Description

Zoa Garden

🪸 Zoanthid Coral (Zoas) Care Guide

Quick Stats:

• Common Name: Zoas, Zoanthids

• Scientific Name: Zoanthus spp.

• Type: Soft Coral (technically colonial anemones)

• Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

• Temperament: Peaceful (but can overgrow)

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🧪 Water Parameters:

• Temperature: 76–80°F (24–27°C)

• pH: 8.1–8.4

• Salinity: 1.023–1.025 (SG)

• Alkalinity: 8–12 dKH

• Calcium: 400–450 ppm

• Magnesium: 1250–1350 ppm

• Nitrates: 2–10 ppm

• Phosphates: 0.01–0.05 ppm

Important:

• Zoas like a little nutrients in the water (not ULNS = Ultra Low Nutrient Systems).

• Super clean water can actually stress them out.

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☀️ Lighting:

• Lighting Needs: Moderate (50–150 PAR)

• Notes:

  • Too much light can cause them to close up or bleach.

  • Too little light can make them stretch out (“reaching”).

  • Actinic blue lighting makes their colors POP beautifully.

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🌊 Water Flow:

• Flow Needs: Moderate

• Notes:

  • Random, indirect flow is best.

  • Helps prevent detritus and algae from settling.

  • Too strong direct flow can cause them to stay closed.

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🍽️ Feeding:

• Diet: Mostly photosynthetic (zooxanthellae)

• Supplemental Feeding: Optional but boosts growth and color.

  • Target feed small particle foods like:

    • Reef Roids

    • Coral Frenzy

    • Phytoplankton

• Feeding Frequency: 1–2 times per week if you want faster growth.

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📈 Placement:

• Where to Put It:

  • Middle to lower parts of the tank.

  • Start them lower and slowly acclimate them up if desired.

  • Zoas like stable rocks or plugs to spread on, making them popular to create a Zoa Garden.

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🛠️ Special Notes:

• Palytoxin Warning:

  • Some Zoanthids (especially Palythoa species) can produce a dangerous toxin.

  • Wear gloves and eye protection when fragging or handling large colonies.

• Pests:

  • Watch for:

    • Zoanthid-eating nudibranchs

    • Sundial snails

    • Zoanthid spiders

  • Dipping new corals is essential!

• Melting:

  • “Zoa melt” is when they shrivel and die.

  • Usually caused by poor water quality, pests, or flow issues.

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🧽 Maintenance Tips:

• Dip new zoas in coral dips (e.g., Bayer, Reef Dip) before adding them to the tank.

• Maintain stable parameters; Zoas don’t like swings.

• Trim algae around colonies if necessary to avoid smothering.

• Regular water changes to maintain trace elements.

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Fun Fact:
Zoanthids come in literally hundreds of wild color morphs — collectors often name different strains, like “Rastas,” “Utter Chaos,” “Scrambled Eggs,” or “Sunny D’s”! 🎨🌈