Just The Facts Contest: Zoanthids

Scientific Name Zoanthus , Zoanthidae

Common Name(s) Zoanthids, zoos, button polyps, zoas, holy crap look at those colors, $200 for a single poylp...what are you crazy!!

Coloration wide variety of colors ranging from reds to green to blues, browns and even blacks. pretty much every color you can thing of.

Size and Growth Rate can have a super speedy growth rate such as 1-3 polyps per week or so. or it can be as slow as one polyp every month. it all depends on origin, tank parameters how rare it is and how much you paid for it hahaha.

Location and Geographic Range most commonly they are seen coming in from Fiji, Indonesia or the Solomon islands as they have many distributors in the area. But they can be found all over the world.

Food no feeding is necessary as the thrive off the symbiotic relationship of zooxanthellae. though mine have been seen scarfing down, flakes, pellets and mysis.

Lighting zoas are tolerable of a wide range of lighting from pc all the way up to Metal halide and LED lighting.

Water Flow tollerable of most flows but prefer the middle ground. in other words don't blast them continuously with a power head.

Chemical Stability typical mixed reef chemical parameters of 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025

Aggression somewhat peaceful when it comes to chemical warfare but they can overtake an area and choke out other inhabitants. Extremely aggressive when it comes to humans eyes, mouth and open cuts...don't let them anywhere near those areas.

Care Level (Easy, Moderate, Difficult) easy

Hardiness very hardy! zoanthids can tolerate and in most cases enjoy and thrive sub standard water conditions. i have even read that they are known to thrive in factory runoff in some locales. although i have had a few just up and melt away if i looked at them wrong.

Placement in Tank depending on light they can be placed anywhere from the sandbed to the top as long as proper light acclimation practices are used.

Availability widely available in pretty much any LFS or online. can even be found while swimming on some Florida beaches.
Fragmentationfrags are made by cutting the "mat" or runners that single polyps send out separating it from the colony and transplanting it to a plug or another rock. Or simply place a frag plug or rock next to the colony and let it grow out until it spreads onto the plug or rock. separate and relocate.

Conclusion and Comments zoanthids are easy and colorful and most of the time an inexpensive addition to any reef tank. they can single handedly provide the wow factor to a tank by the colors alone.

My personal experience: I have tons of zoanthids and i love them and the colors they add to my tank. they are very easy to propagate and spread the wealth so to speak. overall as long as they dont melt for some reason on me i will continue having zoanthids in my tank(s)

Great write up!!!

don't forget to wear gloves and goggles when you handle them. Especially when you frag them!

Very nice write-up!!!

Great write-up!!!

Aggression Extremely aggressive when it comes to humans eyes, ..........don't let them anywhere near those areas.

Yeah no kidding

Originally Posted by cdangel0

Great write-up!!!




Yeah no kidding

and I now know to wash my hands after being in my tank.

Great job kdino!!! ......great pics too! - are they all YOUR zoas? .......and I think you deserve an extra point or two for including humor!!!

thanks barb, the bottom 2 pics are my zoas, the top one of one i really, really want to get called dragonflys. they have some insane colors.

and as for the humor....its just my way of doing things hahaha.