Help selecting corals to contain rapidly expanding zoas

[CMO]

I have some JF Mohican Sun zoas that are expanding at an alarming rate and I'd like to try and contain them by placing corals around them that will stop their expansion. The tissue with these things is unlike anything I've seen (not your normal matting zoas) and expanding great distances between new polyps. I really don't want to run the risk of poisoning my system by trying to remove them, and I quite like them so long as I can contain them. So, with that, what corals might you all recommend in the locations identified below that might help stop the spread of these guys further up the rock (I don't want them to make it to the flat plates where I plan to grow SPS). I'm not worried about the green dragon eye zoas which grow fast but are much more manageable.

My current thoughts are Leptastrea and or Blastos. Flow and lighting (~300 par) is moderate in this location. Must play nice with SPS and zoas.



Thanks

 

[Jboulerice]

I prefer to actually grow out colonies, like in nature, corals will become increasingly competitive. For my aquascaping I went with a zone / coral type process of allow zoas and rock anemones to dominate the sand bed along side eventually some more docile corals such as scolys.

I think a lot people get headfast on having as many types of corals, but after a few years encounter entire colonies fighting... and usually one will become overcome. As competitive as it is in nature it, seems like the best tanks have the most spacing and largest colongies IMO. I would reconsider positioning your zoas to the lower levels as the coloration will inetisify under the less exposed lighting.

 

[sde1500]

Why contain them at barely more than a frag? Let them grow out, zoa colonies look good.

 

[erky]

I prefer to actually grow out colonies, like in nature, corals will become increasingly competitive. For my aquascaping I went with a zone / coral type process of allow zoas and rock anemones to dominate the sand bed along side eventually some more docile corals such as scolys.

I think a lot people get headfast on having as many types of corals, but after a few years encounter entire colonies fighting... and usually one will become overcome. As competitive as it is in nature it, seems like the best tanks have the most spacing and largest colongies IMO. I would reconsider positioning your zoas to the lower levels as the coloration will inetisify under the less exposed lighting.

agreed, but a lot of people want a full tank asap and cant wait for them to grow out.

 

[CMO]

Why contain them at barely more than a frag? Let them grow out, zoa colonies look good.

Agreed but these things are scary and i'm concerned they will take over the top half of the tank before I have time to grow anything else. I've had these about a month starting with 4 heads. There's far more baby polyps than you can see in the photo even. I'm gong to let the dragon eyes run but the Mohican Suns need stopped before my whole tank is covered in them! lol

 

[Michael Naegeli]

I got same problem w several Mohican type (weed) Palys. I place other Palys all up on their back and like to use Acans or Favia to block growout routes. Ya weed Palys like Mohicans and close relatives need not be placed on a large structure of rocks. I learned to put them on their own lil island rocks w no chance of infesting. U may want to remove that Frag from front and center for you are correct to be alarmed for sure. If stragglers grew into rockwork I rip them off w tweezers. Wear gloves while doing though. They r truly weeds and will overtake smaller polyps w no problem

 

[CMO]

I prefer to actually grow out colonies, like in nature, corals will become increasingly competitive. For my aquascaping I went with a zone / coral type process of allow zoas and rock anemones to dominate the sand bed along side eventually some more docile corals such as scolys.

I think a lot people get headfast on having as many types of corals, but after a few years encounter entire colonies fighting... and usually one will become overcome. As competitive as it is in nature it, seems like the best tanks have the most spacing and largest colongies IMO. I would reconsider positioning your zoas to the lower levels as the coloration will inetisify under the less exposed lighting.

Agreed. I made a noob mistake but am scared to try and remove them due to potential tank poisoning.

 

[erky]

Agreed but these things are scary and i'm concerned they will take over the top half of the tank before I have time to grow anything else. I've had these about a month starting with 4 heads. There's far more baby polyps than you can see in the photo even. I'm gong to let the dragon eyes run but the Mohican Suns need stopped before my whole tank is covered in them! lol

usually put zoas i dont want going crazy on the sand, then you can frag a ton easier, as for encrusted paly/zoas good luck...

 

[CMO]

I got same problem w several Mohican type (weed) Palys. I place other Palys all up on their back and like to use Acans or Favia to block growout routes. Ya weed Palys like Mohicans and close relatives need not be placed on a large structure of rocks. I learned to put them on their own lil island rocks w no chance of infesting. U may want to remove that Frag from front and center for you are correct to be alarmed for sure. If stragglers grew into rockwork I rip them off w tweezers. Wear gloves while doing though. They r truly weeds and will overtake smaller polyps w no problem

Hmm, okay. Sounds like I may need to move them. Have you done this successfully in DT without poisoning the tank? These things look scary. Lol

 

[timnem70]

Think folks sometimes can't see long into the future where yep, those corals grow and is really our only true measure of ultimate success in the hobby. Growimg out colonoes to do what they would naturally in the wild. I haven't put my hamd in my 5 year old softie tank to physically change anything in years and just let it happen.
I do completely understand wanting, early in a tanks life and with ugly frag plugs and bare rocks, fill up "empty" spots. They won't be empty long if you're doing this right and it looks like you have a handle on that. It's really hard though to wait the couple years for it to happen.
Do what you wanna do though man. It's your reef and so far it looks okay to me. Have fun and happy reefing

 

[Michael Naegeli]

Hmm, okay. Sounds like I may need to move them. Have you done this successfully in DT without poisoning the tank? These things look scary. Lol

Yes I have. On several occasions in a tank w around 60k in Corals. Again wear gloves and be careful w your contact. Never know which will exude Palytoxins. I have surely ticked Mohicans off. Never affectected any other corals at all. Even directly on top of them.

 

[CMO]

Yes I have. On several occasions in a tank w around 60k in Corals. Again wear gloves and be careful w your contact. Never know which will exude Palytoxins. I have surely ****** Mohicans off. Never affectected any other corals at all. Even directly on top of them.

Great to hear. I just ordered a nice little island rock to put them on. Out they come tonight!

Thank you!

 

[Jboulerice]

Agreed. I made a noob mistake but am scared to try and remove them due to potential tank poisoning.

The poisoning has never affected anything but me personally; I think the zoatoxin and palytoxins only effect animals and other fish and livestock max. I’ve never seen adverse reactions with my livestock...

Just recently though I’ve had the skin on my fingertips almost melt away so gloves and tongs for now on; if you can physically remove that section of rockwork out of the water and take a blade, most of the time you can actually slide back the rock behind the polyps foot without any damage.

then I’d go the route of others meticulously plucking stragglers and using a piece of rubble rock for a base on the bottom of the tank. Who doesn’t love a zoa garden?!?

Patience is key with reefing as is consistency; a little a day goes a long way. Abrupt changes and you’re inviting a crash.

Good luck!

 

[CMO]

Update... I tried to remove the zoas a back when originally posted but got nervous since they were pretty difficult to get off and did not at all pull off in mats like I was hoping. But, from the original post to now (a little more than a month) these things almost completely covered the rock they were on. So today I finally had enough - I got my tweezers out and picked every last head off one by one.... If I didn't do something they'd literally take over my tank at the rate they were going.

So far I'm still alive and all livestock looks fine. feww....

So last question. Some of the connective tissue is stuck in nooks and cranies and hard to remove. Can new zoas pop up from the connective tissue or am I good having gotten all polyps out?

 

[Redleg]

I would superglue over those pieces. Better safe than sorry.