Bigger zoa polyps?

[nickp9054]

I’m new to reefing. Rn my tank is softies only. I just got my first frag of zoas, and they’re pretty small. The color morph is Illuminati. All three polyps are like thumbtack sized. Today I spot fed them with some pellets. Will that do anything to make the polyps bigger? Not only more polyps, but bigger ones. Is there anything else I can do? I’m running 5:1 blue to white leds.

 

[sp1187]

feeding won't change their size but can encourage more polyps to grow off of the current ones. zoas are generally smaller than palys.

 

[nickp9054]

Do they ever get bigger than say a thumb tack tho, or maybe specific types that’ll get bigger?

 

[sp1187]

different types do. size is type specific.
these are some of mine. most are the same size regardless of type, but you can see a few types that are bigger.

if you want big, go with Grandi palys. green one in the center and brown and white striped top left.
they get from quarter to silver dollar size. but they aren't as colorful.

 

[danschoenherr]

Yes, the Illuminatis do get bigger. I would say dime sized polyps is the norm for these, but I have had them bigger and have a frag now that has very small polyps. I have found the larger the colony gets, the healthier it is and is more able to withstand problems like parameter swings.
Strive to keep parameters stable, mainly salinity and nitrates. The newer your tank is, the more difficult it will be to keep nitrates and phosphates at the right levels for zoas. As for lighting, blues are what you are looking for, but you can add some whites for your viewing preference. Intensity of lighting is important also. I have my strongest PAR at 180, but there are areas down to 80 PAR also, so I can experiment with different frags as to where the sweet spot is.
Feeding definately helps, but not pellets. Get yourself one of the dry coral foods like Benepets, Reef Roids or Reef Chili and spot feed this per instructions as you don't have many frags. One of my favorites to feed is the LRS frozen food called Reef Frenzy. I chop this up really small and broadcast ffed my zoa tank.......they love it. They show way more feeding response than any other food that I feed. You should spot feed this though until you get a lot more coral.
Amino acids help too. Brands like Aquavitro FUEL and the Red Sea Reef Energy AB+ are proven coral growth additives.

 

[nickp9054]

Yes, the Illuminatis do get bigger. I would say dime sized polyps is the norm for these, but I have had them bigger and have a frag now that has very small polyps. I have found the larger the colony gets, the healthier it is and is more able to withstand problems like parameter swings.
Strive to keep parameters stable, mainly salinity and nitrates. The newer your tank is, the more difficult it will be to keep nitrates and phosphates at the right levels for zoas. As for lighting, blues are what you are looking for, but you can add some whites for your viewing preference. Intensity of lighting is important also. I have my strongest PAR at 180, but there are areas down to 80 PAR also, so I can experiment with different frags as to where the sweet spot is.
Feeding definately helps, but not pellets. Get yourself one of the dry coral foods like Benepets, Reef Roids or Reef Chili and spot feed this per instructions as you don't have many frags. One of my favorites to feed is the LRS frozen food called Reef Frenzy. I chop this up really small and broadcast ffed my zoa tank.......they love it. They show way more feeding response than any other food that I feed. You should spot feed this though until you get a lot more coral.
Amino acids help too. Brands like Aquavitro FUEL and the Red Sea Reef Energy AB+ are proven coral growth additives.

Thanks! I will do all of those things. Sorry just one more newb question. What device do you use to measure par. I’ve seen things like the ceneye, but that’s a little over budget for me. Is there something specific i should use?

 

[danschoenherr]

Thanks! I will do all of those things. Sorry just one more newb question. What device do you use to measure par. I’ve seen things like the ceneye, but that’s a little over budget for me. Is there something specific i should use?

A PAR meter is needed for that. My local reef club has two of them that members can use for free, so maybe other reef clubs out there do the same thing. Bulk Reef Supply does rent them also with a deposit. Otherwise, search out PAR values for the lighting that you have and maybe someone will have some values listed based on intensity and height. Many people show height off of the water, but wondering if it should be height off of the sand bed as there are different height tanks. Otherwise, many zoas will tell you they need more light if they are stretching. If you are going to increase the light intensity, do it slowly over 6-8 weeks.