachem reef trace helps these guys out as well.
But I do sometime want to frag it. How does one frag a zoa and glue it to another rock without taking the rock out? I have had some zoa polyps "explore" before, but is that an issue at all?

 

[potatocouch]

Zoas are the most unpredictable coral I've ever kept, period! There is NO perfect method to keeping them. While some seem to thrive under any conditions. The ones 2" away just disappear.
I've never been able to keep Kedds Reds nor Tubbs of Blue. But these lil buggers I can't kill!

Under actentic

Day lights

I refuse to buy any more zoas.

Sorry, what zoa is this?

 

[rosshamsandwich]

I love threads like this! If you guys are anything like me, you may think you've got zoas figured out, and then, one day...poof! There goes your favorite colony or frag. What happened!? I gotta test everything...water change...dips...over-feed...under-feed...clean all the nooks and crannies, etc., etc. Settle down, Travis! Take a step back and breathe!

The key is to not overreact and adjust too many things at once. Not only will that make it more difficult to diagnose the problem, it is also very stressful to the delicate balance that your organisms depend on. Yes, all you pros out there, I know this is a common sense no-brainer but I still have to remind myself to say la vie (sp?) sometimes. I probably catch flak for this, but as hobbyists sometimes we are a little too obsessed in finding that missing piece of the puzzle, and forget about the basics.

The dirty little secret of zoa-keeping is that there is no secret. No magic bullet that will create that zoa garden that youve always dreamed of. Be skeptical of those who claim to have the missing ingredient (this means you vitamin C peeps). Practice the zen of fish tank maintenance, that is, know that your reef is totally unique, has its own special balance, and have faith that it will tell you what it needs. Without getting all hippy-dippy, I'm basically telling you to have total mastery over your artificial reef. Sounds easy doesnt it? For instance, I know that when I have more than one colony of closed polyps, then my phosphates may be too high. Test, wait a day, test again. Phosphates still too high? Then change the GFO. Another example: an established zoa colony starts pooping zoanthellae. Water may be too clean. Test nutrients and if its too clean (in my case NO3 below 1ppm) then the light penetrates the water more, causing mild light shock. There are dozens of little tricks like this that I will be releasing in my new Planet Zoa book, "Zoa Mastery" (just kidding!). My point is that if you are hyper-aware of the way your corals react to changes in water chemistry, then you can prevent a potential problem BEFORE that zoa starts to melt.

Here are some more invaluable tips that have helped me over the years. I share this because I really do (despite the fact that I sell zoas) want people to fully enjoy our little zoa friends.
1. Dont over-feed and employ a nutrient removal system that you can control easily and are comfortable with (this may or may not include skimmer, carbon source, media, reactors, siphoning, basting, etc.) An over-ambundace of waste will tick zoas off!
2. Setup a dedicated "sick bay" if you have more than a few zoas. This will allow you to keep an eye on troublesome polyps. I find it best to use a "sweet spot" in your system that has the most favorable flow and light. It also helps to have an area that is accessible so that you can perform daily dips on closed polyps. Its easy to procrastinate treating a sick frag or colony if its in a hard to reach area of the tank.
3. Iodine- I personally like dosing a drop of potassium iodide per 25-50 gallons daily. For me, this works well and is less harsh than Lugols. Also, in my opinion, iodine dips for zoas are ineffective.
4. Less tinkering. This is a no-brainer, but its sometimes hard to fight temptation. Less fragging and less relocating of zoas tends to help them establish and keep the immune system strong.
5. The next point may be somewhat controversial. I dose a teaspoon of dill pickle juice daily (totally kidding, DO NOT DO THIS!) But seriously, I am not convinced that zoanthids will grow infinitely in captivity. For me, its a very risky proposition to have a particular morph grow any larger than 15-30 polyps. Not only will a melting event be financially devastating, but its easily avoided by breaking that colony up into 3-4 smaller groups. That way if something happens to one, you have the others to fall back on. But hey, Im biased. I like to aquaculture and spray palytoxin all over the place.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading my long winded rant. Now zoa-keepers will never need new polyps and I can close up shop. Just remember to make changes slowly and trust your intuition.

this is awesome

 

[rosshamsandwich]

1. High flow... the key is to avoid detritus building within the polyp mat. Detritus wont directly hurt the zoa, but the pests it brings will. Spaghetti worms, bristle, etc.
2. Continuous source of nutrients. This can be done via dirty water but the easiest way is to keep your water clean but have lots of fish. Fish waste is the best food for polyps. I always load my frag tanks up with cheap fish like damsels.
3. Frag as soon as you reach the mini colony stage. You get the best growth from 2-3 polyp frags not from colonies/mini colonies. Having lots of small frags is a much safer bet than having 1 or 2 large colonies.
4. Dips are a waste of time for disease -- EXCEPT furan 2 dips. In my experience 20-30 minute furan 2 dips every other day for 6 days will get even the most stubborn polyp to open.
5. When things are going bad, DONT automatically change a ton of water. Zoas usually live/die from nutrient levels and pests... water change will make the nutrient levels worse and do nothing for pests.
6. Chemiclean is your friend. Learn to use it. This is not an antibiotic. It is a slow oxidizer that will bring your nitrate/phosphate levels back into a healthier ratio. After a 2 day treatment your zoas will open much larger and have a uniform "happiness" that is obvious to the eye. Even without a spot of cyano I will use it to perk up my zoas every few months.
7. Get a big *** cleanup crew. This is especially helpful for frag tanks. Trochus snails are the best by far. They keep the plugs clean so the polyps can grow. An algae covered plug will smother and kill your polyps.
8. Don't go crazy with the light. You will make the largest number of zoas/palys happy with a moderate amount of light... no need for insane PAR.
9. Biopellets can be certian death for zoas/palys if used too aggressively. Same goes for any other type of vodka dosing.

