What's the deal with Zoanthids? Huh

[Liquid360]

I've just never really focused on one species. I find myself buying for color/size... example, most recently I moved a couple of poly colonies to my seahorse tank which freed up space on the sandbed. I bought some gorgonians, a scoly, and a war coral to fill that space. I've got a few zoas/polys as well. For whatever reason I'm just not into the slight color variations. I get it though, the obsession isn't that different from anything else. Anyone who collects anything would understand. You're just very specific in your passions.
I appreciate all the honest responses! I expected to get jumped as I understand we can be quite passionate about our passions!

 

[Nickel9]

So basically what I'm hearing is that this is a virus of some sort? airborne? Or is it more like the affliction of the alcoholic? with the reckless spending this could be a psychological disorder of some sort?

Hahahaha. I'm a big fan of zoas but would never pay the ridiculous prices I've seen. Now a trade is a different story..

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[PaulKreider]

Some of them are blown out prices I agree, but you have to relize some people in this hobby have no budget limit. But for the average reefers, hornets, PE's, morphs and all that, can really get some blood flowing! And in my opinion zoas/palys are some of the most beautiful animals i'v ever seen. What other animal on earth has all the colors of the rainbow?

 

[Liquid360]

Intellectually I can understand what you're saying. I even understand paying crazy prices for certain pieces. Example, a small tank filled with 20k in coral... $1500 scolys, $3000 acro, $5000 zoa colony... I get it. I just don't understand the zoa obsession, a zoa dominated tank. Most I spent on a zoa piece was a couple hundred. When I received it, while beautiful, I found the zoa sizes less than satisfying. They are tiny little flowers. It seems to be you can get far more bang for your buck in scolys, chalices, lobos, nems, acro, etc... yeah I get that's its all personal preference. I was simply curious about these Zoanauts I see around

Some of them are blown out prices I agree, but you have to relize some people in this hobby have no budget limit. But for the average reefers, hornets, PE's, morphs and all that, can really get some blood flowing! And in my opinion zoas/palys are some of the most beautiful animals i'v ever seen. What other animal on earth has all the colors of the rainbow?

 

[joshporksandwich]

I don't know what the big deal is either.

 

[Liquid360]

ps. I will agree that Zoas make for some seriously wicked, spectacular photography subjects. Stunning!! However I think much less impressive in person.

 

[Liquid360]

I didn't think I'd have a single supporter lol. Thanks!

I don't know what the big deal is either.

 

[joshporksandwich]

I didn't think I'd have a single supporter lol. Thanks!

lol. yes little flowers I'm more of a stick man.

 

[joshporksandwich]

I'm pulling your chain liquid lolololol. It's all about preference. I love, love, love zoas. I like my tank to look amazing and have all incredible colors that you can't achieve with any other corals. My son loves LPS and I have lots of friends that like colored sticks. There's something for everyone. I'm just showing you what we love on the zoanthid section of R2R. Club zoa baby!!!!!!
Example.......

 

[-Logzor]

Intellectually I can understand what you're saying. I even understand paying crazy prices for certain pieces. Example, a small tank filled with 20k in coral... $1500 scolys, $3000 acro, $5000 zoa colony... I get it. I just don't understand the zoa obsession, a zoa dominated tank. Most I spent on a zoa piece was a couple hundred. When I received it, while beautiful, I found the zoa sizes less than satisfying. They are tiny little flowers. It seems to be you can get far more bang for your buck in scolys, chalices, lobos, nems, acro, etc... yeah I get that's its all personal preference. I was simply curious about these Zoanauts I see around 

I know exactly what you mean but I think only joshporksandwich actually pulls of zoas that actually dominate like big SPS and LPS colonies do.

 

[joshporksandwich]

I know exactly what you mean but I think only joshporksandwich actually pulls of zoas that actually dominate like big SPS and LPS colonies do.

A lot of people are doing it for $$$$$$ also. They buy something to grow chop and sell. I let my babies grow and that's why my tank looks cool. I only frag my colonies if they start outgrowing another one if not i don't care how much $$$ they throw at me i will let them grow.

 

[ohio reefer]

The reason i like zoanthids is because they're small and colorful, I don't have a collection however. I have two pieces. I like to have a bit of everything rather than a lot of one.


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[Liquid360]

Ditto! In my dream tank I'd have a nice piece of everything... I keep a seahorse species tank only because they can't survive in the reef. I've got a few zoa pieces which I think are purdy but I lack the Zoavirus which seems to have ravaged the reef community.

The reason i like zoanthids is because they're small and colorful, I don't have a collection however. I have two pieces. I like to have a bit of everything rather than a lot of one.


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[Liquid360]

awww come on now.... you saying that your zoas don't have a price? If that's true my virus idea can't be far off from the truth.

