Anybody else have trouble growing zoanthids?

vessxpress1 · 05/15/2007, 07:23 PM

I've only had a couple types of zoos that actually did very well in my tank. Others I don't seem to have much luck with. I don't know what the problem is. I can't seem to grow a nice mat of them like I see on here.

I've got 3 seperate frags of eagle eyes and they all seem to be spaced out. They don't cluster up.

I bought a lunar eclipse frag that had one main polyp with a tiny one just begining to grow off it, at the end of February. Here it is the middle of May and the tiny one is now a medium sized one and no new growth. The other 3 head frag isn't showing any considerable growth either.

I had some really nice pink panthers (I think) that seemed to fade away. I've been keeping them all on the bottom in low to moderate flow under T-5s. The tank is fed well with various frozen foods.
Any suggestions?

vessxpress1 · 05/15/2007, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vessxpress1
I bought a lunar eclipse frag that had one main polyp with a tiny one just begining to grow off it, at the end of February. Here it is the middle of May and the tiny one is now a medium sized one and no new growth.

Ok, well this frag just made a liar out of me.

My urchin turned this plug around two days ago. I turned it around a few minutes ago and low and behold, there's a new polyp growing off the side! Pretty good sized already too. I swear it wasn't there just a few days ago. Still seems like a pretty slow growth rate though.

hexedagain · 05/15/2007, 08:27 PM

Try moving them up, so they get more light. Should help growth.
I have good flow and lighting on mine, and get great growth.

LoudProudNPunk · 05/15/2007, 08:34 PM

higher up i think you will get better colors and better growth, although some zoos dont liek intense light. try moving them midway up at first and see how they respond.

Peter Eichler · 05/15/2007, 11:01 PM

What is your T5 system like as far as bulbs and reflectors? I wouldn't move them up much because my T5s would stress the heck out of any zoanthids that weren't in the bottom half of the tank. Your tank may actually be too clean... I have pretty low nutrients and get good growth out of most, but others shrink and I get very little growth from them. One of mine that I have two frags of is pink panthers and they have been shrinking rather than growing for the last 8 months.

LoudProudNPunk · 05/16/2007, 01:20 AM

i have a 400watt MH and have some zoas at the top of my tank with no stress problems, altough i do have one colony that is on the edge of bleaching [planning on moving it down]

650-IS350 · 05/16/2007, 04:33 PM

good light nice flow but not battering them..

reef fanatic · 05/17/2007, 01:01 PM

what kind of urchin? I have a pencil urchin and he cleans polyps off rocks occasionally if they are in his path......until I banished to the sump

DaveJ · 05/17/2007, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by reef fanatic
what kind of urchin? I have a pencil urchin and he cleans polyps off rocks occasionally if they are in his path......until I banished to the sump

Most pencil urchins eat things like polyps and corals so unless you feed him, he will end up dying a slow death in there.

05/15/2007, 07:23 PM	#1
vessxpress1 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: NW IL Posts: 1,603	Anybody else have trouble growing zoanthids? I've only had a couple types of zoos that actually did very well in my tank. Others I don't seem to have much luck with. I don't know what the problem is. I can't seem to grow a nice mat of them like I see on here. I've got 3 seperate frags of eagle eyes and they all seem to be spaced out. They don't cluster up. I bought a lunar eclipse frag that had one main polyp with a tiny one just begining to grow off it, at the end of February. Here it is the middle of May and the tiny one is now a medium sized one and no new growth. The other 3 head frag isn't showing any considerable growth either. I had some really nice pink panthers (I think) that seemed to fade away. I've been keeping them all on the bottom in low to moderate flow under T-5s. The tank is fed well with various frozen foods. Any suggestions?

05/15/2007, 08:27 PM	#3
hexedagain Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 1,930	Try moving them up, so they get more light. Should help growth. I have good flow and lighting on mine, and get great growth. Last edited by hexedagain; 05/15/2007 at 08:33 PM.

05/15/2007, 08:34 PM	#4
LoudProudNPunk Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Danville CA [bay area] Posts: 639	higher up i think you will get better colors and better growth, although some zoos dont liek intense light. try moving them midway up at first and see how they respond. __________________ Getting back into reefing, woot woot! Current Tank Info: Starting a 65 gal reef.

05/15/2007, 11:01 PM	#5
Peter Eichler Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 6,081	What is your T5 system like as far as bulbs and reflectors? I wouldn't move them up much because my T5s would stress the heck out of any zoanthids that weren't in the bottom half of the tank. Your tank may actually be too clean... I have pretty low nutrients and get good growth out of most, but others shrink and I get very little growth from them. One of mine that I have two frags of is pink panthers and they have been shrinking rather than growing for the last 8 months. __________________ April 2015 TOTM

05/16/2007, 01:20 AM	#6
LoudProudNPunk Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Danville CA [bay area] Posts: 639	i have a 400watt MH and have some zoas at the top of my tank with no stress problems, altough i do have one colony that is on the edge of bleaching [planning on moving it down] __________________ Getting back into reefing, woot woot! Current Tank Info: Starting a 65 gal reef.

05/16/2007, 04:33 PM	#7
650-IS350 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 14,555	good light nice flow but not battering them.. __________________ * RETIRED FROM REEFING * Just enjoying the box of water from afar

05/17/2007, 01:01 PM	#8
reef fanatic Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: virginia Posts: 551	what kind of urchin? I have a pencil urchin and he cleans polyps off rocks occasionally if they are in his path......until I banished to the sump __________________ my give a damn's busted......... Current Tank Info: 55g reef,90g predator w/LR, JBJ nano 10/03 and JBJ DX nano cube set up 11/10/04