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The care and keeping of zoas


Emerald525

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With the grow out I have seen a lot of questions. For the most part zoas do well in our reef tank. We have had some zoas melt from the Hawaii group buy.

 

I was just curious what everyone does with their zoas. I usually just float the bag in the sump for about 20 to 30 minutes and then try to put them in lower lighting and lower flow in the tank usually the bottom at first. I typically dip them in a diluted iodine solution before they go into the tank for about 30 seconds. If they don't open up after a day or so or do not seem to be doing well I will move them to a different spot.

 

I also target feed every other day.

 

Do other people dip the zoas before putting them in their tank. I was also shown how do do a freshwater dip to remove hitchhikers which also worked well.

 

Do you float the bag or do you drip acclimate?

 

Any tips on the more challenging zoas?

 

I promise I will not put up a poll!(laugh)

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Now a Manatee on the other hand' date=' I do acclimate very slowly! Along with sea turtles, baby blue whales and manta rays. Then I quarantine them in a nano cube 24 gallon. I figured the bigger tank size would be less stressful.[/quote']

 

LOL... I know who this was all directed at! (wife)

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Issac......have you been smoking the nori again?(naughty)

 

I give my zoanthids a 15 minute bath in the water that they came in mixed with some Pro Coral Cure by Tropic Marin and 5 or 6 drops of Salifert Flatworm Exit (for da nudies). Then straight into the tank. Seems to work ok for me.

 

Dennis

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Great advice from Don Coraleone

 

They should be drip acclimated very slowly over a 72 hour period followed by a 24 month quarantine followed by skip all that and throw them right in.

 

(laugh)I had to reread this and make sure it was the right person! I'm being serious here and if you don't watch it I'm going to throw up another poll!(wife)

 

It sucks when they melt so I was just wondering oh great coral master(icon)

 

 

Now a Manatee on the other hand' date=' I do acclimate very slowly! Along with sea turtles, baby blue whales and manta rays. Then I quarantine them in a nano cube 24 gallon. I figured the bigger tank size would be less stressful.[/quote']

 

+1 for the manatee acclimation. I find they do better with 8 hour drip just difficult to find a bucket big enough!:p

 

My sea turtles and baby blue whales on the other hand have all done fine without quarantine.(clap)

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Down to serious business. I float in sump for 20 minutes to make sure temp is the same. I then dip in Tropic Marin for 10 minutes. I then eyeball it to make sure no bad nasties. I found some on the last batch I put in (nudis!) and then put them in low light, low flow in the T-5 tank. After a week or so I put them in higher light and more flow. I don't spot feed I flood the tank with food. It rains food on them!!! I have only had problems with the yellow lunars (YIKES) I hope they are somewhere in the tank. That they jumped ship off of the frag plug and took up new residence??!!

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Freshwater dipping can be hit or miss. Protopalys do not like it at all, and most of them will die after a freshwater dip. Not all, but most. After experiencing this i have eliminated FW dips.

 

I float the bag for 30-60 min. Then it goes into a specimen container that hangs on the side of the tank. I add about a cup of tank water every 30 min or so for 2-3 hours. Then a dip in Revive for 5-7min. Then they go into the QT tank for 8 weeks. Then they get dipped in Revive again and moved to the display. I blast zoas with flow from day 1.

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I have dipped coral in freshwater since I started and noticed that it won't always kill the nudi's and most importantly their eggs. I have literally spotted a zoo eating nudi on a polyp and put them straight in cold fresh water and watched the nudi cruise around with no problems and live after a 10 minute dip. I haven't experimented with too many brand name dips so I couldn't say for sure on those but if you put them in the freshwater and shake them around a bit and then inspect for eggs you won't find too many problems, and for the record I don't even bring the freshwater up to temperature and I have never had a problem with it.

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Re: The care and keeping of zoas

 

I think I am going to get Melanarius wrasses just to play it safe.