A lot of people are doing it for $$$$$$ also. They buy something to grow chop and sell. I let my babies grow and that's why my tank looks cool. I only frag my colonies if they start outgrowing another one if not i don't care how much $$$ they throw at me i will let them grow.

 

[johnanddawn]

awww come on now.... you saying that your zoas don't have a price? If that's true my virus idea can't be far off from the truth.

I'm with josh on this one
I use to like fragging/trading/selling and such but it got to be more of a hassle then fun
Now I only cut what I have to curb excess growth and let the rest go and generally only share with friends

Zoas really only look cool when they get to be colony sized and the fun for me is taking a single polyp or two and growing into a colony
My zoas get glued down and allowed to grow in a display tank
But then again I don't have any 100$ polyps in my tank either...

 

[joshporksandwich]

awww come on now.... you saying that your zoas don't have a price? If that's true my virus idea can't be far off from the truth.

I don't touch any colony in my tank. I've had very nice offers (thousands of $$$) from vendors on this site to purchase colonies and i've told them flat out no. Don't get me wrong I know how much i paid for everything in my tank and when one zoa tries to outgrow another i can move them or frag here and there but only for that reason not because of $$$. I give all my closest friends frags of my stuff for free in case of accidents.

We all have different taste of things in life corals being one of them. I ask you If you had an unlimited amount of money (i wish i did and not implying i do i'm broke lol) and i would tell you buy everything you want for the best tank what would you buy? I have my dream tank full of zoas. My 11 yr old son would buy every acan lord and master scoly out there lol.

 

[FaviaFreak]

zoas are the most collectible coral in the hobby...your either on the bus or not, it's that simple

 

[650-IS350]

Most Z's and P's collectors have macro lenses for eyes... We can see the details and the color variations from those midget mirco zoas that are smaller than a eraser head polyps to nickle sized ones in our 100-300 gallon tanks. Compared to the aquarist that's not into Z's and P's that would require a microscope to see the fine details in the polyp from the specs, dotting, color pattern variations, striations. Also with Z's and P's you blast them with attinics and they pop like crazy and look almost unreal ( for those that love to view their tank mostly attinic ),

plus with most Z's and P's they grow like weeds, Z's and P's are chopped up and sold for Wads of $$$$ per polyp due to the craze and ease of growing these coral if you have a stable system as some people have mentioned. The funny thing is now its almost normal to see new single polyp releases for 300-400 PER Polyps that are a couple millimeters to less than a CM in diameter LOL. Too each to his/her own.

 

[Zoanut]

I think their level of hardiness, vibrant colors, quick growth rates and general ease of care is what makes them so desirable. There is much more to it than that, but i think those are the big points for most.

 

[shred5]

zoas are the most collectible coral in the hobby...your either on the bus or not, it's that simple

See that's what I don't get: collecting corals. I buy what I like and fits with my tank. I prefer to focus on the biology. I think this is why so many peoples tanks look like frag tanks now instead of nice big colonies. It is also the reason so many people leave the hobby so fast now.. They spend all this crazy money on the little itty bitty frags and then they die because they never really learn the biology of things. I have had friends leave because they spent so much on their corals and when the inevitable crash or partial crash comes they are out of the hobby because they spent so much money and are devastated. Part of the issue is mixing corals that don't belong anywhere near each other or overstocking a tank with different corals and allelopathy kicks in. I am not talking about spending money on that prize piece or pieces, I am just talking the collecting. i just think it is the wrong way to look at this hobby, this isn’t stamps or coins its animals.

I just wish people would focus more on the biology and husbandry of reef keeping first. The answer to everything now a days is biopellets. People are adding them and they don’t understand how they work or even if they need them. You got phosphate issues or algae add biopellets, yea thats the answer...this leads to the inevitable crash because they learned to rely on biopellets instead of good husbandry.

I'm sure ill regret saying this but what's the deal with zoas? I get that they're quite pretty, little things but this obsession with slight genetic mutations and slight variations...I mean these things have become a sort of accepted currency. is it as simply as the desire for obscure exclusivity? Or something more complex? I mean the price swing from a modest sum all the way to stratospheric prices based solely upon the width and placement of a tiny black line... I'm asking earnestly. I'm not meaning to offend.... on the other hand should you feel offended.

Problem most don't realize is those slight mutations and this is not just zoas its sps or anything may have happened do to anything, lighting, nutrients etc.. You spend that money on a coral that has changed a little bit of color just to have it turn back in your tank or even different color.

Allot is marketing.. Green btas were the standard years a go.. Then Rose anemones started coming into the hobby. The redder the better and more expensive, any green in them they were less money, now they call them rainbows and get more money for them.