awesome

 

[jeff williams]

I love threads like this! If you guys are anything like me, you may think you've got zoas figured out, and then, one day...poof! There goes your favorite colony or frag. What happened!? I gotta test everything...water change...dips...over-feed...under-feed...clean all the nooks and crannies, etc., etc. Settle down, Travis! Take a step back and breathe!

The key is to not overreact and adjust too many things at once. Not only will that make it more difficult to diagnose the problem, it is also very stressful to the delicate balance that your organisms depend on. Yes, all you pros out there, I know this is a common sense no-brainer but I still have to remind myself to say la vie (sp?) sometimes. I probably catch flak for this, but as hobbyists sometimes we are a little too obsessed in finding that missing piece of the puzzle, and forget about the basics.

The dirty little secret of zoa-keeping is that there is no secret. No magic bullet that will create that zoa garden that youve always dreamed of. Be skeptical of those who claim to have the missing ingredient (this means you vitamin C peeps). Practice the zen of fish tank maintenance, that is, know that your reef is totally unique, has its own special balance, and have faith that it will tell you what it needs. Without getting all hippy-dippy, I'm basically telling you to have total mastery over your artificial reef. Sounds easy doesnt it? For instance, I know that when I have more than one colony of closed polyps, then my phosphates may be too high. Test, wait a day, test again. Phosphates still too high? Then change the GFO. Another example: an established zoa colony starts pooping zoanthellae. Water may be too clean. Test nutrients and if its too clean (in my case NO3 below 1ppm) then the light penetrates the water more, causing mild light shock. There are dozens of little tricks like this that I will be releasing in my new Planet Zoa book, "Zoa Mastery" (just kidding!). My point is that if you are hyper-aware of the way your corals react to changes in water chemistry, then you can prevent a potential problem BEFORE that zoa starts to melt.

Here are some more invaluable tips that have helped me over the years. I share this because I really do (despite the fact that I sell zoas) want people to fully enjoy our little zoa friends.
1. Dont over-feed and employ a nutrient removal system that you can control easily and are comfortable with (this may or may not include skimmer, carbon source, media, reactors, siphoning, basting, etc.) An over-ambundace of waste will tick zoas off!
2. Setup a dedicated "sick bay" if you have more than a few zoas. This will allow you to keep an eye on troublesome polyps. I find it best to use a "sweet spot" in your system that has the most favorable flow and light. It also helps to have an area that is accessible so that you can perform daily dips on closed polyps. Its easy to procrastinate treating a sick frag or colony if its in a hard to reach area of the tank.
3. Iodine- I personally like dosing a drop of potassium iodide per 25-50 gallons daily. For me, this works well and is less harsh than Lugols. Also, in my opinion, iodine dips for zoas are ineffective.
4. Less tinkering. This is a no-brainer, but its sometimes hard to fight temptation. Less fragging and less relocating of zoas tends to help them establish and keep the immune system strong.
5. The next point may be somewhat controversial. I dose a teaspoon of dill pickle juice daily (totally kidding, DO NOT DO THIS!) But seriously, I am not convinced that zoanthids will grow infinitely in captivity. For me, its a very risky proposition to have a particular morph grow any larger than 15-30 polyps. Not only will a melting event be financially devastating, but its easily avoided by breaking that colony up into 3-4 smaller groups. That way if something happens to one, you have the others to fall back on. But hey, Im biased. I like to aquaculture and spray palytoxin all over the place.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading my long winded rant. Now zoa-keepers will never need new polyps and I can close up shop. Just remember to make changes slowly and trust your intuition.

I have problems with my twizzlers pooping zoozanthela (as you put it) and then melting away my nitrate is 4 and my po4 is .06 would you recommend turning the light down for a week or so ?

 

[wattson]

I like my No3 -25 and tons of flow for zoas..Iodide dosing weekly and Alk high 7's -8.0..
got tired of chasing numbers and dont do it no more..if my NO3 drops to 10 or less I see the zoas turn grumpy..skimmmer runs 24/7 non stop..water changes are 10% once a month at best.MH and T5 lights,,got rid of LEDs and all tanks are bare bottom.
I only have zoas/palys.
3 fish fed flakes in a 175 gallon system.
KISS