 

 

You won't regret that...I have had mine for over a year and love him more and more everyday...

 

 

As for the zoa's....my new acclimation has been working wonders...I have started seeing my zoa's absolutely explode....I don't do much when they arrive however, just toss em in

Sent from my brain using telepathy

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You won't regret that...I have had mine for over a year and love him more and more everyday...

 

 

As for the zoa's....my new acclimation has been working wonders...I have started seeing my zoa's absolutely explode....I don't do much when they arrive however, just toss em in

Sent from my brain using telepathy

 

Okay I'm confused. If you just float the bags what is your new acclimation?

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Re: The care and keeping of zoas

 

Yeah sorry I was trying to find pics to support my claims first....here is the skinny....

 

My "acclimation" process is like this...sometimes I float to temp acclimate then drop in tank...they go on my frag rack for the first 3 days where the only direct light they get is from my actinics...from there they go into a partial light low flow area for 5 days....then into higher light and higher flow for 3 more before going to their final location....

 

Results....got these Mohawks on April 15th with 5 total, 3 adults and 2 babies

IMG_2308.jpg

 

Today I can easily count 18 just on the side I can see without effort and I know there are at least 10 more on the otherside....here are crappy pic tonight and good pic tomorrow

 

08e025d9.jpg

 

31faebee.jpg

Sent from my brain using telepathy

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Re: The care and keeping of zoas

 

Updated post with crappy pics....no I didn't read about it, it started when I received the PH's from the NCRA....the dude had weak lighting where my frag came from and I have a 250w HQI with a 4 month old bulb that runs forever during the day, so I started everything I got in the described fashion which seems to prepare them for my cycle, which was 2xPH, 1xRH, 5xMowahks....with in the first 3 weeks I had 6 PH's, 3 RH's, and I don't know how many Mohawks because I was so stocked over the Hornets....but I know how many Mohawks I have now, I also have 5 RH's now and that is with injury and nitrate spike and PH + salinity drops....and I sent 8 to 10 PH's to Jody....I guess you would have to see what I do to understand...

 

I also did the 2nd round grow out frags and my TECO grow out frag the same way....getting good results from Rasta, Rising sun, Tiger, Pink Elephants and BHS's....the only ones now showing the beginning "pop" as I like to call it is the BHS's. The Keliedescopes haven't done much either other than I noticed 2 nubs tonight

 

Sent from my brain using telepathy

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my process

 

With whatever I get I float in the tank/sump for at least 30 mins just to be safe on getting temps to match, depending on the size of bag and water volume it was shipped it.

 

Most of the time (85%) it goes straight into the tank, depending on what I am buying dictates whether it gets a lugols iodine dip. I'll tell ya I have only dipped 5%-10% of what I have ever bought-someday this will bite me perhaps.

 

On the times that it does not go straight in, I am adding about half of the total volume of water that the coral came in with my tanks water and let it sit 10-15 mins, I repeat that two more times.

 

Once things go in the tank, they are placed on the bottom and the sides of the tank where the light is very indirect and thats where they stay for at least 2 weeks. After that I will slowly bring them out into stronger light and flow, depending again on the piece.

 

For me the best I have found for zoas is once you find a spot-leave them be, dont move the plug trying different spots, the more it gets moved the more pissed the zoa gets.

 

I never have target fed and that holds true for the 1 zoa GOC I was. I got good results and it would have been better but with about 2.5 weeks left I moved the zoas and they went into lock down for the following 2 weeks.

 

so float to temp, drop in a low light area, then bring em out after awhile to higher light and leave 'em alone

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10-20 min float then inspection under jewelers goggles then into tank I have back up plan pest eradicators in pygmy angels if I happen to miss something but I do very little wild stuff anymore so pretty easy to inspect frags but if wild I have a tray they can go to if I see something I don't like.Also usually put new stuff in heavier flow has seem to stop bacterial infections before they get a chance to start.

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