Zoa behavior ?

[Just_Pete]

So a few zoas in my tank started to spread onto rocks from the plugs they came one which is great. What I’m wondering is why are they spreading loosely?

When I placed my plugs in the tank, the polyps where tightly packed together. After a few weeks I started noticing them spread to the rocks but as I mentioned, loosely. Is this normal behavior?

 

[Just_Pete]

Above picture is 20min after feeding. They look like this even a while after feeding. Here’s a pic from April 21

 

[footgal]

Mine don’t spread out like this. How much flow do you have them in? My zoas always grow very tightly together like yours did when you first got them. I keep mine in a mid-high flow area

 

[Just_Pete]

These particular ones are same, mid to high flow with mid to high lighting. They get fed once a week too.

 

[footgal]

Hmm... what are your water perams and what are you feeding them? Is the current blowing across them (left to right) or with them (in the direction of growth so up to down/ down to up)?

 

[Sipec]

I could be wrong, but if I were to guess they were hoping for some food and spread out to cover more area

 

[Just_Pete]

Hmm... what are your water perams and what are you feeding them? Is the current blowing across them (left to right) or with them (in the direction of growth so up to down/ down to up)?

Mp40 placed on the back wall of my cube. Flow is from behind to front glass of the tank. Fed reef roids, shrimp, pellets and amino acids all mixed up together.

 

[paraletho]

Remember this isn’t a nice solid flat frag plug anymore. There are holes and sharp edges to navigate. Some holes may harbor zoa irritators such as bristle worms etc.

 

[footgal]

Okay so your zoas higher up are stretching quite a bit which makes me think they probably want more light. Your (Rastas?) are spreading pretty good, but not stretching. Are you noticing new baby polyps around the bases of each adult polyp? Are you target feeding with a syringe/ turkey baster or broadcasting? Where are they in reference to your light? Can we have a full tank shot with the zoas circled just to see their position in the tank?

 

[Just_Pete]

Okay so your zoas higher up are stretching quite a bit which makes me think they probably want more light. Your (Rastas?) are spreading pretty good, but not stretching. Are you noticing new baby polyps around the bases of each adult polyp? Are you target feeding with a syringe/ turkey baster or broadcasting? Where are they in reference to your light? Can we have a full tank shot with the zoas circled just to see their position in the tank?

Xr15 at 45% max output (10hrs with 3hr ramp/down) with T5s (4hrs). Target feed with a syringe and broadcast. You can see the Rastas towards middle right.

 

[footgal]

Xr15 at 45% max output (10hrs with 3hr ramp/down) with T5s (4hrs). Target feed with a syringe and broadcast. You can see the Rastas towards middle right.

Do your zoas actively blow in the current? Like waving around as if they were a euphyllia? If they are I think they have too much flow and they may be trying to grow towards a lower flow area (aka protected by the rock which is why they’re spreading like that). Try turning your powerhead down a little bit and see if the new baby zoas that pop up keep spreading very loosely or if they start growing in a tighter colony again. Hope this helps!