Reef Discussion

[Ziggy]

Ok folks all, I'd like to hear your views on zoa care. Now that my tank parameters have settled and the alk, calcium and Mg are all at correct levels, I notice my zoas are finally growing where before they were upset. From here on in with new zoas and my existing ones, I'd like to make sure I'm doing the right thing for them.

This afternoon I made a frag rack for some of the babies. My first lesson is that this rack is not big enough at all so I'll be making a bigger one at some point soon.

In your opinion, what is the best way to acclimate a zoa frag into a new tank. I'm aware that zoas are supposed to be bomb proof but they also prefer, like most marine creatures, stability so a change to a new tank can be a shock for them.

Do you drip acclimate or just plop the bag in to get the transport bag to temp or put tank water gradually into the transport bag or do you do something else?

Do you place your new zoas down the bottom (or a medium/low) light spot first or put them on a frag rack or place them somewhere in your scape?

Do you feed your zoas and if so what with and how often?

I'd appreciate any advice and suggestions you might have. :)

 

[Buddy]

I have never acclimatised zoas, not even temperature. I just put them straight in and never have a problem :)
I haven't fed them either, they seem to do pretty well on their own.

 

[Lesley]

I am afraid I am guilty to of that too, I don't acclimate any of my corals......Zoas included. hmm.

 

[RobbieMVFC]

I dont even acclimate SPS's.
Zoas are pretty tough.

 

[daveH]

ditto here

 

[ReeferRob]

Chop and plop is the order of the day with corals. The only things I acclimate are fish, anemones, shrimp, stars and urchins.

 

[DeWalt]

Another person here that doesn't acclimate

 

[Wrangy]

Add me too that list. I float everything in the tank for 10-15 minutes and then straight in. No real acclimatisation process to date but that's changed for me now. Zoa-pox and another infection seems to be spread throughout the zoa scene at the moment so any new zoa's I get are thoroughly inspected and dipped in coralRX before they go anywhere near the tank because I DO NOT want to lose my collection!

There's probably one or two people I trust completely but other than that everything is dipped.

As for in tank position, it's straight onto my frag rack and if they don't like it there then I readjust as needed :) and I neither feed nor supplement anything for me zoa's :) just plenty of light and water movement!

 

[ReeferRob]

That zooanthid pox is coming out of Indonesia, if it keeps up, nobody will be buying there. If you're in doubt of the country of origin, dip and put them in QT for a week or 2 just to be sure. All of my Indo corals go into their own run just to be safe. It's a damn shame because Indonesia used to be the be all, end all for corals of the world. Now they're the last place most people buy from. I was looking back through my old order sheets from the late 90s and 80% of what I bought came out of there. Fiji was off limits for corals, now they're an industry leader for cultured corals as well as Irian Jaya.